Thanks for the report. Sounds like you got your forty-eight dollars' worth.

Not so many deer hunters that you couldn't work around them, I take it.

_____

NF is free-no permit required unless you hunt within a WMA.

There is not permit required and deer hunters haven't been a problem. I usually hunt woodcock at 10:00 am or 2:00 pm. They feed at night and roost all day long. Dogs find them on roost, on the ground under yaupon holly thickets. Deer hunters are not an issue,
Even during deer season, if I come off deer stand late morning, I hunt woodcock and go back to deer in the evening. This year I put in about 30 hrs on the deer stand and got a good 8 pt at 1:20 pm. Then got the dog and hunted birds.

Unfortunately topping out on the birds I flush is about head high. I just have to hope they're going straight away.

Few more birds today Jenny worked well. Managed to scratch down a couple. Got another but he hung in the fork of a tree.
http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy79/...zpsdluumssr.jpg

Don't know why the pic won't show and have to click link. Must be an iPhone thing.

Had a great day today. Jenny is learning to hold her points. Wind really blowing so scenting was hard for her I know. She found four, but I only got shots at three. Probably the only time in my life I'll go 3 for 3.

Looks like a good time

Great picture NP.

Thank you Mr. Bill. I am very late to the game (almost 50) but I am sure beginning to understand you guys' love for bird dogs/bird hunting.

I had several fly right by me while I waited on Joshua. Born and raised here and never seen them. Of course, I never was looking either. Wonder if they are just passing through? I might try and get one.

Honestly, I would jump one in the woods every once in a while and wonder what in the heck it was. Plus see/hear them fly out to the fields at dark. Always thought they were snipe.Happened to read an article on them a few years back. Then the light came on. So I got Jenny 2 1/2 yrs ago from Kobeer with hopes of hunting them. She has almost no training but is learning fast just as we hunt. I honestly feel she turned a big corner this year because she has 1)learned exactly what we are after/doing and consequently 2)is holding her points MUCH better. This is wonderful. I could not find the birds without her and could not find them when they are down without her either. (She often simply can't see where they go down so I have to take her to the area-she has learned to start searching that area when I say "Find the bird Jenny!")

Bottom line: I am enjoying it as much as anything I have ever done.

If you see the birds flying out at dusk they are in the woods by day. So you have them. They are migratory so they come and go in waves but there are usually some around this time of year.

this is a great thread!
thanks!

It was right at end of LST. I was sitting in the ranger waiting on Josh to walk out. They came out of the pines and flew across the meadow. Next weekend I might walk the pines and see. Yall got me interested.

If you have a dog of any kind that will go in the woods with you I would take them. You might be surprised.

Walked 10.3 miles (in circles I am sure) and did not find one. I am thinking I need to go farther east. Any suggestions?

This was yesterday evening... First woodcock hunt of the year!

^^^^^Great!!!^^^^^

Where are you located? The Ruffed Grouse Society has a link on their website on the woodcock migration in real time.

Well on day two, we killed 2 more woodcock... Yesterday Zeke just flushed them... Today we got 4 solid points and he allowed me to flush them! I'm extremely proud of him considering this was his first true hunting experience outside of training! He hunted some of the toughest terrain I have ever been through and was able to put it all together! If only dad (me) was a better woodcock hunter! Yesterday was my first ever woodcock hunt as well! A learning experience that has paid off for both of us! It just feels good when it all starts to come together! Zeke is my first dog to ever train, so I am as proud of myself as I am of him! Of course natural ability is something you can't train into them, so I take very little credit!

Zeke is a handsome boy. It is so fun to watch them learn.

I need to check that out. Talked to a old fella at church this am and he said he and my grandfather hunted them in the 30's and 40's along with quail right there on my families home place. Josh and I will be walking next weekend. I don't have anything but a lab for ducks, but will take her and hope to get lucky.

You have them for sure so no problem there. If nothing else, your lab covers more ground than you ever could so if she will hang pretty close that is a huge help no matter what. In her first year that was basically Jenny's role. She chased/flushed all birds just having fun. We killed a few that way. Whenever I would shoot a woodcock I would use it to train her.

Thanks NP... Zeke was pretty banged up and tired by the time I got to take the picture, so you can see the look of "Do I really have to do this right now?" in his body language!

Good luck!

Found them again this morning with a couple of buddies!!!