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Woodcock Hunting #7072249 02/09/18 07:30 PM
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Matagorda Mud Pig Offline OP
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Kind of a bucket list bird for me. Do they exist in Texas? If so, what region? Anybody on here shot one recently?




Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7072259 02/09/18 07:38 PM
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saw my first one when i was looking at my property before i bought it.
since it didn't fly off very far, i'll assume i was the first two-leg
thing it ever saw.
fwiw, i never saw another one. too many varmints now that need to be
taken care of.

Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7072306 02/09/18 08:23 PM
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1. I hit "like" on your last post on Skip's snipe hunting forum, I think.
2. Is that a bear in the bow of your boat?
3. You still use photobucket? What's their fee now?
4. Yes, there are woodcock in Texas; but they're mostly if not entirely migratory (although there are some that will argue that point), and they stay mostly east of Bay City I believe, and the season ended Jan 31.

Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: 1971snipe] #7072393 02/09/18 09:35 PM
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Originally Posted By: 1971snipe
1. I hit "like" on your last post on Skip's snipe hunting forum, I think.
2. Is that a bear in the bow of your boat?
3. You still use photobucket? What's their fee now?
4. Yes, there are woodcock in Texas; but they're mostly if not entirely migratory (although there are some that will argue that point), and they stay mostly east of Bay City I believe, and the season ended Jan 31.



Skips group is fun. Yes it is a bear, I suppose I need an updated picture. Got that on a hunt about 5 years ago now. I havent uploaded to photobucket in some time, so I guess no.

Im planning on hitting some national forest land in quest of the woodcock.




Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7072405 02/09/18 09:44 PM
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They are here in TX east of the Trinity during the winter - start arriving late October. Season runs 12/18-1/31. A good dog is a lifesaver. Fun and challenging birds. All of the national forests (Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and Sabine) are great places to hunt them.





Originally Posted by Russ79
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.


Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7072473 02/09/18 10:55 PM
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Nogalus what kind of dog are you hunting?




Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7072493 02/09/18 11:15 PM
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German shorthair - Miss Jenny.




Originally Posted by Russ79
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.


Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7072857 02/10/18 03:41 AM
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Good looking dog.




Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Nogalus Prairie] #7072885 02/10/18 04:04 AM
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Originally Posted By: Nogalus Prairie
They are here in TX east of the Trinity during the winter - start arriving late October. Season runs 12/18-1/31. A good dog is a lifesaver. Fun and challenging birds. All of the national forests (Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and Sabine) are great places to hunt them.





You had a good season, Nogalus? I saw woodcock nearly every evening here in the SE corner of the state. I never did venture north to the forests, or east into Louisiana this season.

Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7072895 02/10/18 04:12 AM
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Yessir, it was a good one. Plenty of wet weather/ground and birds in all season. Just too short is all. smile


Originally Posted by Russ79
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.


Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7072902 02/10/18 04:19 AM
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Originally Posted By: AndrewOSpencer
Good looking dog.


Thank you, she’s very special to me and I’m blessed to have her. Her favorite thing to do in the world is hunt, but her second favorite is hanging with Dad at the camp house. smile



Originally Posted by Russ79
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.


Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7073233 02/10/18 04:09 PM
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OK, This just caught my interest big time. I had no idea even though I am born and raised in Texas, and have been quail hunting in Texas for about 30 years. In fact, I just found WMA's (Specifically Matador) this year. I hunted 8000 acres in Dickens for about 10 years until this year when the land was sold. Cant believe what I was missing, and now I see this?? Looked up "Can you eat Woodcock?" Found out not only yes, but heck yes! So, next season, I am in, but have zero idea where to start. I have a GSP that is a virtual twin to Miss Jenny that I named "Sue", hence the handle "Dognamedsue" :-)

I live in Prosper, just north of Dallas, and love the East Texas Piney woods, as much as I love the west Texas country. So, any advice to help me get started would be truly appreciated...

Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7073238 02/10/18 04:13 PM
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Just realized my name was showing as my name instead of my "handle". Just changed that, so the "handle" comment makes sense...

Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7073239 02/10/18 04:14 PM
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I am truly a green horn...ugh. My handle is "Dognamedsue" I will figure it out....maybe.

Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7073490 02/10/18 08:52 PM
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Here is my dog on the tailgate with a two man limit admiring his work.

