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regards from France #6384085 07/27/16 09:52 AM
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niha35 Offline OP
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Hey guys ,i come from France where i hunt various species like ducks and shorebirds (Curlew ,Common Redshank and more ),i really like this practice which is consist to call and convince the waterfowl to come around us smile
I would like to know the regulation about shorebird in your country ,i had heard that is forbidden to hunt them ?does it right ?

Niha .


My last "Slow motion Hunting video here" :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAFfIzmhkZw
Re: regards from France [Re: niha35] #6384207 07/27/16 01:04 PM
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beaversnipe Offline
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Bienvenue, et toutes mes condoleances

The only legal shorebird you can hunt overher to my knowledge are Snipe (becassinnes)
They are plentifull in Louisiana, Texas and Florida.

Last edited by beaversnipe; 07/27/16 01:07 PM.

www.TexasPondPoppers.com
Originally Posted by bill oxner
Loved my 4 inches. Well needed.

Originally Posted by bill oxner
Hate Russians. Love happy endings. I saw snot fly. cheers


Re: regards from France [Re: niha35] #6384248 07/27/16 01:36 PM
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Sniper John Offline
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Greetings Niha,
Most of our shorebirds are protected these days. Though not real popular anymore in the US there are a few of use that hunt Snipe. Snipe is my personal favorite bird to hunt. We also have hunting seasons for 4 kinds of Rails we can hunt, but again few people hunt them. I suppose you could include Gallinule, Moorhen, and Coots too. Other than Woodcock which is really an upland bird, that is all we have season's for out of what one might call a shorebird.




Re: regards from France [Re: niha35] #6384406 07/27/16 03:30 PM
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niha35 Offline OP
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Very nice pictures smile
Snipe are common in several wet area here in France, its a really magnificient bird ! which is involve a very difficult shot .
The Woodcock is also hunt in France ,and it is consider like a trophy here !
My favorite hunt here is the shorebird one ,i do it in the Saint Michel Bay located in the North of Bretagne smile
It is big reservoir of food for shorebird ,there's a huge amount of Haematopus ,some are even settled . In the beginning of the season (early august) you could watch some great fly of Whimbrel (it s a kind of Curlew !) my favorite bird ,sometimes to succeed a call and shot this bird ,it can last 20 / 30 min ,very emotionnal smile




Last edited by niha35; 07/27/16 03:30 PM.

My last "Slow motion Hunting video here" :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAFfIzmhkZw
Re: regards from France [Re: niha35] #6384529 07/27/16 04:48 PM
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ndhunter Offline
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Welcome niha35

Do you plan on hunting in US?

Re: regards from France [Re: ndhunter] #6384559 07/27/16 05:16 PM
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Welcome to the forum Niha35..
I love Shooting shorebird specially Curlews...Yummy!!
Unfortunately they are protected here..

confused2

Re: regards from France [Re: ndhunter] #6384581 07/27/16 05:47 PM
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Originally Posted By: ndhunter
Welcome niha35

Do you plan on hunting in US?


One day i hope ! your country has always been a great source of inspiration specially for ducks and geese hunting.
In France these species are usually hunt during the night under blind named : "Gabion or Hutte " ,it's traditionnal here . Decoys are real breed ducks selected for their calls ! it's interesting but i prefer hunt during the rise of the sun ^^ and in the end of afternoon smile



Thanks for your welcome , i really appreciate smile

Last edited by niha35; 07/27/16 05:48 PM.

My last "Slow motion Hunting video here" :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAFfIzmhkZw
Re: regards from France [Re: niha35] #6385014 07/27/16 10:56 PM
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Sniper John Offline
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niha35,
You do any shorebird hunting with decoys? It is unheard of here, but I when the conditions were right I have done it.

And any dogs pointing or retrieving there? A friend and I had good luck last year using the dogs to point Snipe, but that is not how most hunt Snipe in the U.S.A, being mostly shoreline and marsh hunting.

Re: regards from France [Re: Sniper John] #6385456 07/28/16 08:44 AM
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niha35 Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: Sniper John
niha35,
You do any shorebird hunting with decoys?


