Too early for woodcock?

[northernympher]

I have done some training with my Brittany in the spring and found a few good Woodcock spots. Is it too early to hunt these spots if I want them to hold birds for the remainder of this year and in years to come? What are your general thoughts regarding when you start your Woodcock hunting? Would it be better to flush once and leave without shooting like in the spring? Just to get the dog out?

Thanks

[finsfurfeathers]

For me the limiting factor for "to Early" is pin feathers when I pluck them. I'm resisting the urg to go for at least another week. Maybe a trip to Hullet maybe another duck/goose hunt. In my woodcock bush there is always those 3-4 family groups yet thoroughout the season as the locals migrate the new ones fill in sometimes a trickle sometimes a torrent all depends on the year.

[welsh]

"Too early" is also a matter of the foliage being too thick. I had the first woodcock flush of the hunting season with my dog on Sunday. The dog flushed the bird about eight feet from me, and I never saw it, just heard it go up.

I don't think there is much chance of wiping out the local population by hunting them in September.

[Cass]

I'll be out of the country from Oct 17 till the 30th... how depressing is that? Gonna miss all the action!

[terrym]

I got 4 good points on woodcock yesterday but the foliage is so thick a shot was impossible. Until the leaves thin out I won't bother with them.

[finsfurfeathers]

I'll be out of the country from Oct 17 till the 30th... how depressing is that? Gonna miss all the action!

Wow peak of the migration...usually that sucks who made that plan?

[terrym]

I will be on vacation that week. Woodcock hunting Monday and Tuesday and then Pelee island Thursday - Friday.

[welsh]

I feel your pain, Cass. I'm scheduled to work from Oct 17 straight through to Nov 1. But last year's diary entries say the dog flushed 37 woodcock on 1 Nov., so with any luck at all....

(One day, I'd like the diary to say: "8 woodcock flushes. Went home at 9 am.")

[Downwind]

I tried a spot yesterday that was full of wc in the spring and we got no flushes, couldn't find any of the residents. We did move 4 grouse, that provided one shooting opportunity, which I shot behind. If your only finding one or two birds and its a smaller cover i would only shoot birds in it once until the migration starts, at that point your going to get different birds come through until they have all moved south. Last season my pup put a stick through her foot and we missed the best of the October flight, i hope we make up for it this season.

[werner.reiche]

I have done some training with my Brittany in the spring and found a few good Woodcock spots. Is it too early to hunt these spots if I want them to hold birds for the remainder of this year and in years to come? What are your general thoughts regarding when you start your Woodcock hunting? Would it be better to flush once and leave without shooting like in the spring? Just to get the dog out?

Thanks

Woodcock are migrants. If you have a place to hunt where there are a few resident birds, its never to 'early'. I got one last Friday and flushed a second one. The migrants usually show up (eastern Ontario) the week before thanksgiving - but that can change a bit depending on the weather.