American Woodcock

stevoman · Post by **stevoman** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:18 am

Hi folks im just wondering do any of you hunt woodcock as your main quarry? I have read up and watched a few online videos of woodcock hunting in the states and it looks like you guys really have great sport.

woodcock woul dbe my main quarry here in Ireland and it poses some real hard exciting hunting but not wielding huge bags either. Here we shoot Eurasian woodcock which is actally 95%of the time a migratory bird here in the winter in Ireland. the Eurasin woodcock is also slightly larger than its american cousin.

Anyways in intersted to hear from you and read your stories!

gspmo1 · Post by **gspmo1** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 3:51 am

To be truthful hadnt really heard of the bird till a few years back.... Now I hunt them about 20 days year because the season opens about two weeks before quail. Usually get a lot of good bird contacts for the dogs both in the fall and spring, no hunting in the spring but Ill still run the dogs on them. Also they are a very sporty bird to harvest because no shots are easy in their habitat.

stevoman · Post by **stevoman** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:14 am

Yes they are very hard to shoot. What dog do you use to hunt them and what groung do you usually find them laying on? have you eaten them, they taste fantastic!

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 5:42 am

I love to hunt some Timber Doodles. They make for some fun shots. My pup loves to point and retrieve them. Eating them are not bad but not my favorite upland game but I do enjoy them.

stevoman · Post by **stevoman** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 6:09 am

Great picture. I love the dog!!! Is that the britanny that you have mentioned in your profile? If so its the first time i have ever seen one in black. Do you hunt with the gps or the collar bell? Over here in Ireland i usually beat cover in birch forest's and heavy ditches for woodcock. They are by far the most sporting bird of all in my opinion. They can run like heck also though and i have has some very memorable hunts with them over spaniels. i just cat wait to get the season started on them in Novemer and start going and out hunting a few.

fishvik · Post by **fishvik** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:15 am

Stevoman, Do they still have Irish Setters that are hunting stock over there? I always thought hunting behind one in the Irish countryside,with a classic side by side, wearing tall rubber boots(I believe you call them Wellingtons) and wearing wool clothing and caps would be a something out of the deep tradition of bird hunting. Ofcourse you would also have to stop off at the local pub after the hunt for a pint or two.

DogNewbie · Post by **DogNewbie** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:11 am

I've seen most of my woodcock in marshy areas. I've never targeted them directly, but you come upon them every once in a while grouse hunting. They are definitely hard to shoot. Generally they flush to the tree line and zig zag back and forth making hitting those little buggers very difficult. They're fun though!

Tim

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:34 am

stevoman wrote:Great picture. I love the dog!!! Is that the britanny that you have mentioned in your profile? If so its the first time i have ever seen one in black. Do you hunt with the gps or the collar bell? Over here in Ireland i usually beat cover in birch forest's and heavy ditches for woodcock. They are by far the most sporting bird of all in my opinion. They can run like heck also though and i have has some very memorable hunts with them over spaniels. i just cat wait to get the season started on them in Novemer and start going and out hunting a few.

Thank you! Yes he is an Epagneul Breton (French Britt). I use the gps so i don’t have to worry about noise in the woods. I have noticed that the woodcock run more then other years, season opens in mid Sep. here. I can’t wait.

Post by **Sharon** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 11:26 am

Timberdoodle hunting is a big deal in ON. Season opens when the migration South starts.

quackaddict · Post by **quackaddict** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 11:53 am

I havent killed many of them, but they are fun. I would much rather shoot Snipe though. I'm hoping that there are a few Snipe here in New Mexico.

northern cajun · Post by **northern cajun** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 1:46 pm

I hunt them down in Louisiana and its fantastic. I hunt them north in upstate NY really good there but La in the winter when it gets really cold and the ground freezes up north can be spectacular!!
My favorite bird to hunt.

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:16 pm

northern cajun wrote:My favorite bird to hunt.

I call Ruff's the bonus bird when I'm targeting Doddle's.

Firemedic · Post by **Firemedic** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:30 pm

I try to shoot as many as I can if I have a young dog (under 2) on the ground. They hold tight, they stink, they are forgiving, and when they do flush, they don't fly far. Perfect for a young dog learning the ropes in the woods. If the dog busts them, you can correct the dog and go find it, cause it isn't that far away.

Crystal kennels · Post by **Crystal kennels** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 6:32 pm

One of our favorite birds to hunt! They are especially good for young dogs as they have a soft flush and hold tight. You can re-work a bird a couple times. great little birds.............