He has one pointed here


Last edited by Smokey Bear; 02/10/18 08:59 PM.

Smokey Bear---Lone Star State.
Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Dognamedsue] #7073919 02/11/18 03:28 AM
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Originally Posted By: Dognamedsue
OK, This just caught my interest big time. I had no idea even though I am born and raised in Texas, and have been quail hunting in Texas for about 30 years. In fact, I just found WMA's (Specifically Matador) this year. I hunted 8000 acres in Dickens for about 10 years until this year when the land was sold. Cant believe what I was missing, and now I see this?? Looked up "Can you eat Woodcock?" Found out not only yes, but heck yes! So, next season, I am in, but have zero idea where to start. I have a GSP that is a virtual twin to Miss Jenny that I named "Sue", hence the handle "Dognamedsue" :-)

I live in Prosper, just north of Dallas, and love the East Texas Piney woods, as much as I love the west Texas country. So, any advice to help me get started would be truly appreciated...


Nothing super hard about it really. Get you a map of the NF of your choice, locate the roads, look for areas with thick cover like yaupon thickets or young cutover stuff, let the dog out and go hunting. I find the places that hold birds the best tend to be near private holdings with open pastures because the birds feed in the open areas at night.

Those are the basics and it’s just trial and error beyond that. You will find that some areas will hold birds and seemingly identical areas will not. Whether the birds are there in numbers or not at any given time may change from year to year based on weather/migration patterns, but the places that hold them will tend to stay the same. Though the cutovers will finally get too thick to hunt. You can spend a lifetime trying and finding new areas to hunt - I have been at it 5 years and feel like I have just scratched the surface. 2cents


Originally Posted by Russ79
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.


Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7074172 02/11/18 01:48 PM
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I have seen them in North West Brazoria county, my dog flushed a couple out. I didn't know of the bird till i got home and googled it.

Last edited by Mike Mathena; 02/11/18 01:48 PM.

Go get in the woods
Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7074902 02/12/18 12:17 AM
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Nogalus,

Thanks for the advice. A couple of questions:
1. What is an "NF"?
2. Is the hunting similar to quail with a flush of a covey, or is it something else?

Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7076429 02/13/18 04:39 AM
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NF.. He is talking about National Forests.

They will not be in a covey. Usually singles, but I have found two or three together before. If you have never hunted them, the cover they use will be thicker than you expect. I have a migratory population I hunt that makes a stop much farther west than normal. They show up in the creek bottoms of my lease in Young County only if it is stays wet enough for them to feed along the wheat fields at night. They only show on average about one out of every three years. They must have moist ground to feed. Scouting look for evidence of the little holes they leave behind from feeding. East Texas NFs are your best bet to look for them only second to Louisiana public forest lands and WMAs.


Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7078693 02/14/18 11:24 PM
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do they hold good for the dogs on point or do they tend to flush


hold on Newt, we got a runaway
Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7083656 02/18/18 07:24 PM
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Hold well for dogs. Sometime you can actually see them on the ground. Look for splashes on the ground in thick cover dead give away birds are present. Burned areas are also good. Shot them for years in the Florida Parishes of Louisiana. Back then we got a mixed bag(quail/woodcock). Usually close working are a plus. GPS collars will help. They are a kick, but nothing like Gentleman Bob, although most quail I hunt now are no gentleman more like rogues.

Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7084123 02/19/18 01:54 AM
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I have a 6 month old DD that wont point them. he points Quail very well and loves a bird. but pays no attention to a woodcock. My old DD does point woodcock.
Any of you guys got any advise ? Forrest

Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7084199 02/19/18 03:22 AM
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Is he flushing them or ignoring them?


Smokey Bear---Lone Star State.
Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7085191 02/19/18 11:49 PM
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Smokey, He is ignoring them. Forrest

Re: Woodcock Hunting [Re: Matagorda Mud Pig] #7085688 02/20/18 12:08 PM
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It sounds like he may not be recognizing them as game to hunt. You will have to wait till next season to turn it around. At only six months, a year will make a lot of difference. Most likely growing up will solve the issue but in the event it does not. Use the old dog to hunt a limit and a little bit of fetch with a woodcock will get him headed in the right direction.


Smokey Bear---Lone Star State.
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