They say good things come in small packages. When it comes to the ruffed grouse, "pat," "pa'tridge" or "grouse," no truer words have ever been spoken.

Compared to many other game birds, the grouse is rather small. Its covering of gray or gray-brown to sometimes brick-red feathers is somewhat bland, but few birds create more excitement with the coming of fall. The grouse has become as big a part of the New England hunting tradition as the whitetail, and the respect and admiration toward these fast-flying birds among their countless fans are just as deep and committed. For many, hunting this bird is a divine mission.

Size and beauty have little to do with this bird's great popularity. For most hunters, it is the simple fact that you never know what you will get when you enter its back yard. While grouse commonly thunder from cover at great speed using a myriad of flying tactics utilizing whatever obstacles are available to protect its escape, this is not always so. While at times this bird shows signs of brilliance in the art of escape, at other times it can be reluctant to flush, and it even appears slow when it does. How and when a grouse flushes often will depend on the available cover and varying circumstances. To be successful in the field, the hunter must be able to recognize these variables and must be skilled enough with a shotgun to counter them.

New Englanders often consider their region to be the center of the ruffed grouse universe, and this bird has one of the largest distributions of all upland birds and has many admirers in New York or Michigan, but it makes little difference. The "partridge" is ours and ours alone.

Considering how some parts of New England have changed in the past decade, the ruffed grouse situation in our neck of the woods is doing well. This bird has always been able to adapt to manmade changes, and, given a pocket of cover, whether next to a housing development or shopping mall, it will manage to survive.

Although grouse numbers fluctuate from year to year, by all accounts populations on wildlife management areas, state forests and other public lands in southern New England continue to offer good-to-excellent hunting opportunities. On the larger national forests and paper company lands in the North, the grouse is flourishing. Thanks to mild conditions this past winter followed by an early, dry spring, biologists are predicting some excellent upland opportunities for the fall of 2002.

Photo by Ron Sinfelt

Maine ruffed grouse are found just about everywhere over nearly 28,000 square miles of forestland considered to be grouse habitat, but as is the case everywhere else, the quality of the habitat varies widely according to the age-classes and forest types.

George Matula, a wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, noted that birds are not found behind every tree and that densities vary from area to area. Because grouse have a rather small home range, the key to good hunting is finding areas that provide sufficient cover and food within a small area, generally less than 30 acres. Fortunately, much of Maine is still rural in nature, and good hunting is not difficult to find, even in some of the state's most populated towns.

For many grouse hunters, Maine's northern, western and "Downeast" areas offer the best opportunities in the state. In the early 1900s, nearly 6 million acres of Maine were in farmland, but by 1980, less than 1.5 million acres remained. The natural succession of these abandoned farms created vast areas of prime grouse habitat in these geographic areas. Much of this land is privately owned, but access can often be gained through asking. The expansion of the pulp and paper industry and the opening of timberlands also improved habitat conditions. These vast timberlands cover a couple of million acres that traditionally have been open to public hunting.

The state has also been in the process of acquiring huge land tracts in these areas in recent years, either outright or through easements. Much of this land is around Moosehead Lake, Baxter State Park and other unique areas, but traditional recreational use, including hunting, will continue to be allowed. A list of these areas can be obtained by contacting the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW).

The state also owns vast acreage in the form of wildlife management areas (WMAs). There are nearly 55 WMAs statewide, ranging in size from a few hundred to several thousand acres. There is also a great deal of paper company land available in the state, plus other areas where grouse can be hunted. A list of these areas as well as location maps can be obtained from the MDIFW, or they may be downloaded off the Web at www.state.me.us.

In the towns of Augusta, Windsor and Vassalboro, the Alonzo H. Garcelon WMA covers 4,343 acres in four parcels. It is about four miles north of Route 202 on Church Hill Road and six miles east of Augusta on Route 105. The tract features upland woodlands and is considered a good place for grouse.

In Dover-Foxcroft, Atkinson, Garland and Charleston 25 miles northwest of Bangor, the Bud Leavitt WMA area covers more than 6,400 acres. The area primarily consists of secondary upland forests and is another good spot for grouse.

Maine's 2002 ruffed grouse hunting season will run from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 this year. The daily limit is four birds, and the possession limit is eight. Hunters need a small-game license to hunt grouse, and the license costs $12 for resident and $55 for non-residents.

For more information, contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 41 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333; call (207) 287-8000; or visit the Department's Web site at www.mefishwildlife.com.

Hunters will have little difficulty finding either a place to hunt or birds to shoot at. The Coos County region contains typical New England big woods. The best grouse country is typically reached via old logging roads, many of which connect to major highways.

North of Errol, dirt roads lead off Route 16 to Umbagog Lake and north along Dead Diamond and Swift Diamond rivers in Second College Grant. These roads go on for miles! Some of these trails may be gated or difficult to navigate with passenger vehicles, but they are open to foot hunters and offer access to some of the wildest and best grouse country in New Hampshire. The towns of Dixville and Wentworth's Location, both north of Errol and Millsfield to the west, have many miles of logging roads to explore and hunt. Many of these roads start off from Route 16 or Route 26 heading west toward Colebrook.