Judy

nj gsp · Post by **nj gsp** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:08 pm

I like to hunt them although I hate eating them. I have a good friend that doesn't hunt them but loves to eat them. So everything works out in the end, because I won't hunt anything that isn't going to end up as food for somebody.

MTR · Post by **MTR** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:39 pm

djloder wrote:
northern cajun wrote:My favorite bird to hunt.
I call Ruff's the bonus bird when I'm targeting Doddle's.

I second that. With the bird (grouse) numbers lower, we always start off in clearcuts chasing the toodles. Always have a great time and always get.my limit. Had been hunting them with my lab until he retired last year and now will be hunting the second season with my griffon (1.5 yrs old) on his second season. Last year they were great for getting him on a lot of wild birds and helping them teach the dog how to hold. Opening day last year we had 70 flushes and it tool all day until I had shot my limit over nice steady points. The next day only took a few hours and 30 flushed, the next weekend it went better. Favorite bird just due to the numbers that we encounter and the challenge of shooting.

stevoman · Post by **stevoman** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 4:30 am

fishvik wrote:Stevoman, Do they still have Irish Setters that are hunting stock over there? I always thought hunting behind one in the Irish countryside,with a classic side by side, wearing tall rubber boots(I believe you call them Wellingtons) and wearing wool clothing and caps would be a something out of the deep tradition of bird hunting. Ofcourse you would also have to stop off at the local pub after the hunt for a pint or two.

There are plenty of Irish setters here that are working stock. We have full red setters and the original red and white setters. What you are describing is a usual days hunting for me in winter. I shoot with my two spaniels (spaniels are very popular in ireland), my AYA side by side (i wouldnt shoot with anything else) and a pair of wellington, a fleece and not forgetting the woven cap! i do enjoy a few pints after a good days hunting also!!!

i'l keep the pictures from this seaons hunting and keep posting thme up regularly on twitter and up on this website too.

stevoman · Post by **stevoman** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 4:33 am

djloder wrote:Thank you! Yes he is an Epagneul Breton (French Britt). I use the gps so i don’t have to worry about noise in the woods. I have noticed that the woodcock run more then other years, season opens in mid Sep. here. I can’t wait.

He really is a fine looking dog. So how long does your woodcock season last for. Ours open from november 1st to January 31st, but the woodcock dont really migrate in number until late november so i am pre occupied with pheasents until they are well and truly in.

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 5:21 am

stevoman wrote: He really is a fine looking dog. So how long does your woodcock season last for. Ours open from november 1st to January 31st, but the woodcock dont really migrate in number until late november so i am pre occupied with pheasents until they are well and truly in.

MN season is from 9/24-11/07/11 but I don't like to shoot the locals and wait till they migrate as well.

stevoman · Post by **stevoman** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:01 am

Your season will just be getting finshed when mine will be just getting started. stay in touch and send me pics of the hunts as they go if you dont mind. id love to see pictures from woodcock hunting in the states!

OhioVizsla · Post by **OhioVizsla** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:21 am

It's my favorite bird to hunt. The only problem is the 6 week long season, & the birds a typically gone after week #3. There's nothing like walking in on a point & trying to guess which way it's going to fly. I also run my dog on them when they come back through in the spring during "picture season".

mcbosco · Post by **mcbosco** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:27 am

Northen NJ had a nice population of Woodcock & Grouse in the Ramapo Mountains until Ford poisoned the whole area by dumping car paint. I don't believe they ever paid a penny and left a generation of Native Americans in that area sick and poisoned with arsenic and lead. Wiped out all kinds of wildlife except for rats.

There are some in Southern NJ around Cape May and I have seen Snipe in the marshes. I have a friend from Italy in Mississipi that hunts Woodcook with his Spinner. Good dog for that bird.

Ruffshooter · Post by **Ruffshooter** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 8:25 am

I love it when we have the flights come through. Can be a blast especially in with the young dogs, but even better is two old pro's working together.

They are one of my favorite H'uoredurves (sp not in my spell check either).

Fillet the breast off the bone
pound the piece's evenly flat.
Spice with old bay and garlic or your favorite rub.
Lay a slice of Jalapeno pepper roll up in a slice of peppered bacon,
Cook till the bacon is done,
Eat away.

Cut the legs off with the thigh intact leave the feet on.
Rub, season.
Cook in butter quickly.

HMMM HMM good.

jimbo&rooster · Post by **jimbo&rooster** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:48 am

i never seem to catch much more than a glimpse of the woodcock flight here in the fall since its usually pretty dry. However In the spring when things get spongy i do a lot of dog training on the little fellers.

