tiercel Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 After posting the pictures of where I shoot woodcock this morning. I thought I would give valley no2 a go. Not really good woodcock weather 35 mph winds and showers; still it would be a walk. In the first picture I have shown the route I have taken for the short walk. The second picture shows my favourite woodcock hedge, trouble is it takes two people to work it properly. I had walked about just over half the shoot without seeing a bird, I had by this time crossed the stream and was working the usually less productive side with the wind, to get to the down wind side of the walk before walking back up the more productive side. Only rose one bird on that downwind walk and that I could not get a shot at. As soon as turned to face the wind I started rising birds two by the time I came to my favourite hedge, both flew off without a shot being fired. They did seem to be taking off very low and keeping low twisting through the trees. (Might have been the strong wind?) When I came to the Woodcock hedge a bird got up immediately I had that one, as soon as I had reloaded another got up and that I had also. Looking good so far 2 birds shot at and two birds down. I went to collect both birds and another bird got up from the hedge but flew off on the other side of the hedge, not presenting a shot. That was three birds out of the hedge already and I had not worked 10 yds of it. I have never seen so many Woodcock in this hedge altogether I rose 9 birds out of it some went the other side of the hedge and I missed two that did come out my side of the hedge. Altogether in that 2 hrs today I rose 14 Woodcock, I have not seen that many in the last 3 years put together. Tiercel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 A good walk out then Having to deal with freezing rain here today. Take it you are having woodcock on toast tonight NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiercel Posted January 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 Take it you are having woodcock on toast tonight NTTF Nope funnily enough I dont like Woodcock, But the wife loves them Brownie points me thinks Tiercel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatingisbest Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 what model s/s is that please? Great shooting i think i heard somewhere that if you shoot a woodcock you have to eat its entrails on toast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiercel Posted January 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 what model s/s is that please? Great shooting i think i heard somewhere that if you shoot a woodcock you have to eat its entrails on toast The gun is a cheap spanish S/S with no makes name on it. Paid £35 for it as no one could shoot with it, but it's a left handed gun, and it hits what i swing at. Well sometimes anyway. The entrails on toast is a myth. As a Woodcock evacuates its self as it rises there is no need to take the innards out before you cook them. Does not mean that you have to leave them in, but you can if you wish. Tiercel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poacher Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 Nice report, looks like you had a good day and managed to keep the missus happy Result Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 MMmmmmm woodcock,my fave ! Well done those birds are the devil to hit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 Nice one TC We saw four today and every last gun missed them You should be in line for a legover then with the old woman LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin.y Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 Nice one TC We saw four today and every last gun missed them You should be in line for a legover then with the old woman LB he will need a woodcock for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_HMR Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 If you get them up into the wind (at least with snipe) you can get them to sort of stall in mid air before they turn and provides the best way to shoot them when they're with the wind they'll fly low like you said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 well done Tiercel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiercel Posted January 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 This morning I spoke to some friends of mine frow West Wales it seems in the last two weeks the Woodcock have turned up in large numbers. One shoot shot 50 over two days last week, on ground where they had only seen 5 all year up till last week. Where have these bird come from? Is it now that they are migrating or have these birds come south from up the north of the country? Would be intrested to know if any persons up north have seen a decrease in the number of birds in the last few weeks. Tiercel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 Nice report, that looks like good woodcock country. We saw more woodcock yesterday, than on any previous Shoot this season. They are definitely later arriving in our area this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Angus Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 nice one mate, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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