advice on woodcock???

[Hal Standish]

I'm not a purist so in that light WC are most fun with a well trained Spaniel. In all my years I have have never seen a "false flush" The sport in gunning WC over a good Spaniel can be breath taking.

 

 

[Millriver]

7 hours ago, KenB said:

Midmorning today in western Wisconsin I was walking the setters and we moved three different woodcock, two of them twice.  Normally we don’t move any in that spot.  When the birds flushed they dropped down again within 50’, they seemed tired.   They were in a narrow strip of land about 100’ wide between a pond and a farm road that ran parallel to the pond.  Took forever to clean up the dogs when I got home.  Several kinds of plant stickers are now in season and both the dogs and I got covered.  
 

Are the woodcock on the move already?

As described I would say you flushed resident birds, likely a family group. Up and down flushes are classic behavior of residents, in my experience.

 

Not likely flights are starting in August.

[pa'tridge hunters]

Pay attention around pine trees or in a pine grove. When they flush wait a second to see which way they break before you shoot.

[RuffChaser]

9 hours ago, KenB said:

Midmorning today in western Wisconsin I was walking the setters and we moved three different woodcock, two of them twice.  Normally we don’t move any in that spot.  When the birds flushed they dropped down again within 50’, they seemed tired.   They were in a narrow strip of land about 100’ wide between a pond and a farm road that ran parallel to the pond.  Took forever to clean up the dogs when I got home.  Several kinds of plant stickers are now in season and both the dogs and I got covered.  
 

Are the woodcock on the move already?

 

I would be surprised if they are. There are documented cases of WC being banded in the spring that are South of their normal range and those birds being shot further North later that fall. So they stopped somewhere and had chicks. Once the chicks were old enough they flew further North. I'm not saying that's what happened here but there isn't much that surprises me with them anymore.

 

As far as flights go I have been in the thick of a few here in MN. I've had hunts where over 1-2 hours I've stopped counting the number of birds flushed because it was too hard to keep track of them all. Flushing 2 or 3 at a time in some spots. I remember on one occasion before I was a bander Haze and Chip were each on point near a small pool surrounded by Aspens. I walked in and around them and 5 different WC flushed from an area about 20'x20', at the most. I have wild flushed multiple birds walking in on points. It's a blast but once you have your limit it can be impossible to get out of those areas without the dog at heel.

[RuffChaser]

1 hour ago, Millriver said:

As described I would say you flushed resident birds, likely a family group. Up and down flushes are classic behavior of residents, in my experience.

 

Not likely flights are starting in August.

 

Young birds that have never flown South and are accustomed to a small area in their short life many times exhibit this. They've never flown long distances yet so they don't even know what they're capable of. 

[Mike Connally]

23 hours ago, pa'tridge hunters said:

Pay attention around pine trees or in a pine grove. When they flush wait a second to see which way they break before you shoot.

Yup. Waiting past that first twist increases your odds quite a bit. Once they get above the understory you can see quite far in a thinned pine grove. 

[tut]

Just an idea for stem density.  This pic was taken somewhere in Michigan and the lower pic in Va.  Quite a difference.  I would think Pa cover would be more like Va cover.

[boon hogganbeck]

4 hours ago, tut said:

Just an idea for stem density.  This pic was taken somewhere in Michigan and the lower pic in Va.  Quite a difference.  I would think Pa cover would be more like Va cover.

Great pictures (and really lovely dog).  I worked the dog through some covers yesterday that were about halfway between the two photos, near open fields and water. Didn’t find anything (I’m not sure the spot holds resident birds) but we had a good time.  Despite the dog crashing through a poison ivy jungle before I could stop him... 

[gunsrus]

5 hours ago, tut said:

Just an idea for stem density.  This pic was taken somewhere in Michigan and the lower pic in Va.  Quite a difference.  I would think Pa cover would be more like Va cover.

Top picture looks more like Maine although I have found flights in clear cuts planted with 8' Christmas trees and no shots available . 

[Millriver]

One of my favorite covers 

[tut]

There is an old saying in Va that seems to always apply.  If you aren't bleeding you aren't hunting Woodcock cover.  PS.  Enlargement of the second pic.  Find the Woodcock.  He is there.