Cold, wet nesting seasons from 2005 to 2007 didn’t help grouse numbers over much of New England. Last year’s broods fared better, and biologists throughout the region said that if spring 2009 turned out to be warm and dry, it could have a great influence on the abundance of ruffed grouse available next fall.

Another continuous challenge facing grouse populations is the loss of early-successional habitat necessary for food and nesting ground cover. Wildlife experts throughout New England are working to re-establish good grouse cover, but every state still has some areas where these popular game birds thrive. There are birds out there if you are willing to find them, so strap on your best leather hiking boots and get going!

Here’s a roundup of best-bet destinations for the 2009 grouse season according to wildlife biologists in your state:

CONNECTICUT
Grouse numbers are headed downward in the Nutmeg State, mostly because of the loss of habitat, according to Michael Gregonis, a wildlife biologist with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Wildlife Division.

“We encourage landowners and state foresters to implement clearcuts whenever possible,” Gregonis said. “That practice has been demonstrated to help create good grouse habitat.”

Connecticut’s grouse season runs from Oct. 17 through Nov. 30, with a daily limit of one bird and a season limit of eight birds.

Gregonis said the official outlook for fall 2009 was “fair to poor.” However, hunters can improve those odds.

“Grouse hunters should look for areas where timber management has occurred in recent years,” Gregonis advised. “The most productive grouse areas in Connecticut are in the western portion of the state. Housatonic State Forest covers nearly 11,000 acres and contains pockets of good grouse habitat.”

Housatonic State Forest
Housatonic State Forest, near Sharon and Cornwall, is a multi-use property managed for wildlife, watershed protection and forest products, among other things. Wood harvesting operations fall under the domain of the DEP’s Division of Forestry, and a quick conversation with a state forester should reveal where early successional stage habitat may be found on this vast tract of land.

Contact the DEP office at (860) 424-3000. Check DeLorme’s Connecticut/Rhode Island Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 49, for area details.

Other public lands in the western corner of the state that allow grouse hunting include Algonquin State Forest, which covers 1,604 acres near Colebrook.

American Legion SF offers hunters 778 acres of public access near Barkhamsted.

For details on these state forests, check DeLorme’s Map 51.

Robbins Swamp WMA in Canaan spans about 1,120 acres. Check DeLorme’s Map 49 for area details.

For more Connecticut grouse hunting information, go to www.ct.gov/ dep/site/default.asp. For travel information, go to www.visitconnecticut. com or www.tourism.state.ct.us.

MAINE
The Pine Tree State is still one of the most forested in the nation. Thus, grouse numbers have not been as seriously affected here by habitat issues.

“What happened in Maine was that in 2005 we kind of bottomed out on our grouse population,” said Brad Allen, a wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “Grouse numbers were quite low, but things are steadily improving. I’d like to think this trend is going to continue through 2009. I’m optimistic.

“We had a sequence of fairly poor springs in a row, so the grouse population was trending downward,” Allen continued. “Grouse numbers were so few that people were calling and asking me if we were going to change the season. Hunters, truthfully, have a very small role in grouse survival, so I don’t bother to try to adjust the season.”