cubix Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 Hi, The last two times I have arrived at my shoot, it was still dark an hour or so before dawn, and frozen solid, but I have scared away a lot of woodcock (5 yesterday) which appeared to have been lying on the ground, out in the open on the dirt track at night! Yesterday the car temp thingy said it was -5 C. They are not doing anything, I don't think they are asleep. They just toddle off when the car gets close to them. I can't think if a worse place to spend your time esp when there are lots of trees a few yards away! Mind you, I was there in the freezing darness so I know it's the pot calling the kettle black. Does anyone know why they are doing it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 Woodcock fly out of the woods at night to feed in the damp fields then move back to the woods or thick hedgerows at first light . hope this helps you understand there behaviour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POW! Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 I too have noticed this behavior of sitting on a hard track or road . the only explanation I can give is the road may be warmer than the land . They certainly are a mysterious bird , , I am fortunate to have a woodcock flight line here , its not as defined as a pigeon line but fairly consistent , I belive they migrate to the llelyn peninsular , and often to southern Ireland , from Scandinavian areas , [ Long time back some shot here were ringed from Norway , others Ireland , I never shot them but recall talking to the chap who did] As noted by others they are getting bigger ,[ but did read a different strain were the cause ?? ] I have only ever found 4 nests for woodcock , [ and those well hidden] , so unsure on the breding patern , I have witnessed a left n right on two occasions , and have indeed shot shot two one after the other , but they were in my opinion not a true LnR , besides I was alone!! at the time . I usualy "put up " 3/4 on my daily walk , but dont shoot them now , [ It could be the same one moving from cover to cover] , Just to get them to rise and see then twist n turn away is a delight ! I dont think there is a decline in numbers , in fact a slight rise maybe ! If the chance arrises to take one do so but , take time to look and admire this delightfull bird , Tasty as they may be , you need a few to make a decent meal , so I would sooner view them now than shoot them , Any other observations on the Woodcock , I would be pleased to read about , a quite secretive bird!! . POW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 I think woodcock might be one of my favorite birds to hunt. There is always a bit of mystery about finding them, but when you do get into them they are often thick. The shooting is always close and in tight cover. No point in having any choke in the gun. Not much point in having more than an ounce of #8 shot (american sizing). A good dog is a great help, but it needs to have a good nose (woodcock are notorious for not putting out too much scent and even less once they drop) and a willingness to bury itself into cover to flush the birds. Pheasants are big and gawdy birds. You hunt them in similar ways (drives or big running bird dogs), usually with more than a few people around. Woodcock are a lot more intimate bird. You're either alone or with one other person. They are small birds and can take out quietly at times. You're not busting brush to flush them, moreso you're sneaking around the thickets letting the dog work. I'd love a chance to hunt them over here. I've hunted them a good bit in the states and have a few spots where they hang out. I know one of the local woodlots here gets a small slight and it is perfect cover for the birds. About the 'odd' behavior, there's nothing odd about it. Like magman said, they will fly and eat at night often and rest a bunch during the day. If I had to guess, I'd say that they were working the grass edges along the roads for bugs and worms since the grass around was either frozen, frosted, or wet. Back home you'll often catch grouse and doodles along timber access roads and fire trails where there is a bit of grass mixed into the woodlots. Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubix Posted December 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 Thanks for the very interesting and informative replies. Thye are amusing little things. I do flush them out from time to time when wandering around rough shooting, but to be honest they are so small and fast that by the time I have figured out what they are, they are long gone! Plus, the words barn door and shovel come to mind when describing my shotgun technique (one pigeon in five gives you an idea!) so I doubt I'd even stand a chance. Dense trees and heather where I shoot so you don't get much notice of anything really - a flash and they're gone. Next time I might park the car and sneak down on foot to watch them for a while and get an idea of numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 Should you be fortunate enough to nail one Cubix make sure you eat it. Small but so very good to eat LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
night owl Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 like you say nagman the woodcok rest up in the day time hidden in dence woodland at night they come out to feed on open grass fields feeding on worms . only a number of wood cock are shoot over here in guernsey each year which have been ringed and we have found out most of these birds have come from france and scandinavia i can find out tommor the exact locations if any one is intrested one thing that i have never herd of is the english doing wood cock night flights this is where you stand on the end of a wood land just on sun set <whiching hour> and wait for them to leave the woods shooting them this way is twice as hard as getting a left and right in the day time as you only get a split second to shhot them this is the way we shhot them in the channel islands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Fudd Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 good luck hitting one! we sometimes flush them out in a marshy field/meadow beside my friends house, never managed to get one yet (even saw one on saturday). i nearly got one once, i had the gun up already for pigeons, my mate walked up to me and the woodcock flew out in front of us, i jumped the muzzle onto the woodcock quick as a flash, pulled the trigger... and the safety was still on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 Strangely enough I read this topic earlier today and went to walk the dogs where I have seen woodcock flight before at last light and they didn`t disappoint me. I was just passing the end of the wood where the trees thin into a natural flushing point and off went a woodcock flitting this way and that and my young spaniel also spotted it as it went by. I have permission to shoot the field that borders it I might just take an evening out to see if I can get a tasty supper for myself ! The same woodland also has a few woodcock in it during the mating season and I have spent many an evening watching the males roding whilst fishing for sea trout, it is an entrancing event. The only down side is that I have found a young chick that was killed and left by a cat and also a full grown adult in the winter that my dog retrieved whilst on a walk that was also killed by a cat and left Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 I had one go over me on a pheasant shoot on Saturday. I left it be. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
