Woodcock have been scarce again this year in my coverts. This bird was taken on a windy, foggy day along the Allegheny Front. Bliss gave me two nice points that day with the other bird escaping unscathed.
Thicket found several birds in the Muth covert with me connecting on one of them.
Some of the coverts that failed to hold any birds at least on the days that we visited them. With two weeks left in the season the dogs and I will keep trying and hoping to find a flight of birds to make us smile.
4 comments:
Have had a difficult time getting my one year old, Hazel focused on birds. Plenty of woodcock in Michigan and Northern Pa but she never really figured out why she was out there. Will have to start hunting her with nine year old Thorn, a truly exceptional grouse and woodcock dog.
Do you run your youngsters at first with an older dog? The disappearance of grouse truly depressing. I hunt stocked pheasant some, just for the dogs. Do you hunt your setters after the woodcock leave? Always enjoy your posts. Phil
Hi Phil
I've always hunted young dogs alone, but perhaps Hazel would profit from Thorn's experience. Some dogs will try your patience. My old dog Emma was one of those. For the first four years of her life she lived to flush birds until "the light came on" one day and she pointed a woodcock that I was able to shoot. She turned out to be an exceptional grouse and woodcock dog, but there were many day when I almost gave up on her.
If the weather does not turn "sour" I may go out after deer season. I've moved a few wild flushing grouse this fall so who knows maybe they will stage a comeback. I won't shot a wild flushed bird be it woodcock, grouse or pheasant and I must admit my dogs have never learned how to pin a running pheasant so I rarely hunt them.
Rick, it's good to see you back at'em again. How's the new knee?
Bliss is doing great. Our season is a week away from upcoming Saturday. Floyd and I with his two Britts and my MuttPak went looking for quail last week and had some success. We also found new woodcock cover. Sadie was 150 yards out according to her gps collar and we found her on point in a bottom. The other three Britts were strung out behind her in calendar poses. We flushed a big female doodle. We eagerly await the opening. It appears we will have a banner year according to satellite tagged birds showing up down here. Your bad weather has pushed them down early. Here's the latest map:
https://www.woodcockmigration.org/migration.html
Best, Gil
Hey Gil
The knee is progressing, slow but sure. Bliss has shown me some excellent potential but sadly the woodcock have been scarce in my coverts this year. Yesterday a covert that was always my most reliable one was empty for the third time this year. This is the last week of the season so I'll keep on trying for the next few days and hope for a straggler or two. Sounds like Sadie is ready to shine this year. Give her an ear rub from me and have fun with all those woodcock that passed me by. ha ha.
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