The same is true starting at Pittsburg. South of town, a dirt road leads from Route 3 and travels more than 30 miles along Indian Stream. A similar road travels along Perry Stream south of The Glen. There is also some excellent grouse country farther north along Route 3 as it passes the Connecticut Lakes on its way to Canada.

Information on lodging and other facilities in northern New Hampshire may be obtained by contacting the North Country Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1, Colebrook, NH 03576; call (603) 237-8939; or explore the Chamber's Web site at www.northcountrychamber.org.

Good grouse country can be found by traveling south through the White Mountains region, through the lakes region and to the coast. The White Mountain National Forest covers nearly 700,000 acres and has its share of trails, parking areas and other hunter access points. Keep in mind that this is a multiple-use area, and most, but not all, of it is open to hunting. Check with the forest supervisor (603/528-8721) for more information.

South of the mountains, much of the land is privately owned, but some pre-season scouting should reveal some prime hunting areas. In the west, towns along the Connecticut River feature rolling, hardwood-covered hills and extensive agricultural lands, offering some of the finest grouse habitat in the state, particularly from Lancaster in the north to Hinsdale in the south. Major highways parallel the river, and there are secondary roads off these for easy access.

New Hampshire's 2002 ruffed grouse season will run from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. The daily bag limit is four birds. Resident small-game licenses sell for $20, and non-resident season licenses sell for $23. A three-day, non-resident license is also available for $23. All license purchases require an additional $2.50 Habitat Stamp.

For more information, contact the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 2 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH; call (603) 271-3421; or explore the Department's Web site at www.wildlife.state.nh.us.

Finding a place to bird hunt in Vermont is not a problem. Hunting is an accepted part of life in most areas, and access to private land is rarely refused.

Because grouse habitat is so widespread and the availability of birds is generally so good, putting a finger on precise areas is a challenge. Grouse hotspots exist in every town, city and hamlet in the state; however, the Poultney River valley towns west and south of West Rutland, including Poultney, Middletown Springs and Fair Haven, generally offer excellent hunting. So do Castleton, Wells, Tinmouth Clarendon, Ira and West Rutland. The towns in the Mettowee River valley to the south offer excellent fall grouse hunting as well. The Northeast Kingdom is another traditional grouse hotspot.

Lodging and other service information in Vermont can be obtained by contacting the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 37, Montpelier, VT 05601; by calling (802) 223-3443; or by visiting the Chamber's Web site at vtchamber.com.

There are ample public lands available for Vermont grouse hunters. The biggest is the Green Mountain National Forest, which runs down the backbone of the state. The forest is managed in districts, and within each district there are a number of popular and productive hunting areas, including many that are specifically managed for grouse. Some pre-season scouting might benefit visiting hunters.

For a list of these areas, contact the supervisor's office, 231 North Main St., Rutland, VT 05701; call (802) 747-6700; or download the information off the Web at www.fs.fed.us/r9/gmfl/recreation%20management/hunting.htm.

Vermont's grouse season traditionally runs from Sept. 28 through Dec. 31. The daily bag limit is four birds, and the possession limit is eight.

For license information, contact the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 103 South Main St., Waterbury, VT. 05671; call (802) 241-3700; or visit the Department's Web site at www.vtfishandwildlife.com. Maps of the state's wildlife management areas can also be downloaded from this site.

Finding a place to hunt these birds, however, is another matter, particularly on private land. Fortunately, MassWildlife manages nearly 100,000 acres in WMAs, and most were purchased through bond bills approved by the legislature in 1984, 1988 and 1996 and through the purchase of Wildlands Conservation Stamps, which are sold annually to sportsmen. An additional 200,000 acres are expected to be added by 2010.

These WMAs are in every area of the state. They vary in size from a few hundred acres, such as the 583-acre Ashby WMA in Ashby, to several thousand acres, such as the Fox Den WMA in Worthington, Middlefield and Chester.

The WMAs in the Western District, the Valley District to the east and the Central District offer the largest tracts of public land and often the best grouse hunting opportunities.

Massachusetts' 2002 ruffed grouse season runs from Oct. 19 through Nov. 30, and the daily bag limit is three birds.

For license information, contact MassWildlife, 251 Causeway St., Suite 400, Boston, MA 02114; call (617) 626-1590; or visit the Division's Web site at www.masswildlife.org.

The daily bag limit in Connecticut is two grouse, and the season limit is 10. Resident small-game licenses sell for $10, and non-resident licenses sell for $42.

For more information, contact the Connecticut Wildlife Division, 79 Elm St., Hartford, CT 06106; call (860) 424-3011; or visit the Division's Web site at www.dep.state.ct/burnatr/wildlife/wdhome.htm.

One of the best areas is 13,817-acre Arcadia WMA in West Greenwich, Exeter, Hopkinton and Richmond; it is the largest WMA in the state.

State biologists are presently conducting research on grouse. Hunters are asked to assist in the program by reporting grouse encounters and harvest information. To participate, contact the Ruffed Grouse Research Project at (401) 789-0281.