Jim

stevoman · Post by **stevoman** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 2:38 am

Ruffshooter wrote:I love it when we have the flights come through. Can be a blast especially in with the young dogs, but even better is two old pro's working together.

They are one of my favorite H'uoredurves (sp not in my spell check either).

Fillet the breast off the bone
pound the piece's evenly flat.
Spice with old bay and garlic or your favorite rub.
Lay a slice of Jalapeno pepper roll up in a slice of peppered bacon,
Cook till the bacon is done,
Eat away.

Cut the legs off with the thigh intact leave the feet on.
Rub, season.
Cook in butter quickly.

HMMM HMM good.

I must remeber that recipe. looks great.

stevoman · Post by **stevoman** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 2:39 am

I cant beleive there is such a small window in some states to hunt them and that their migratory path oly has a fal of them for a short period. Its a pity as they are such a great game bird to hunt.

frankie's · Post by **frankie's** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 4:38 pm

Woodcock are my favorite bird to hunt with grouse. I am thrilled because here in Massachusetts for the first time in many years the season will be 15 days longer this year. My GSP who's 2 years old loves them and as other people posted, they are a great bird to train your dog on. I went out this morning near my house and we flushed 5 of them, to look forthem is the best way to get my dog ready and correct any flaws before the opening of the bird season, furthermore I think they are pretty challenging to shoot and beautiful birds.

outdoorman · Post by **outdoorman** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 7:48 pm

Are the woodcock usually in good numbers in Massachusetts? I grew up in Ma and can remember it being pretty good woodcock hunting years ago.

birddog1968 · Post by **birddog1968** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:01 pm

I hunt them only rarely, they are usually in our area after what small season we have closes....I much prefer working dogs on snipe if they are around....in the spring can be great for working dogs on snipe. Snipe don't tolerate pressure and will take wing at the slightest intrusion, really teaches a dog to be careful and point the birds from a significant distance. Snipe must smell pretty good cause most dogs Ive had can pick them up from quite a distance. Some of the most spectacular points Ive seen from my pointers has been on snipe.

My aging lab is the woodcock locator, he will lock up tight on woodcock. Here, They like wet, low, disturbed soil areas in the corners of fields along the wood line, usually a south facing wood edge during cold winter days.

frankie's · Post by **frankie's** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:05 pm

outdoorman wrote:Are the woodcock usually in good numbers in Massachusetts? I grew up in Ma and can remember it being pretty good woodcock hunting years ago.

Yes last year was a great year, I live in Western MA and feel really lucky to be able to go 2 miles away from my house and find some woodcocks. Last year I happened to get 20 flush some days. But something that pisses me off is the fact that there is no bag limit in MA for woodcock, so some people are abusing it. I never shot more than 3 a day.

birddog1968 · Post by **birddog1968** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:14 pm

Don't know where you get there is no bag limit? They are a migratory bird with seasons and bag limits set by USFWS thru the same International treaty ( I believe) waterfowl are set by. Daily bag in Mass is 3 , possession limit 6.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/regulati ... d_regs.pdf

frankie's · Post by **frankie's** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:22 pm

birddog1968 wrote:Don't know where you get there is no bag limit? They are a migratory bird with seasons and bag limits set by USFWS thru the same International treaty ( I believe) waterfowl are set by. Daily bag in Mass is 3 , possession limit 6.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/regulati ... d_regs.pdf

Sorry you are right, what I meant is that there is no Season limit, like we have here for Pheasant & grouse

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 9:36 am

I've gotten to love the little bird and in fact, don't hunt grouse until woodcock is open. For a bird with a maximum speed of 5mph, they are a devil to hit in heavy cover. I always seem to shoot where they were!!

Love them.

You guys that don't like eating them, you're cooking them too long. Just breast them out, sprinkle a little rub on them, put a little olive oil on, and grill them rare. Guarantee you'll become a devotee.

northern cajun · Post by **northern cajun** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:50 am

frankie's wrote:
outdoorman wrote:Are the woodcock usually in good numbers in Massachusetts? I grew up in Ma and can remember it being pretty good woodcock hunting years ago.
Yes last year was a great year, I live in Western MA and feel really lucky to be able to go 2 miles away from my house and find some woodcocks. Last year I happened to get 20 flush some days. But something that pisses me off is the fact that there is no bag limit in MA for woodcock, so some people are abusing it. I never shot more than 3 a day.

