Foolofatook Posted January 18, 2019 Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 (edited) Perhaps the real truth is to ban the sale of woodcock. Rumours abound of game dealers paying £10 per bird. Small wonder that these birds are shot at night by lamp and .22. This needs to be stamped out first and foremost. Secondly if you ain't eating it you ain't shootin it! Edited January 18, 2019 by Foolofatook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moor man Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 Solo stalking at the weekend I saw 20+ woodcock flushed, some at a fair distance.(no dog) the whole wood floor was spotted with woodcock poo just showing how many and how busy they are at night. Finished off the day with a walk round with shotgun, put another three up, had one shot and missed🙄 swung the gun on tawny owl that exploded from head high holly but checked myself in good time. Came home empty handed but happy. I always like to see them, such an enigmatic bird, stunning in the hand and on the plate. Im happy to limit myself to 1 per season. From what I have seen I think numbers are very healthy and have no compunction in taking one for the table. Agree that £10/bird is not good for conservation tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewluke Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 On 18/01/2019 at 23:46, Foolofatook said: Perhaps the real truth is to ban the sale of woodcock. Rumours abound of game dealers paying £10 per bird. Small wonder that these birds are shot at night by lamp and .22. This needs to be stamped out first and foremost. Secondly if you ain't eating it you ain't shootin it! i agree with a ban on the sale of woodcock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 Well, I have shot 20 odd driven days this season and still two to go and I have seen fewer woodcock than I have ever seen. One appeared and was shot at Catton last week and saw a couple up in Lincolnshire. I normally would harvest a few because I enjoy eating them but this season I would not have shot if one came within range. If you shoot it you should eat it and that goes for all game meat. I had my brace of pheasants from Catton but was invited to take whatever I wanted. I purchased 20 packs of their 4 oven ready partridge last October and have a good supply in the freezer. Breasted one of the birds last night and sliced them in 1/2 inch strips, seasoned and fried in butter in the skillet till they went brown on the outside ...awesome. Hopefully will have a couple more brace to add from this weeks days and then it's all over. Smoked pigeon breasts for a month or two hopefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The gouse Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 There has been 22 shot on are shoot up to now with one day to go. Are woods are full with them and when they are shot guns put them in there pocket so they get them. I think one beater as managed to get one, I do think we could hit the 30 mark after are last shoot, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 I tend not to shoot them but was tempted on Saturday with nearly a dozen over me on one drive! Every drive seemed to be full of them and I read somewhere recent shortages may be down to wind direction with this heavy fall of 'cock down to a significant change of wind direction. Any thoughts guys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 Nice to hear they are about in numbers and it is perculiar how they favour a particular area. Used to shoot them over pointers on the Welsh hillsides around Builth Wells and down toward Crickhowell and the advise from the Game Keeper was to concentrate on the 6 to 800 ft zone and that is always where we found the majority. They are an enigmatic bird for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 29, 2019 Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 Does anyone know if the native birds also migrate to other parts of the UK and is it the case that the woodcock i see in the western isles are migrants, reading the book Woodcock field craft and quarry by Professor Colin Trotman, he suggests that [if i remember correctly] the N and west Scotland Woodcock originate in Scandinavia/Norway................ Also does anyone know the preferred habitat for nesting ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matone Posted January 29, 2019 Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 Was shooting in the Yorkshire Dales yesterday and saw dozens,they were all over. Thankfully only a couple were shot .Nice to see so many on the wing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 31, 2019 Report Share Posted January 31, 2019 Last day today out in Lincolnshire, cocks only, with a few ducks and any other legal winged species. We saw the most woodcock I have seen this season and a number were shot and I was lucky enough to have two brace to bring home. I didn't actually shoot them, but the numbers seen made harvesting three or four brace legit. Had a great but very cold day with 68 head for eight guns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nmb Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 We have seen more woodcock this season than we have for the last 3-4 atleast! On our two walk days on Thursday/Friday we seen 23 with only 1 being shot so fingers crossed this will continue in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 A bunch of local lads were pushing out a 70 acre wet wood on 1st Feb and walking my dogs past the start of their efforts at least a dozen 'cock flew past me in a matter of just a few minutes. I'm seeing a few at dusk too - more than I've seen for some years. Is there a recovery happening? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 1 hour ago, norfolk dumpling said: A bunch of local lads were pushing out a 70 acre wet wood on 1st Feb and walking my dogs past the start of their efforts at least a dozen 'cock flew past me in a matter of just a few minutes. I'm seeing a few at dusk too - more than I've seen for some years. Is there a recovery happening? Im wondering that given the harder weather the west has been having lately, compared to the east, if the woodcock aren't just moving onto ground that isn't frozen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 No doubt the weather does have a big influence but it does seem that woodcock are appearing at least a month later than normal. Forty years ago I would have expected to see a lot of woodcock in the first week of November, in fact used to arrange days with the viszlas on the Welsh hillsides specifically from that time onwards and also trips north of the Border. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen-H Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 We had a skirmish day on the 1st of Feb for the end of the season we all agreed not to shoot the woodcock one drive produced 16 woodcock it was brillant to see them in such good numbers they hadn't really made a appearance on are shoot till early December time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewluke Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 11 minutes ago, Stephen-H said: We had a skirmish day on the 1st of Feb for the end of the season we all agreed not to shoot the woodcock one drive produced 16 woodcock it was brillant to see them in such good numbers they hadn't really made a appearance on are shoot till early December time. woodcock are out of season on the 1st feb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 19 minutes ago, Stephen-H said: We had a skirmish day on the 1st of Feb for the end of the season we all agreed not to shoot the woodcock one drive produced 16 woodcock it was brillant to see them in such good numbers they hadn't really made a appearance on are shoot till early December time. Ignorance is bliss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 31 minutes ago, Stephen-H said: We had a skirmish day on the 1st of Feb for the end of the season we all agreed not to shoot the woodcock one drive produced 16 woodcock it was brillant to see them in such good numbers they hadn't really made a appearance on are shoot till early December time. Just as well you decided not to shoot them. Games ok on the 1st but woodcock cease inland the same as fowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen-H Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 Yes sorry chaps got my dates missed up none were shot as said nice to see them in good numbers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 Just now, Stephen-H said: Yes sorry chaps got my dates missed up none were shot as said nice to see them in good numbers Funny how the big numbers were seen at the end and up here if we get a hard spell the numbers increase quite a bit. Fine to see numbers still steady as many think they are way down.Can say this year would have been a wee bit above average for us and in the last 50-20 years there seems to be little difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted February 17, 2019 Report Share Posted February 17, 2019 Are they just coming in later as I was roost shooting yesterday and 4/5 dropped in close to me then saw me move and exited rapidly. When you are gazing up into the tree tops and there is a rush of wings within a few feet it's quite scarey. Not seen this before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted February 17, 2019 Report Share Posted February 17, 2019 Yes, I was out sneeking about after fallow last week and put up three or four within yards of each other. South Lincs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.