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East Texas Woodcock?
#7366205
12/04/18 03:49 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903
Sniper John
OP
gumshoe
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OP
gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903 |
You east texas guys seeing any yet? My newest hunting area with camper in place is within driving distance to hunt the northern parts of crockett, angelina, and sabine NFs. I'm going to start taking advantage of it with a base camp out that way now.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7366256
12/04/18 05:05 AM
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 216
machine73
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 216 |
Saw splash and one bird in SHNF 2 weeks ago. I've never hunted them, but want to. I joined the AWS just because I think woodcock are neat and hunting them over a good dog looks like it would be really fun. They're such cool birds.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7367349
12/05/18 04:22 AM
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Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 10
Kperry
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 10 |
I hope to hit a couple of National Forests this year. First year to hunt in Texas.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7371581
12/09/18 07:20 PM
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 561
Dansmith30cal
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 561 |
I havent seen any around. I usually do in the river bottoms where i hunt.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7372903
12/11/18 02:02 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 139
TripleE
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 139 |
I’ve seen good numbers for 2 weeks now in the river bottoms.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7373804
12/11/18 10:06 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 334
kk66
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 334 |
I saw two in San Jacinto County the weekend after thanksgiving. One flushed right from underfoot and scared the hell out of me. I've never actively hunted them, anyone have any tips for doing it without a dog?
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: kk66]
#7375068
12/12/18 10:53 PM
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 216
machine73
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 216 |
I wish I did. have some tips. This year I'm just going to walk areas that look like they're good habitat and see if we can can accidentally flush some with the squirrel dog. Next year I'll be looking for a dog. I'm fairly obsessed with those little birds and haven't even hunted them yet.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7375171
12/13/18 12:37 AM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,189
CCBIRDDOGMAN
Bird Herder
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Bird Herder
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,189 |
Good luck. Really want to try that some day.
Haven't had it in years but never spit any out. I am a sucker for happy endings and strapped cowboys.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7375179
12/13/18 12:42 AM
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Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,512
rickym
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,512 |
there’s a guy on here that hunts them pretty regularly during season. Nogalus prairie maybe.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7375233
12/13/18 01:28 AM
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 216
machine73
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 216 |
Its something a military buddy and I had talked about doing. Another was hunting sandhill cranes. Every year something came up to get in the way. You know how it goes. He took his own life this past Spring and I really regret never getting around to doing those hunts. So, I booked a crane hunt with a guide for January. Joined the American Woodcock Society and have been asking around for tips and so forth. Those folks have been really helpful. Next year I'll be looking for a dog that will assuredly be named after my buddy. Birds and dogs made him happy. Especially dogs.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7375959
12/13/18 07:46 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903
Sniper John
OP
gumshoe
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OP
gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903 |
Thanks guys. Dash pointed one out while squirrel hunting earlier this week. I bet some birds will be moving in with this front. Should be worth a try early in the season.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7376188
12/13/18 10:27 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,864
blanked
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,864 |
You veteran woodcockers..... what 2 week period do you find to be the best bird numbers? Do you think waiting until deer season is over is a good time? For me the last few years have only been finding birds in the real heavy cover. To the point i have to crawl to get to them. This is all after deer season
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: blanked]
#7377526
12/15/18 08:58 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903
Sniper John
OP
gumshoe
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OP
gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903 |
You veteran woodcockers..... what 2 week period do you find to be the best bird numbers? Do you think waiting until deer season is over is a good time? For me the last few years have only been finding birds in the real heavy cover. To the point i have to crawl to get to them. This is all after deer season Good question and is partly why I asked my question. From one article I read in Gun Dog Magazine. "Most years, migrating woodcock begin dropping into East Texas coverts in November. Peak buildup occurs in late December or January depending on the weather. Tough winters in the Midwest mean good hunting in East Texas" http://www.gundogmag.com/editorial/destinations_woodcockAnother study I found done in the 1970s put the peak numbers in Texas during the last 10 days of December and the first 10 days of January. The problem with waiting on Deer season to end is that the late seasons and muzzleloader seasons run till Jan 20. Leaves us only 11 days. I aborted my last national forest woodcock hunting after the first day. Dog was ranging out of sight, I kept hearing faint distant voices in the woods of a couple other hunters talking. It was too unnerving worried that my dog could get taken or killed. I now do not hunt my dog in East Texas National Forest without a tracking collar and he wears an orange vest. I always know where he is and it is obvious to strangers he is not a stray and that someone is out there hunting him.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7378878
12/17/18 10:09 AM
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 216
machine73
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 216 |
There were definitely woodcock in the Eastern part of the SHNF this weekend. Saw a few near the edge of a timber cut and woodline early morning. The pines were about waist high. My squirrel dog flushed one mid morning. We were maybe 100m from a creek, the ground was moist and loamy with lots of leaf litter in mixed woods, predominately hardwoods with a smattering of conifers. There was a lot of low lying undergrowth, mostly yaupon.