Some Hunter do it but not me ,i have just my calls.
As i hunt into a maximun of 1 meter depth water ,it's not neccessary to have a dog smile
But hunt Snipe and Woodcock with a pointer would be very pleasant.

I will show you my way of hunt in another topic and post explanatory video of this smile


My last "Slow motion Hunting video here" :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAFfIzmhkZw
Re: regards from France [Re: Sniper John] #6387330 07/29/16 07:33 PM
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ndhunter Offline
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Don't you use snipe decoys John? I still have the one that you gave me years ago. If I ever get a kayak, I'm going to mount it on the front. grin

Re: regards from France [Re: niha35] #6387781 07/30/16 01:15 AM
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Back in the days, me and my dad shot hundreds of snipe in 1 day in Holland. There was no limit.
At night we went woodcock hunting in belgium, again, no limits. Shooting 8 birds per night was the norm.

We slept in a very small house and cooked amazing meals for all my uncles.
Fresh oysters and mussels were always on the menu. The house had no heat, so open fireplace was all we had.
At night it was prolly 40 degrees in the house.
In the morning we all dressed up in white and hunt geese in the snow.
The clothing was miserable back then, we had to layer up.
We used 5-6 decoys only and no calling. The geese came anyway.
I did that for 15 years every weekend from august till late january, every weekend for 2 days.
These were the days. There was plenty to shoot with no limits.
Rabits, hairs, pheasant, chuckar, snipe, woodcock, mallard, teal, woodpigeons and geese.


Where are the days? Just where are they?


www.TexasPondPoppers.com
Originally Posted by bill oxner
Loved my 4 inches. Well needed.

Originally Posted by bill oxner
Hate Russians. Love happy endings. I saw snot fly. cheers


Re: regards from France [Re: ndhunter] #6388792 07/31/16 02:20 AM
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Originally Posted By: ndhunter
Don't you use snipe decoys John? I still have the one that you gave me years ago. If I ever get a kayak, I'm going to mount it on the front. grin


Rarely, but I have used decoys with success when the conditions are just right. If I run out the Snipe from a place they want to be, the decoys can draw them to a particular spot when they return. Makes for an easy close shot. Thus the 410.



Knutsons sells a Curlew decoy too. I figured there must be some places in the world where curlews were hunted.

http://www.knutsondecoys.com/decoy_smshorebird.html

Re: regards from France [Re: Sniper John] #6389811 08/01/16 01:51 AM
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Originally Posted By: Sniper John



Snipe is my personal favorite bird to hunt.


Mine as well...



The Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) is a cousin of the Woodcock. Common Snipe are also called "Wilson's Snipe" and sometimes called "Jack Snipe", although the real Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) is only found in Asia and Europe.

Woodcock are found in thickets along streams, whereas Snipe will be found in open prairies and marshes.

Snipe are excellent eating, tasting halfway between dove and teal. They are by far the most challenging or all game birds to hunt. Shooting box of shells to bag 2 or 3 snipe is about the national average.

Back in the 1800's in Europe, a hunter who was good enough to do well on shooting snipe was given the honor of being called a "Sniper". That is the origin of the name Sniper that refers to the extremely skilled long range shooters in the military.

Snipe hunting in America is slowly returning to the great sport it was in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. It was known as a “Gentleman’s Sport” because the average person couldn’t justify the cost of shotgun shells vs. the amount of meat that the hunt produced.

There was a ready commercial market for snipe and the few market hunters who were good enough shots to hit them consistently, got a buck a dozen for them wholesale, and more if they sold them direct to fine restaurants. This was during a time when a good horse could be purchased for $10.

However, market hunting was outlawed in the early 1900’s, and then habitat destruction along with a prolonged drought in the 1930’s lead to closing the season on snipe and other shorebirds.

In 1953 the snipe season was reopened, but it was slow to catch on with new hunters who had never experienced the sport, and the old “Snipe Hunt Joke” kept new hunters from taking the sport seriously.