night owl Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 hitting woodcok on night flight are very productive give a go some time also morning flight as they are going back into the woods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
night owl Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 babby100 are you sure it was a woodcock and not a snipe since it was in a marchy field Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 like you say magman the woodcok rest up in the day time hidden in dence woodland at night they come out to feed on open grass fields feeding on worms . only a number of wood cock are shoot over here in guernsey each year which have been ringed and we have found out most of these birds have come from france and scandinavia i can find out tommor the exact locations if any one is intrested one thing that i have never herd of is the english doing wood cock night flights this is where you stand on the end of a wood land just on sun set <whiching hour> and wait for them to leave the woods shooting them this way is twice as hard as getting a left and right in the day time as you only get a split second to shhot them this is the way we shhot them in the channel islands Do it a lot on one of my permissions awesome sporting shots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
night owl Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 its the best way to shoot them mate just noticed there are two snipe pin feathers mixed up in that pitcher of the wood cock feathers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POW! Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 I saw a couple on my walk today , I was going to shoot one [ If I hit it] and post to that effect , I mounted the gun but could not justify the shot , it was so quick and as there were a few Anglers close by I declined , I consoled my self thinking my freezer is too full anyway!!!! , I have seen shooters claim Snipe as Woodcock before , Despite telling them , they belive they are right , if they want to claim it , they are only fooling themselves , I supose it looks good in your game book [ any one still keep one ??] There are more chances to get a shot at one while Duck flighting in the woods , also as stated the thiner pointy ends of Woodland do seem more suited for them , A truly facinating bird ! POW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 POW!, got my first game book today. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
night owl Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 I saw a couple on my walk today , I was going to shoot one [ If I hit it] and post to that effect , I mounted the gun but could not justify the shot , it was so quick and as there were a few Anglers close by I declined , I consoled my self thinking my freezer is too full anyway!!!! , I have seen shooters claim Snipe as Woodcock before , Despite telling them , they belive they are right , if they want to claim it , they are only fooling themselves , I supose it looks good in your game book [ any one still keep one ??] There are more chances to get a shot at one while Duck flighting in the woods , also as stated the thiner pointy ends of Woodland do seem more suited for them , A truly facinating bird ! POW! i dont keep a game log but i do keep the pin feathers from the snipe and woodcock as i swop them with a local artist which use them for fine details on paintings in exchange she does me a nice water colour each year of some sort of game so far i have one of a duck/woodcock/snipe/goose/and stag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiercel Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 During hard weather Woodcock revert from night time feeding to daytime feeding. The reason being that the fields are frozen so they cannot probe with their beaks for food. During hard spells when the ground is frozen if you want to find woodcock look for places where the ground is not frozen. IE; valley bottoms where the undergrowth is dense. Rhoderdendoron bushes, Gorse, Holly bushes and along the edges of pine woods are all good places to look. The reason being that the ground is protected by the evergreen canopy that these provide, so the Woodcock can feed in the unfrozen soil. When you find an area like this you will often find a concentration of Woodcock in a very close proximaty. Last year I rose 14 Woodcock out of a very small area. I did make a post about it last year but it seems the search engine does not go back that far. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POW! Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 POW!, got my first game book today. FM Well done FM , it will give good info as you travel along the shooting highway, I just keep a day by day Diary now , All my old game books were lost in a Fire some time back , I never had the heart to keep one after that , There were som nice letters too from ftiends no longer with us , I would give anything now to be able to go back and read them , Due to my lack of schooling I only print , [ thats why the computer age is a joy to me] , they were not the tidiest of books but I filled as much detail as I could , As you can see FM, I am a bit of an old wind bag , but I love Life , Once the warmer weather comes I take both the gun , and rod out morning and evening , I rarely watch telly , But I do enjoy good company of outdoor ./ country folk . Enjoy your Book , and enter as much detail as you can , , Shooting is forever changing , moreso now than ever , FM , I hope you have as much enjoyment from your shooting as I have had , reading your posts you too are of a generous nature , and love to share your days with others , in years to come this will not go missplaced I am sure , Good Shooting , POW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Thanks for your kind words POW!, I fully intend to keep it up as it will give me something to look back on in a few years time. FM 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.