The sign this year that points to a great grouse-hunting season is aimed straight at drumming counts. According to Zimmer, it doesn't get much better than right now. "We had more male drumming this year than we've had in six years," he said. "And while there can be variations from state to state, there won't be much difference between Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan as far as the weather affecting the hatch. It was consistent across the board. I was even impressed by the drumming counts from the far eastern part of the U.P., and it showed significant increases in the drummers."

There is another pattern that grouse hunters tend to follow, and which tactic they choose will often affect the outcome of their hunts. One pattern works best for the first week or two, while the other provides consistent action throughout the season.

Pattern one is the trail rider. This is the hunter who chooses to drive down well-worn paths and logging trails looking for the grouse that are on these edges picking up gravel and foraging. At the start of the season, this hunter has a high success ratio, but it drops quickly as they kill the ruffs from these spots.

Pattern two is the hunter who goes off the beaten path to wander through the woods, poking around in the best-looking cover in the hope of flushing a bird or two.

There are few hunters who incorporate both scenarios into their game plan for grouse, although that could be the best strategy.

"In the mornings and late afternoons, the grouse are moving around to feed and they're looking for gravel," Zimmer said. "That's the best time to be working the trails. Me, I like working the backcountry. You'll find plenty of grouse there when the numbers are up."

Should hunters key on those aspen stands, or when the numbers of birds are high, will the pine belts and grassy lowland areas be productive as well? It's a good question, because the thick grass in a lowland swamp looks great for cover, and those thick pine boughs in a pine belt should easily conceal a grouse or two.

The problem with the swamps is that the bird-eating predators like to use this cover, too. And pines just don't seem to be a good choice when the "partridge" are looking for a place to settle in.

"We just have more animals that are adapting well to the landscape, and these predators will knock down the grouse," Zimmer said. "Coyotes, foxes and raccoons are notorious, and opossums that are moving north as the winters are becoming milder are a threat. You never saw opossums in some of these places 20 years ago. There are also more feral cats, which are not only a concern for songbirds, but they have an impact on young grouse as well."

If there is one drawback to a higher grouse population, it is that the number of hunters in the woods goes up as well. The correlation is well documented and it also seems as though the fair-weather hunters who only chase ruffs when the hunting potential is high all like the same spots. This is a warning to search out some of the less popular locations where on a good year you'll find plenty of birds but not too many hunters. These places do exist.

When you do the math, the average hunters -- if they start hunting in their teens -- are only able to hunt the peak of the grouse population cycle about five to seven times in their lifetimes. This makes you realize that during these years when the grouse numbers are at their highest, there is no excuse that is too lame, there is no celebration that can't be missed, there is no weather too inclement and there is nothing short of Armageddon that should keep you from taking advantage of this bounty that nature has delivered. Good luck in the aspen!

(Editor's Note: For more information on the Ruffed Grouse Society, go to www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.)