Sniper John, can I ask what breed dog you have?
Sean
Last edited by machine73; 12/17/18 10:10 AM.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: machine73]
#7379327
12/17/18 07:44 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903
Sniper John
OP
gumshoe
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OP
gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903 |
There were definitely woodcock in the Eastern part of the SHNF this weekend. Saw a few near the edge of a timber cut and woodline early morning. The pines were about waist high. My squirrel dog flushed one mid morning. We were maybe 100m from a creek, the ground was moist and loamy with lots of leaf litter in mixed woods, predominately hardwoods with a smattering of conifers. There was a lot of low lying undergrowth, mostly yaupon.
Sniper John, can I ask what breed dog you have?
Sean
A Versatile Vizsla. He is a fur and feather dog.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7381110
12/19/18 05:21 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903
Sniper John
OP
gumshoe
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OP
gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903 |
Headed out to hunt them through Saturday. But for the rare West Texas Woodcock in Young County. I don't feel like competing with the holiday deer hunting crowd right now. We get them in our hunting least creek bottom every other to third year if things stay wet enough early season to short stop them. The timing of the last couple storms should have been just right. Then I can catch the late Dove opener along with bonus squirrel/rabbit/wood ducks. But the main target is Woodcock to catch the small window of opportunity for that location. Dash will be happy as long as he hunts. I'll head east for them sometime after Christmas. Good luck to any of y'all out hunting this Woodcock opening week. Gratuitous old picture of Blaze with a Young County Bird.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7381152
12/19/18 12:27 PM
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 8,252
bobcat1
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 8,252 |
Good luck!
Bobby Barnett
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7381193
12/19/18 01:36 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,864
blanked
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,864 |
Deer hunters scare me
Anyone run into trappers or a trap on public land in the woods. Hate to have my dog run in a trap
Last edited by blanked; 12/19/18 02:18 PM.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: blanked]
#7381297
12/19/18 02:55 PM
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 216
machine73
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 216 |
Thankfully no traps so far and no deer hunters once you go a little ways in.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7381370
12/19/18 03:41 PM
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 228
pine knott
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 228 |
Not seeing any but usually most spotted when I'm going duck hunting. None of that going on.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7381386
12/19/18 03:54 PM
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 5,157
Smokey Bear
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 5,157 |
Good luck sniper. Some of the hunters in the government woods don't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling regarding the safety of my dog so I steer clear.
Smokey Bear---Lone Star State.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7383073
12/21/18 03:28 AM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 340
epp838
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 340 |
Anyone hunted old Sabine bottom wma, looks promising and only 45 min from me.
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7384976
12/23/18 10:16 AM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 65,416
SnakeWrangler
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 65,416 |
That is one great looking dog Sniper! Good luck getting after them....
I believe in science and I’m an insufferable [censored] Actually, BBC is pretty damn good "You Cannot Simultaneously Be Politically Correct And Intellectually Honest!"
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Re: East Texas Woodcock?
[Re: Sniper John]
#7385943
12/24/18 06:23 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903
Sniper John
OP
gumshoe
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OP
gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903 |
I saw only one woodcock, ,but it made it across the property line without being shot. lots of non upland game to hunt at least.
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