Last week’s frost throughout much of the state reveals that if nothing else, fall is on its way. For many of us, the change of the seasons is why we crave Maine. While we may say goodbye to the days of summer, it is with equal passion that we greet the fall and its outdoor opportunities.

So while the fishing rod is removed, the shotgun in its case takes its place. For October is bird season in Maine, and Maine is blessed with a variety of locations to hunt.

If you are headed out into the woods this October, here is a brief rundown of what you may find for upland birds.

Ruffed Grouse

Nothing affects grouse numbers more than spring rain, and unfortunately not only did we have April showers, we had plenty of May showers as well.

“Rainfall in May is the big indicator of grouse nesting success,” said Kelsey Sullivan, who oversees gamebirds as a wildlife biologist for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “But even though rainfall was above average, based on what we have seen it looks like we had about average production for nesting success.”

Grouse will lay up to 12 eggs, and generally within the first two to three weeks they will lose half of the chicks to predators.

“If the May rainfall is higher, chick loss can be severe,” said Sullivan. “In wet weather their scent is accentuated and more readily picked up by predators.”

Numbers are based on brood surveys and brood observations by biologists. Most of the broods observed this year had three to four chicks.

Sullivan said hunters should expect a fair bird season. If you are looking to travel to hunt, the North Maine Woods is a favored destination.

While you may not encounter the number of birds of recent seasons, according to Sullivan, you are likely to find more birds than elsewhere in the state.

Overall, if you are headed out grouse hunting this year, you should expect an average year.

Woodcock

Woodcock nest around the same time as grouse, so they too can be affected by cold, wet weather. But wet weather can also provide an abundance of earthworms, sometimes moderating the effect of a dreary May. Woodcock generally lay four to five eggs when nesting.

The department has conducted singing ground surveys of woodcock since 1966, part of a larger national survey coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The length and breadth of the survey gives the department an in-depth look at the woodcock population.

Surveys are conducted along approximately 50 routes each spring, and biologists listen for the males singing. In Maine, surveys reveal that woodcock numbers are fairly stable over the past few years but down a bit this spring.

Though numbers of woodcock may be stable, Maine hunters benefit from migration patterns each fall when the flight birds arrive. These are woodcock that breed in eastern Canada, and stop in Maine on their way to wintering areas in New Jersey and Maryland.

“A variety of factors impact the flight, and weather patterns can really push the birds as well as temperature change,” said Sullivan. “The milder the fall, the later the flight.”

In Maine, woodcock season ends Nov. 14, two weeks later than traditionally. The later start gives hunters a better chance of hitting the peak of the flight.

Resting flight birds can often be found in thickets and alder groves, feasting on earthworms in the pliable ground.

Sullivan feels with the wet spring, hunters should expect an average season but could have fantastic late-season hunting if migrating woodcock time their flight accordingly.

Mark Latti is a registered Maine guide and the landowner relations/recreational access coordinator for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.