woodcock basics

blanked · Post by **blanked** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:00 pm

i am in south east texas and just had a week of freezing rain. will this unusual weather for here cause the birds to move elsewhere? when do they normally start migrating out of here?

do woodcock make noise? where you find one are there more in that area?

if there is no wind what does that do to the scenting conditions?

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:53 pm

blanked wrote:i am in south east texas and just had a week of freezing rain. will this unusual weather for here cause the birds to move elsewhere? when do they normally start migrating out of here?

In Wi., if the ground freezes and the birds can find no way to get their bills into the earth, they leave.

do woodcock make noise?

Mostly only during the mating season when they spiral into the air and "peent".

where you find one are there more in that area?

Yes, that will frequently be good woodcock cover and produce birds year after year. If you see one single woodcock, the cover's probably a fluke. If there are several in there, mark it on your map.

if there is no wind what does that do to the scenting conditions

Same as with any other bird. It makes it tougher for fido.

blanked · Post by **blanked** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:45 pm

the woodcock hunting isnt really my cup of tea, but its so close to the house i am hoping it will grow on me. my issue is the habitat is brutal on my GSP. he looks like he is just loafing thru but with all the vines and thorns i myself almost fell on my face getting tangled up in it. i can imagine my dogs misery. i like seeing a hard charging dog range out 100 to 200 yards and this is the opposite. do others with GSPs have the same issue with the dog only being able to loaf thru the woodcock habitat 30 yards out?
is watching this really that enjoyable to you?

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:09 pm

Next time you are in it, get down on your hands and knees and look around. It is pretty good at that level, if you are the size of a dog, or a grouse.

Don't know about loafing though. My GSP's have not tended to loaf in the woods.

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:30 pm

My GSP's may range out 100 yards or more in the thick, if there are no Doodles where I am at in the cover and I can't say that they are ever "loafing" either. They may be close in when we start hitting multiple birds, but the action is generally fast and furious from one point to the next.

They are great lil birds for a young dog, or any dog for that matter, to learn to be steady. Sit like a Gentleman (most of the time) until the dog tries to pounce and then they are out of there!

Do they run out from under a point down there?
Saw 1 run out from under 2 dogs this fall with both my partner and I watching it and it literally disappeared without ever flying. Most amazing Houdini act I had ever seen.

blanked · Post by **blanked** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:09 am

i wonder if your habitat is different from my habitat? sure could use some input on another south east texas woodcock hunter. so your dog will run as hard as if they are in more open habitat?

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:40 am

The dog is this avitar is pointing a woodcock in Wi. woodcock cover. This is light cover, much is heavier. My dogs hurtle themselves into the cover all day. I've never had one pick it's way through it unless it was an old dog.

blanked · Post by **blanked** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:37 am

the inside of my GSPs legs look like someone has flogged him with tree branches at the end of the day.

EWSIV · Post by **EWSIV** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:14 pm

I haven't hunted woodcock anywhere, but I grew up in SE Texas. I don't know where you are hunting, but if you are busting briar patches, then I believe your dog is busted up. In most places they are impassable.

Did you read that article I posted on woodcock hunting in Texas on another thread?

blanked · Post by **blanked** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 4:38 pm

i am hunting Sam Houston National Forest. I just read your post on it.
I am going to try what was suggested to walk the fire breaks and roads and hunt the edges of the thickets next week. with the freezing weather we just had it said that the birds will move further south. but the ground is very wet and damp still. the guy writting this article is describing the same thing i am experiencing and he dont even let his dogs go in the thickets.

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:06 pm

Here's something else I do when I hunt one particular cover that tears the fronts on my dogs legs up. Wrap the let in vetwrap, then duct tape over that. Does a nice job of protecting the dog.

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:51 pm

I'll have to see if I have any better pix, but my avatar pic shows a reasonable example of Woodcock cover in the background of the dog. That point was actually on a Doodle and the bird was holed up in a lil open area between Multiflora rose and Hawthorn's with blackberry cane throughout.

Yes, they do haul a$$ through the cover, but I can't say they move as fast as they would in an open field. Perhaps speed of the dog is relative in appearance to the cover they are in. As an example, Quail appear to me to fly relatively slowly in open fields, whereas Ruffed Grouse look like lightning coming through thick brush.

Perdido · Post by **Perdido** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:42 pm

This might help: It's a little dated but it still gives useable range info:

Go tp page 3

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/Woodcock.pdf

Believe it or not I saw a Woodcock in S Central New Mexico last weekend. Unreal, I wasn't sure if I could believe my eyes.

EWSIV · Post by **EWSIV** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:02 pm

Blanked,

Have you been finding more woodcock?

Will

smilinicon · Post by **smilinicon** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 1:15 pm

I am learning more about this bird... anyone know if there is there a link to sound bytes of woodcock calls?

Stump · Post by **Stump** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:16 am

AHGSP wrote:My GSP's may range out 100 yards or more in the thick, .

How in the heck do you keep from losing dogs?

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:44 am

Friend Stump: Many people hunt that kind of tight cover with bells or beepers on their dogs.

Best regards, Greg J.

Don · Post by **Don** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:01 am

Bell's and beeper's don't work for me. I've been married three time's and my hearing is shot!

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:52 pm

Don wrote:Bell's and beeper's don't work for me. I've been married three time's and my hearing is shot!

Friend Don,

Try this for the hearing problem: http://www.roameoforpets.com/ .

Try this for the marital problem: http://www.askmen.com/dating/dating_top ... _list.html

.

Best regards, Greg J.

Don · Post by **Don** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:38 am

That GPS collar is a great idea. I've tried bell's and about all a dog has to do to me to be out of hearing, is walk around behind me. Never did understand how anyone could hear those thing's.

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:49 am

I've heard rumors that TriTronics has a GPS tracking unit in R&D. I'm patiently waiting....

Best regards, Greg J.

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woodcock basics

woodcock basics

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