To the novice uplander, experienced grouse hunters possess an almost magical ability to find ruffed grouse. But in fact, anyone can do it. The tricks are being able to recognize prime grouse cover, being willing to walk (and walk, and walk!) -- and finally, when a bird flushes, being on guard and ready to shoot.

You can spot experienced grouse hunters an abandoned apple orchard away. Their presence is often heralded by the melodic sounds of a gun dog's belled collar. These hunters' game vests are tattered from bulling their way through alders, briars and thickets of laurel.

Grouse can beguile and charm any hunter, acting the fool one day and the genius the next. You won't get them all! But there are ways to fool these truly wild game birds -- if you're up to the challenge.

Here's a look at how it's done:

FIND THE FOOD SOURCES
During the early season, grouse have an embarrassment of forage available to them, from acorns and beechnuts to berries, apples, insects, grasses, sprouts and buds.

In early fall, these food sources are scattered throughout the woods, making it difficult to locate that certain spot where birds are feeding.

So where do you start?

There's a grain of truth in the old adage, "Find alders and you'll find grouse." Stack the odds in your favor -- and save some boot leather -- by finding stands of alder, birch, aspen, rhododendron and dogwood. These will provide grouse with food and cover year 'round.

If weather conditions are particularly dry, focus on food-producing areas near swampy edges and bogs or along flowing water. Drought-like circumstances stunt plant growth and crop production, so grouse will seek out places where there's plenty of water to grow succulent foliage. Look especially for soft-mast forage like berries and greens.

If moisture conditions are normal, concentrate on clearcuts and edge cover near old orchards, abandoned farmland, logging roads and waterways. Look for regenerating clear-cuts in the sapling stage. Anything that looks impossible to walk through is where you want to be!

Hunt the edges of clearcuts abutting mature timber. Grouse use these areas to feed and roost. The clearcuts provide food; the mature growth offers roosting sites and escape routes.

Once you've downed a grouse, examine the bird's crop to see what it's been feeding on.

Then concentrate on areas that hold those food types. Buds, insects, berries of all types, apples, even mushrooms may be found in the crops of grouse. These are soft-mast foods, normally found in clear-cut areas that receive plenty of sunlight.

STUDY FLUSHED BIRDS
Watching a wily grouse flush and land is a lot like trying to follow the pea in a shell game. That sudden explosion of feathers is always a surprise, even for experienced hunters, and trying to keep an eye on the bird's flight path can be a challenge.