Peculiar Wings of October

Peculiar Wings Of October
Figuring Out Woodcock Migration Patterns And How To Hunt Them

By Gary Adair

Plowing my way through a nightmarish stand of blackberry brambles, it
would be my young Chessie Sage -- not his more experienced mother
(Cinnamon) -- who would strike scent first.
     Frozen in place, apparently hypnotized by the aroma emitting from
the bird, I instructed Sage to "get him!"
     After a flurry of whistling wings and the all too familiar erratic
flight pattern, I poked my stack-barrel in the direction the bird flew
and slapped the trigger once.
Upon a crisp retrieve of the bird to hand, my assessment had been
confirmed; our favorite game bird had arrived.
TIMBERDOODLE TIME
Although many hunters -- and most non-hunters -- have nary a clue as to
the bird I speak of (at least the ones I've encountered), for those in
the know he is the Timberdoodle or American woodcock (Scolopax minor).
Yet referring to this wonderful game bird as peculiar is a gross
understatement! Aside from the fact that he carries his brain in an
upside-down manner, the woodcock has spindly legs, ears set in front of
their large eyes (for a 360 degree field of vision) and a bill that
stretches a tape measure to two and a half inches long and beyond.
But these peculiarities are only attributes of this bird's appearance.
Figuring out their migration pattern and how to hunt them are the
woodcock's true idiosyncrasies.
The rule of thumb is that the first strong northerly winds of October
are what precipitate woodcock to leave their northern retreats. While
this may be true to some degree, it may not put birds in your covert the
following morning.
Woodcock migrate in loose groups, meaning they "trickle-down"
throughout the season, instead of the masses like many other migratory
game birds. Therefore, your home coverts may add a bird or three during
these early movements or continue to be birdless.
Also, not all woodcock will leave with these early winds of fall, which
is the reason why mid-season hunting is always much better than in the
first couple of weeks. Consequently -- based on my experience -- the
first week of November is when one should be in the field.
I know it's the time when the dogs and I find the majority of our birds
and I'm in the field each and everyday of this wonderful season (and
then some in other states).
NO FENCE SITTING HERE
    One of the biggest misconceptions being applied to hunting woodcock
nowadays is that these birds are tight-sitters.While this may have been
true during the heydays of the '50s, '60s and '70s it certainly doesn't
hold much water today.
Not only will woodcock flush prematurely on occasions; they have a
penchant to run instead of hold. Yes, my dogs still find our fair share
of "sitters," but more and more woodcock are incorporating evasive
tactics these days. It's also the main reason why many hunters are
having limited success.
The bottom line is to trust your dog. If he says a bird is in the
"neighborhood," allow your dog to thoroughly work the area. Don't just
discount it as a false point or a misguided find. After all, his
scenting skills are much better than our thinking faculties.
Hunting solo with Sage at one of my favorite coverts, I note a change
in his body language indicating a bird is near. Approaching the area
where he has concentrated his efforts, I notice the telltale sign --
woodcock chalk (scat) -- that woodcock are in the area.
Seeing that the sign is fresh I tell Sage to "find-em," at which point
he goes into track mode. Although the terrain did hamper my efforts to
keep pace with the hard-charging Chessie, I was able to be in position
when Sage found his mark -- 25 yards later -- and put the bird into the
air.
Unable to connect on my first shot, I caught up with the bird and
folded him cleanly with my second barrel. As Sage made his way to the
fallen bird, two more woodcock would flush prematurely.
Watching the direction in which the birds flew, we would later add
these birds to our bag, too.
Man I love this strange little wanderer!