Experts say 2008 is supposed to be on the top side of the grouse cycle. Photo by Windigo Images.

"Got two," the hunter on the ATV said as he pulled next to me at the start of the trail. His son 15 yards behind him on another ATV was a dead ringer for his dad -- just a young version of the elder.

The boy was surprised when I began walking down the well-worn path and he said, "We just hunted that trail."

"I know," I replied, "but I'm betting you didn't get more than 3 feet off it."

He just nodded yes and smiled and waved as I moseyed off.

The forest I was hunting west of Grand Rapids receives plenty of hunting pressure, and hunters are realizing that getting off the well-worn trails and logging roads may raise their odds, but there were few signs that any hunters had ventured too far back in these woods.

Empty shell casings, reminders of successful hunts from days gone by, littered the trail as I made my way to my starting point. I always collect the spent shells and drop them in the left pocket of my vest. When I get home, I look to see what the most popular shells are for the moment. From my non-scientific poll, I would say the 12-gauge with 7 1/2 shot is the most popular load for grouse. I find the occasional 16- or 20-gauge casings, but most are 12 gauge. Not many hunters use the smaller calibers.

I always hunt grouse with a Model 1100 28 gauge. It's light and doesn't blow the bird to bits at close range, which is where I like to pull the trigger.

When hunting grouse I'm always on high alert. It amazes me how many times I spot the grouse on the ground before it flushes. Not many hunters do.

I look for spots that will hold grouse and anticipate the flush. I look up into the trees and see grouse more often than you might think possible. A few years ago, I watched a hunter walk right under a ruffed grouse. When I pointed out to him that there was a bird about 20 feet above him on a branch, he looked up but never saw the grouse. The bird finally became nervous and flew, and neither one of us got a shot.

I didn't have to walk into the woods very far when the first grouse flushed. I was ready and dropped it before it went into deeper cover. I was thinking the day was starting out well, but I never saw another bird. I heard one flush ahead but never saw it.

Such was hunting for grouse in Minnesota last year. High expectations because of the rise in drumming counts for the year, but the birds failed to materialize when the season opened.

"I caution people not to get hung up on the drumming counts. That's only one piece of the puzzle," said Rick Horton, DNR forest wildlife coordinator. "The drumming counts show how many made it through the winter from the previous year. The other piece of the puzzle is what happens in the spring and summer. Good survival of the brood means good hunting."