Rimfireboy! 1,463 Posted October 28, 2018 Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 On 23/10/2018 at 21:33, Flairball said: The woodcock season and migration runs a little differently, here. They are on the move, now. By mid-Nov they will be gone, having moved further south to their wintering grounds. The last two days I have gotten in to them good. Tough to kill, living in the really thick, young saplings, but fun to try. We moved 48 yesterday and today. I managed to put 4 in the bag. Good shooting flairball , a good sporting bird. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bell 3,598 Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Wideboy said: Is shooting woodcock at dusk legal in UK? As it’s not in Ireland, it’s quite frowned upon, I think it is due to when the Germans and French started to move to Ireland in the 70’s, they shot a lot of woodcock this way instead of hunting them up during daylight hours. Not that it bothers me btw, crack on and have a blast. No problem with shooting them at dusk, great sport flighting them ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Born Hunter 17,763 Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, bell said: No problem with shooting them at dusk, great sport flighting them ... I want to try this this season. Any advice mate? Is it best to avoid popping at pigeons etc? Edited November 13, 2018 by Born Hunter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bell 3,598 Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 3 hours ago, Born Hunter said: I want to try this this season. Any advice mate? Is it best to avoid popping at pigeons etc? I really don't think it matters. Certainly shooting at woodcock flighting out of woodland doesn't put off other woodcock coming out of the same spot seconds or minutes later. You only have maybe a 15 min window when they flight but it makes for exciting shooting. Try and pick a feature in the wood edge that will help funnel the birds out. Fire checks are great for it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j j m 6,539 Posted November 15, 2018 Report Share Posted November 15, 2018 very nice bud Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The one 8,474 Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 The only time i saw woodcock was when the weather was hard they used to use the patches of gorse on the farm the rest of the time you never saw them Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Liamboy 1,266 Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 I put up 3 yesterday while out digging. I'll have to go out a day this week to try for some. They are a great bird to hunt. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bell 3,598 Posted December 1, 2018 Report Share Posted December 1, 2018 Flighted a spot tonight on the edge of a forestry block on a west coast isle. The birds came out early and in the space of 15 mins I counted 12 woodcock over me including two pairs together. I stopped shooting and tried to pick a bird that dropped a way off otherwise I would have had a few more ......great sport and great tasting birds.... 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Born Hunter 17,763 Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 On 13/11/2018 at 13:36, bell said: I really don't think it matters. Certainly shooting at woodcock flighting out of woodland doesn't put off other woodcock coming out of the same spot seconds or minutes later. You only have maybe a 15 min window when they flight but it makes for exciting shooting. Try and pick a feature in the wood edge that will help funnel the birds out. Fire checks are great for it. Had a go last night and saw f**k all. Ha. Does wind direction make a difference? The wood holds enough woodcock to see something but I guess I could have just been in the wrong place. I stayed till about 40 mins after sunset. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bell 3,598 Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 7 hours ago, Born Hunter said: Had a go last night and saw f**k all. Ha. Does wind direction make a difference? The wood holds enough woodcock to see something but I guess I could have just been in the wrong place. I stayed till about 40 mins after sunset. Who knows BH......I don’t think wind will play a major part as they are travelling to feeding grounds.....once had a party of German guns who didn’t fire a shot and reckoned they’d seen nothing but ‘large bats’..........see any large bats BH ?...... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Born Hunter 17,763 Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 8 minutes ago, bell said: Who knows BH......I don’t think wind will play a major part as they are travelling to feeding grounds.....once had a party of German guns who didn’t fire a shot and reckoned they’d seen nothing but ‘large bats’..........see any large bats BH ?...... I had in mind to shoot large bats but saw none of those either. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bell 3,598 Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 13 minutes ago, Born Hunter said: I had in mind to shoot large bats but saw none of those either. Was out today duck flighting and took the spaniel out for half hour to blow away some energy, managed a left and right on rabbit and woodcock......shot bolting rabbit and a woodcock exploded from my feet at the shot and to my surprise folded up ...Up north in a couple of weeks chasing the woodcock again........nailed 17 last year between 3 of us.. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pjmc 90 Posted December 29, 2018 Report Share Posted December 29, 2018 Went to a fella today i do alot of fox hunting with,we had brilliant day over a setter and my own german wirehaired pointer.rise about 25 wookcock but hard spot to get a good shot at them,we finished up with 8 in the bag along with 2 phesants and 4 snipe.top class day 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flairball 141 Posted April 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 Bonus woodcock. The woodcock are starting to migrate north again, over here. It’s not uncommon to see a couple when out training or running the dogs. Never thought I’d see one in the middle of the city, surrounded by high rise buildings. This woodcock killed itself by flying into the glass roll up doors of the firehouse. It seems the woodcock flew in to the fire house when the doors were up, and then decided to try to make its failed escape after the doors were down. We are situated in the ground floor of a very large high rise, and the doors are quite large. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bell 3,598 Posted April 2, 2019 Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 5 hours ago, Flairball said: Bonus woodcock. The woodcock are starting to migrate north again, over here. It’s not uncommon to see a couple when out training or running the dogs. Never thought I’d see one in the middle of the city, surrounded by high rise buildings. This woodcock killed itself by flying into the glass roll up doors of the firehouse. It seems the woodcock flew in to the fire house when the doors were up, and then decided to try to make its failed escape after the doors were down. We are situated in the ground floor of a very large high rise, and the doors are quite large. Have found them in city centre over here mate when on migration. Once found a dead water rail in middle of Liverpool city centre... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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