Woodcock 2024

[cj580guitar]

I took my shorthairs out too. Season over, but wanted to see if any birds stayed through the ice/ snow. Several did, surprisingly. I am beginning to think it takes a longer period of cold to drive them out than I previously thought.

I was told by an experienced woodcock hunter yesterday that he thinks they are starting to head back north already

 

[GLS]

I went into SC yesterday and started out crunching snow with intermittent patches of snow free forest floor in an area that has produced in years past but has been barren this year. It dawned on me that maybe what drives birds south, snow and ice, can also have the same affect here. I went to another spot that is a woods road lined with the thickest cat claw briers I've ever hunted. Vines as big around as a 12 ga. shell, chest high and 5-10 yards deep. I wore my hot Dan's brier jacket and birds started popping up as the dogs went into the thickets. The birds knew where to be. I had three shot opportunities and managed one in the bag. I saw a half dozen birds. On the downed bird, I had to work my way through to the other side and eventually found the pup standing over the bird. I believe one of the old dogs must have found it and dropped it there. I'll head back this afternoon dogless and look at several more woods roads in the area for potential spots Tuesday. Temps are ramping upwards and the season's end is looming ahead on Friday but the temps from mid week on are too warm for me but perfect for no shoulders.

Dense cat claw briers
Cutting dog ears and pink noses
They hunt It with grins.

Gil

 

[GLS]

There are three days left in SC, but I am done. Temps are rising and dogs need the rest. Clothes and dogs’ cut gear washed, gun will be cleaned tomorrow and 4Runner will have two months of mud washed away. I took my brier gear today in anticipation of going back to Brier Lane, carrying small pruning shears and pig’s leather gloves to deal with briers, but decided to run dogs instead on two woods roads that looked good—and they were brier free. Sunday I drove dogless and marked locations on ONX on two woods road I hadn’t hunted and went back today. I found 4 birds, shot at three and no cigar. One bird I caught running at my feet from the dogs. I called them over and he had run farther than I thought and wild flushed. It looked like a brown blur running away. Dogs never picked up his scent again. I thought about going back to Brier Lane, donning the brier jacket, but I had been hunting for 3 hours and didn’t feel the need to get medieval with the birds—I wasn’t mad at them. I called it a day; packed up the dogs and headed home. Snap and Willa are asleep on the floor and Abby, birthday girl today at 14, is on the couch beside me sound asleep. They all played their roles today and had a great season again.

Walking the swamp roads,
With three noses working the edges,
Next year lies ahead.

Gil

 

[cj580guitar]

Found a few birds this morning on my neighbors farm. Lucy had a real good point that I was able to walk in and flush.