If the habitat gets either too dry or two wet, the birds often leave, only to quickly return when the conditions change to suit them.

The best size shot for snipe is #8 lead or #6 steel. Improved cylinder choke offers the best chance at nailing one at decent range. Often they will flush at long range, but if you just keep walking, you find some that hold for a closer flush. Any gauge shotgun will work, but light, fast swinging 20 and 28 gauge shotguns are favored by many.

Snipe flush like a quail and may fly fairly straight at first, but often they stay low and are very hard to see at first. Then they will start making acrobatic maneuvers that usually result in your missing them by embarrassing margins.

The best tactic is to only take the closer shots and when you down one, walk directly to the spot and start looking for it as they are very hard to find in cover because of their excellent camo. Don't fall to the temptation of shooting at other snipe that flush while you are walking to the downed bird because you will probably lose that one and any other one you may hit.

Snipe would be nearly impossible to hunt if it weren't for the fact that they usually make a loud rasping sound when they flush. You seldom actually see one flush, but rather you hear the distinctive sound, similar to a boot pulling free from the mud, and then if you can quickly locate the bird you might get a shot off before it gets out of range.

This photo shows what a typical snipe feeding area looks like...



You will also find snipe in heavier cover as well as in totally bare areas. The key you want to look for is damp to wet ground with at least some exposed mud. Some of the best snipe hunting I've seen was where feral hogs had rooted up some areas in a mowed pasture and then after a rain, they were thick in there for days until it dried up.

Other areas that can turn red hot occur after mowing or burns. Anything that removes heavy cover and lets snipe get down to wet ground opens up new feeding areas for them.

It's easy to find evidence of snipe feeding areas. Just look at exposed muddy areas and if snipe have been there, you will see hundreds of little holes in the mud where snipe have used their long beaks to probe for worms.

Snipe will be found mostly as singles on the ground. If you jump two or three, they probably were just feeding close together. However, snipe will sometimes fly from spot to spot in small flocks of 3 to 8 or so, and migrating flocks may be made up of 20-30 birds.

Re: regards from France [Re: AvianQuest] #6391883 08/02/16 06:44 PM
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niha35 Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: AvianQuest
Originally Posted By: Sniper John



Snipe is my personal favorite bird to hunt.


Mine as well...



The Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) is a cousin of the Woodcock. Common Snipe are also called "Wilson's Snipe" and sometimes called "Jack Snipe", although the real Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) is only found in Asia and Europe.


Snipe are excellent eating, tasting halfway between dove and teal. They are by far the most challenging or all game birds to hunt. Shooting box of shells to bag 2 or 3 snipe is about the national average.



Totally agree ,excellent eating /tasting ! one off my favorite ,i like Teal a lot too !


My last "Slow motion Hunting video here" :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAFfIzmhkZw
Re: regards from France [Re: niha35] #6394142 08/04/16 04:27 AM
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Originally Posted By: niha35
Originally Posted By: AvianQuest
Originally Posted By: Sniper John



Snipe is my personal favorite bird to hunt.


Mine as well...



The Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) is a cousin of the Woodcock. Common Snipe are also called "Wilson's Snipe" and sometimes called "Jack Snipe", although the real Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) is only found in Asia and Europe.


Snipe are excellent eating, tasting halfway between dove and teal. They are by far the most challenging or all game birds to hunt. Shooting box of shells to bag 2 or 3 snipe is about the national average.



Totally agree ,excellent eating /tasting ! one off my favorite ,i like Teal a lot too !


In europe, the guests at the dinners, usually sucked their brains out, the best part of the snipe. Kind of like the crayfish/lobster head.


www.TexasPondPoppers.com
Originally Posted by bill oxner
Loved my 4 inches. Well needed.

Originally Posted by bill oxner
Hate Russians. Love happy endings. I saw snot fly. cheers


Re: regards from France [Re: niha35] #6394235 08/04/16 12:13 PM
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niha35 Offline OP
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it's something special but tasty in fact smile


My last "Slow motion Hunting video here" :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAFfIzmhkZw
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