anyone done woodcock flighting?

[utectok]

My mate said just as it gets dark the woodcock fly to the moors to feed and the fly by like giant moths about 10 ft off the ground. You plant yourself in a valley leading up to moors and have yourself some sport. Anyone done it any tips ? Thanks Will

[EvoCars]

They fly up out the woods at the front of my house heading to to open field I presume , but they leave it until its pretty much pitch black, I personally don't think I could hit them at full chat in the dark

[apache]

Lamping woodcock?

[magman]

Done it a few times its great shooting just dont count your empties

[Sprinter]

I personally don't think I could hit them at full chat in the dark

 

I struggle to hit them at full chat in the light

[KillStone]

quite regularly flight them out of a local wood. Great sport but expensive on carts.! i wud say give it a go tho and gd luk!

[sako751sg]

Done it once,and never fired a shot.There were literally dozens flighting out from a wood onto marshy ground,but it was near pitch dark and i couldnt get onto them in time.It would have been great sport if a bit lighter.I was out lamping with the wee man last night,and we rose loads in this grass park,so i might try them sometime just before dark,but if its like the last time it will be a waste of time.

[utectok]

if it's pitch black do you attach a glow stick to to the barrels? ! Seriously though what kind of location is best ?

[anser2]

It may be different in other areas , but in Norfolk woodcock usualy flight just before the duck when there is still plenty of light to shoot by. There was I shoot i used to have years ago where we would flight the woodcock comming down a double hedgerow on their way out to the marsh and then as the woodcock stopped comming we would have time to move a few hundred yards out onto the marsh for the mallard.

 

Here in Norfolk the best nights for flighting were a couple of nights around the full moon when migrants would be comming in across the North Sea. On a good night we would have 20 or more birds over us. During the period when there was no moon it was uncommon to see more than a couple of woodcock per night.

Edited November 29, 2009 by anser2

[Guest topshot_2k]

I was out at 5pm last night and saw quite few flying out the woods to fields, was just light enough to shoot if you are quick enough

[ollie]

Never have done it, much prefer working the dogs on them and shooting them that way. They don't fly at pitch dark in my area, I have saw them fly past me on my evening duck flights.

[monkeyboots]

ive done it many years ago but with very little sucess plenty of empty shells to show but few birds

Edited November 30, 2009 by monkeyboots

[Ballymac]

much better hunting them during the day with a working dog, great sport.

 

 

" They don't fly at pitch dark in my area "

 

 

Ollie I bet you they do fly at pitch black, you just dont see them

[snipe]

Superb sport, and have just found a second flight line this season. It takes a few nights of just watching to see where best to position yourself, but when you find the 'sweet' spot it is just magical and very sporting - with the odds stacked in the woodcock' favour!

 

It's also a good way of a. finding out if the woodock have arrived and b. how many are in your area. I flight about once every 2 weeks. I sometimes get a woodcock, but you also find that other birds are coming in to roost at that time too, so you can have a right mixed bag.

 

When you have found the flight line it's best to try and position yourself where you can see them coming for a while. But again you can only do this after some trial and error - when found the flight line is very consistent. One of my flight lines comes over a very steep valley where the woodcock are a good 40 metres up, you don't get many but boy is it fun trying. You usually see them for longer when they're at that height too, rather than 15-20 metres overhead.

 

Snipe and Woodcock tend to lift before duck come in, as has previously been said, when there is usually plenty of light left in the sky. You are, however, shooting at silhouettes, much the same as the duck flighting.

 

Snipe.

[ollie]

much better hunting them during the day with a working dog, great sport.

 

 

" They don't fly at pitch dark in my area "

 

 

Ollie I bet you they do fly at pitch black, you just dont see them

 

Very good Ballymac . What I meant was that they start flighting before pitch dark.

[utectok]

Ok guys that was all most illuminating thanks for that. I have 70 acres of moor I can shoot on with some wood at the bottom that has got to be worth a try. Last week we shot a woodcock on our shoot so I guess they are here (thats about 20 miles away). Thanks for all your help much appreciated watch this space as they say!!

Straight shooting

Will