Woodcock

[doddsy1970 9]

Around our shoot this year there have been lots of 'cocks about. I managed to bag 2 off one drive (although they were 15mins and 20 shots apart). I was wondering how many woodcock other people are seeing?

[ferret boy charlie 0]

ive seen 3 this year 2 of them when mooching with the dogs the other when i was beating im sure theres more though

[Tiercel 6,986]

I love Walked up Woodcock shooting.

But this year they have been in short supply here. Same as last year, last year though, they did turn up in good numbers in the last week of the season. I did go for a walk yesterday and rose only one. That was my first of the season.

[Sterry 0]

Theres a fair few seen on my shoot, but most years been alot more, hopefully the cold weather will bring them in abit

[midnight walker 8]

theres a good few round here we got a couple on the shoot last week

[robsharpe 1]

here in county durham we have seen a few this year more than last year they seem in better numbers a left and right shot on one drive and about 2 in the bag per shoot ,tis good to see them about even if they are still flying after both barrels have gone off ,a truly sporting bird in my opinion

[stealthy1 3,964]

See about six on my patch regular, think they hide on this one peice of land to escape the guns, houses at one end, so no guns, don't see any on other land much.

[SportingShooter 0]

As someone who knows a good bit about them, and gets weekly reports of numbers, from the reports I have been getting and other colleagues, the Woodcock this year is being highly unpredictable.

 

Some days you will go out and rise twenty and more in one session with just one dog. Others you can have six, seven, eight dogs and rise two.

 

They have been coming in waves and disappearing the next day in some cases. Western Ireland hasn't seen the numbers it normally has in some areas.

 

My patch here has seen regular and steady falls, but incoherent.

 

They follow two main migration roots in the UK. From the top of Scandinavia across the North Sea to Scotland, the border counties and the Midlands and across.

 

Or, from the lower echelons of Russia, across the top of Europe, and along the South coast. It seems the South coast has been more prolific this year.

 

But it depends.

 

How many Juveniles are being shot and how many adults? Do any of you know how to age them?

[whippeter69 88]

Iv seen 11 on the shoot this year and about 8 have been shot i think anyway

[Llanshooter 0]

We're flushing one or two on almosst every drive at our shoot, probablby shot half a dozen.

 

I've got one in the freezer as its the first one I've shot and want to see if it tastes as good as people say - Anyone got any recipes?

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

We had most around in early december, but those places that were holding lots, are now holding one or two. Seeing a few on the moors though about the same as usual.

[lewismac1 1]

Seen 30 at our last shoot,

 

Although we were only convering about 40% of the land.

 

Hopefully going to get one tomorow

[teknystoddy 0]

Good numbers of them in Co. Antrim, providing good sport. We are seeing a few each day with normally a brace being shot. All adult birds so far.

[Fidgety 8]

Only seen about 5 so far this season. Taste awful!

[woollyback 0]

only seen odd birds on my shoot, not as many as last season by far. There was one shot 2 weeks ago by one of our guns, it had a leg ring which had been done by the Riksmuseum, Stockholm