by Bob Humphrey

The Golden Age of grouse hunting is pictured in myriad examples of sporting art where, against the backdrop of a sea of golden aspen leaves, a brace of fine setters locks on point beneath a long-neglected apple tree.

Unfortunately, those scenes are disappearing as fast as the habitat those pictures depict. Classic abandoned farmsteads have either grown up into mature timber or have been carved up and sold to make room for an ever-increasing human population.

Old fields, abandoned farms and orchards are becoming few and far between, and morning hunts that once consisted of driving from one prime pocket to another are becoming passe.

Fortunately, wildlife managers understand the importance of creating and maintaining clearings and stands of regenerating cover for grouse and other upland game. These habitat conditions also occur as side effects of commercial timber harvesting on federal or commercial properties.

Most of our national forests are under some sort of active forest management and are open to hunting. In the South, most private land is leased, but paper companies in most northeastern states allow free-access hunting on their land. Some even encourage it.

There are still plenty of birds and places to pursue them. But both grouse and hunters must learn to adapt to different habitats.

Photo by Tom Evans

Clearcutting was actually going on long before the Industrial Revolution, and older sportsmen who grew up hunting in and around the cuts already know many of the hows and whys of hunting those suddenly-altered landscapes. The rest of us have had to learn it the hard way.

As a young wildlife biology student, one of the first things I was taught was the importance of edges, or as we scholars called them, "acetones." This is the transition between mature forest and open land or regeneration. Edge is important because it provides a combination of cover types in close proximity to each other. The forest provides shelter, cover, and roost and nest sites for grouse, deer and squirrels, but blocks much of the sunlight from reaching the forest floor. Meanwhile along the edge, sunlight can penetrate, resulting in a lush supply of plant and insect foods. In open habitat there is abundant food but less cover. That is why you'll find the greatest concentration of upland game along the edges of such cover, and this is especially true for grouse.

Clearcuts provide a bumper crop of preferred foods such as berries and leaves. At dawn, grouse will fly into the open clearcuts to feed, and you may find them well away from the treeline. By midmorning, when most gentleman bird hunters are afield, they'll most likely be along the edges, where food is still abundant but cover is but a few wing beats away. Clearcuts with uneven edges are better for obvious reasons - they have more edge!

A pair of dogless hunters can also team up using the same strategy. In the latter case the "dog" may get shots at close-flushing birds. Meanwhile, his partner should be on full alert because by the time the birds reach the wood line, they'll be flying under a full head of steam.

An even better situation is where several clearcuts occur in close proximity, such as in a checkerboard pattern. This is where a little scouting can really pay off. The easiest method is to drive on back roads and scout new clearcuts, a great way to spend a late summer or early autumn day. If you don't have the time or the means for that, a recent set of aerial photos will serve you just as well. You can also get some good information by paying a visit to the local wildlife or forestry office, or the commercial forester if you're hunting private land. They'll usually have detailed maps showing the location, age and species composition of various clearcuts.

Grouse also seek out bare patches of dry, sandy soil so they can dust themselves. You'll sometimes see small, rounded depressions where they've taken a dust bath to rid themselves of parasites. Take note of such areas for future midday hunting forays.

Furthermore, the moist soil in these wet areas promotes better succulent growth, and thus more food is provided for the birds. Stream corridors are especially bountiful, their long, linear edges winding sinuously through the middle of clearcuts. These moist bottoms are also favored by woodcock, which can provide a nice bonus when in season.

Late-season hunters should also take note of topography and surrounding cover. As winter's cold sets in, grouse will seek protection from the elements, and they'll find it most often in softwood stands and below east-facing slopes. They'll still move into the clearcuts to feed, and you'll most often find them in areas adjacent to good cover.

Despite what some hunters may tell you, size does matter, at least when it comes to clearcuts. The edge effect only goes so far. In clearcuts of 50 acres or less, you could flush a bird almost anywhere. However, when you get up into the 100 acre-plus range, your best odds are nearer the edges, unless there are wetlands or watercourses in the interior of the cut.

It's frustrating for sure, but that's why they call it hunting!