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Woodcock Shooting


Cyffyllog
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Have shot Woodcock now for 50 years and have a fair collection of pin feathers. I have been fortunate enough to shoot a hat trick of rights and lefts, but only the one where i had two independent witnesses which secured me my badge and tie. Thought I would share these pictures with you.

 

W3.jpg

 

My last day for the 2010 /2011 season, I did not shoot throughout December or January until today.

 

W4.jpg

 

My collection of Pinfeathers and my Shooting Times Wodcock Club Badge.

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That is an incredible collection of pin feathers and I like photo composition in the top photo, which maker is it?

 

Thanks for the comments gentlemen, as the legs get less able to follow the Woodcock over rough terrain , I will secure a hide, and some decoys!! so look out Pigeons. Here is a close up of the sideplate. It's my trusted old (1886) 16 bore Purdey Sidelock Ejector, No 2 of a pair.

 

W2.jpg

Edited by Cyffyllog
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Thank you all for your kind replies and interest shown. 'Cyffylog' is the Welsh word for and means 'Woodcock' , 'Cyffyllog' is meant to mean the same but is incorrectly spelt, well there could not be two of us could there! however the reply to Cyffylog is, only two in the 50 years and I reported both to the Shooting times. I laid off the Woodcock shooting this year due to the bad weather although North Wales saw a right glut of them. I shoot mainly alone over two spaniels in some rough terrain and when I have bagged 12 I stop. I have a great 'Pate' recipie for them and will share this later. Thanks again to everyone that has replied, and may the 2011/12 season even be a better one for all. As I said, as I get older and rthe legs get tired those Pigeon can look out!

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Must have just got in there before you to claim the name! Like yourself, i did not start shooting Woodcock until January this year due to the cold weather. In my opinion the Woodcock numbers were as normal in my part of the world, but some shooters believe the numbers are down. I've yet to shoot a ringed woodcock, but contacted the BTO last year on behalf of a friend that had shot one. That bird was ringed in the Calais area.

Edited by cyffylog
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Thank you all for your kind replies and interest shown. 'Cyffylog' is the Welsh word for and means 'Woodcock' , 'Cyffyllog' is meant to mean the same but is incorrectly spelt, well there could not be two of us could there! however the reply to Cyffylog is, only two in the 50 years and I reported both to the Shooting times. I laid off the Woodcock shooting this year due to the bad weather although North Wales saw a right glut of them. I shoot mainly alone over two spaniels in some rough terrain and when I have bagged 12 I stop. I have a great 'Pate' recipie for them and will share this later. Thanks again to everyone that has replied, and may the 2011/12 season even be a better one for all. As I said, as I get older and rthe legs get tired those Pigeon can look out!

 

 

Great pictures and write up.

Do you live near the village of Cyffyllog? I worked there when building a bungalow, I was a apprentice joiner at the time, it was in 1963 during the heavy snow.

Brought up in Ruthin and have lived in Henllan for the last 7 years.

I shot a couple of woodcock last Saturday on our final driven day - I'm now laid up due to breaking my ankle during the afternoon!

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very nice collection there mate we had a very large influx of woodcock this year in the channel islands due to the bad weather in the uk they migrate this way heading to france from the uk as we have found out due to the wings that get sent away

loverly gun you have there.

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Lovely picture and tales. I have several hundred pin feathers collected over the past 20 yrs of shooting/beating and was told recently that in the past, people would pay half a crown for each one! Woodcock have been extremely plentiful this season where I shoot in East Suffolk and Central Norfolk which has been great to see, and upon plucking, all of them have been in fine condition. Still not had a chance of a right and a left though!

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Just noticed the extra posts on this thread. Hey, 'Browning 123', broke your ankle ! , what a shame, hope you are better soon. If you look at it like this though, I suppose it could have been worse and happened on the first day of the season!. It has a good chance of healing before the next season starts. I now live in Corwen and have done so for the past 17 years but hail from Eifionydd in Caernarfonshire. 'Night Owl', good news about the numbers with you this year, not sure about the survival rate in this area though with the hard weather and lack of feeding area's, any way I hope they all moved off to area's where they could feed and that they come back on the November / December moons!!! can't wait. 'Tommy Goose' the picture you referr to was hand held with my Fujifilm Finepix 9600 with a snap on macro lens, works a treat. 'CBL' your chance of a right and left will come, you just need to keep calm when it does, and 'les gedge' thanks ! I've had a few of your type of right and left too, I hope it continues. :unsure:

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