woodcock shooting

[foxwhistler]

I was just wondering if any members of this forum do any woodcock shooting,and how you go about it in your own countries.
The reason i ask is just one of curiosity.Apart from fox shooting,my favorite form of shooting is definately woodcock shooting.The way i`ve allways done it is myself and my best friend shooting over spaniels,allthough there are also people in the U.K who do driven woodcock shooting,with beaters.
Is it even much of a sport in the other countries or is it just Europe?
Anyway here is a picture of my springer spaniel Luke.



Sorry about the picture quality.

[skipper]

Not much woodcock hunting done here in Texas. I can't speak for the rest of the country. Quail, dove, pheasant and duck but, not many hunt woodcock. Got any pictures you care to share??

[Rick in Oregon]

fw: Same here in Oregon, no woodcock that I know of. Our prime game bird here on the high desert is the chuckar, or Hungarian Partridge. Fast birds that inhabit the steep rocky slopes of river drainages. We hike up the hill, bust the birds into flight, they fly downhill like rockets if not hit. They seldom give you any chance for a third shot if pump or autoloading shotguns are used. Most here that I know prefer over/under double guns.



Andy's (ADH) setter, "Tater" sniffin' those birds she helped bring to bag above, not far from home. I usually start out the day with my Beretta 12 ga. gun, then in the afternoon go to my 20 ga for the lightness it offers. These hills are steep! (And getting steeper every year too! )

[ADH]

she is sitting at my feet as i type. best dog around for woodcock/grouse hunting. i grew up hunting woodcock in the north country of michigan and other great lake states. season was short as they migrated thru the area, but fun none the less. they would come thru in mid september and be gone by early october. they would hold good for the dogs, and excellent table fare.

i now live in oregon, close to rick. the dog is a llewellin setter and really not suited for the big country hunting we do for chuckars here, but she can hold her own. they are a close working dog bred for the foot hunter in dense cover. ideal for timberdoodles and grouse, and late season pheasants in the dakotas. but best part is she is my best friend around the house, never more than a few steps behind me. hard to get any work done when the day is spent scratching ears, and loving on her. i have had many dogs, but never one like her. i am going to be gone for a month on a rafting trip thru the grand canyon. i will miss my family, but i will miss her more.

[foxwhistler]

The reason i like shooting woodcock over here is that its free.Most of the phesant shooting here is paid for.I get most of my woodcock shooting land through fox control.
I control the farmers foxes,and they let me shoot woodcock.
The only other game shooting i get is a bit of phesant that strays onto land i shoot over,and a bit of snipe shooting on some local marshland.
Next time i go out,i will remember my camera and take a few photo`s.
The season for woodcock over here is oct 1st to jan 31st.
Anyway thanks for the replies.

[foxwhistler]

I just thought i`d post a few pictures a piece of land i shoot woodcock over.This is also the best piece of land i`ve had for fox shooting in the last year,as i`ve shot 12 foxes on it in that time,and 32 in the last 4 years.Not bad for 180 acres
Only today the farmer told me that this is the first year that he`s lived there that he hasn`t lost a lamb,so i must be in the good books.
Anyway here`s the pictures.Unfortunatly no woodcock as i only flushed 4 all day and not one shootable.I think the lack of numbers is probably down to the wet weather we`ve had here over the last month as its been none stop rain.







And one of the dog,doing what he loves

[Rick in Oregon]

Now thats nice, lush, green land there, foxwhistler. It's quite a contrast to the arid high desert here by quite a stretch. It sounds like you've really had your way with Ole Renard there too. It's nice to have a place where the game is varied. Thanks for sharing.

[foxwhistler]

Thanks Rick.I think the problem a lot of people have (me included),Is that we dont allways appreciate the land we have to shoot on,and how nice it actually is.
I know i sometimes see pictures of land posted on here,and feel quite envious .However i probably wouldn`t have the first clue about how to hunt that large an area of land.At least i know how to shoot the land i`ve got.

[YoteSmoker]

I have hunted woodcock (aka "timberdoodles") in PA and MI growing up. They are fun birds to hunt because they always hook left or right 90 degrees after flushing and that's when you crack them. They live in a lot of the same habitat as ruffed grouse which is another bird I enjoy hunting a lot.

[foxwhistler]

Unfortunatly in the U.K,grouse shooting is a rich mans sport and i cant ever see me being able to afford it.
I think our woodcock differ from yours in that they are totally unpredictable.Sometimes they fly fast,sometimes slow and in totally any direction.The only predictable thing about them is that in real cold weather they dont fly far.Thats why in this country after 4 days hard frost,there is a voluntary ban on hunting them,as they get real easy to shoot.

[Glen]

Beautiful country!!


And yet somehow I missed this post.