I dont know what Massachusetts you live in but they DO have a 3 bird limit.

mudhunter · Post by **mudhunter** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 5:57 pm

just don't look into a woodcock's eye's! If you do you may stop pulling the trigger. They are one of my favorite birds but they have very different eyes than other game birds.

mik · Post by **mik** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:51 pm

I've really been enjoying targeting the Timberdoodles last season and starting this season.....The young dog is really honing his staunchness with these birds....Opener is this weekend here in Wisco...Took the 18 month old out tonight to run him for a couple of hours four points on woodies...We had two Grouse go up but he wasn't any where near those two. More chances this weekend!!

In his first hunting season last year as a 7 month old I had one memorable Sunday (oct 17) where in three hours he had nineteen points on 23 birds.....That day out with this dog will be one I always remember

frankie's · Post by **frankie's** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:29 pm

northern cajun wrote:
frankie's wrote:
outdoorman wrote:Are the woodcock usually in good numbers in Massachusetts? I grew up in Ma and can remember it being pretty good woodcock hunting years ago.
Yes last year was a great year, I live in Western MA and feel really lucky to be able to go 2 miles away from my house and find some woodcocks. Last year I happened to get 20 flush some days. But something that pisses me off is the fact that there is no bag limit in MA for woodcock, so some people are abusing it. I never shot more than 3 a day.

I dont know what Massachusetts you live in but they DO have a 3 bird limit.

Mik, try to read all the previous posts

northern cajun · Post by **northern cajun** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 11:03 pm

djloder wrote:
stevoman wrote: He really is a fine looking dog. So how long does your woodcock season last for. Ours open from november 1st to January 31st, but the woodcock dont really migrate in number until late november so i am pre occupied with pheasents until they are well and truly in.
MN season is from 9/24-11/07/11 but I don't like to shoot the locals and wait till they migrate as well.

Dont worry I shot the heck out of them when they get down here to Louisiana!!!!

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 8:45 pm

It must be nice to never have local birds, enjoy them I save them for you!

northern cajun · Post by **northern cajun** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 9:49 am

djloder wrote:It must be nice to never have local birds, enjoy them I save them for you!

I hunt and train in upstate NY as well as Louisiana I know about local birds. So I get to hunt the flights up there and the wintering population down here.

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:23 pm

Went out on Saturday morning a nice limit with a bonus ruff. Pup also found a porcupine, only about a dozen or so quills. He did a good as you could expect with pulling them out.

ohmymy111 · Post by **ohmymy111** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:16 pm

Now you know why I shot them when we found them last year in Montana. Although I think that was when I lost my Droid last year, when I went to show you where it was, so thinking about it Derek , you owe me a new one

. A dozen Quills isn't too bad. Did Jovi go in on it? I actually shot a Woodcock Saturday hunting. I was surprised as heck to see one on the prairie. Will be having it for dinner with a Sharptail tomorrow night.

Post by **Sharon** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:35 pm

I never knew woodcock covied up. Apparently several generations will still hang together. In Sept. I saw 8 flush at one spot. I've never seen that before. The dog's eyes were a big as a dinnerplate as were mine.

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:39 am

ohmymy111 wrote:Now you know why I shot them when we found them last year in Montana. Although I think that was when I lost my Droid last year, when I went to show you where it was, so thinking about it Derek , you owe me a new one . A dozen Quills isn't too bad. Did Jovi go in on it? I actually shot a Woodcock Saturday hunting. I was surprised as heck to see one on the prairie. Will be having it for dinner with a Sharptail tomorrow night.

It was odd, after he pointed the woodcock I shot it and it dropped by a brush pile. Elsie found the bird first and while Jovi was looking for the bird (dead bird commend) is when he got it in the nose and leg.

MTR · Post by **MTR** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:07 am

Hunting northern Wisconsin this weekend was sparse of Friday with the wind from the night before. Only had 3 woodcock contacts all day. On Friday night we had a very clear night and hunted the same area on Saturday and had 30 bird contacts in a 3 hour period in the morning. A flight must have come down over night. It was very fun to see the dog getting staunch and holding point well. The dog can learn quickly on wild birds when they are in numbers like this. Went from a point and a creep when the beeper was going off and him pressuring the birds too much and then a flush, to a nice steady point and steady to wing shot and fall by the late morning. I only shot if he was steady - didn't want to waste my 3 birds on dirty or bumped points. Had the same good shooting on Sunday - Now only if I didn't have that headache from watching the Wisconsin game at the tavern the night before, it wouldn't have taken me 9 shells to get 3 birds!

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:49 am

More MN woodcock and a bonus Ruff!