Woodcock

[DJP]

I think I will make it a goal to try this out in January. Good reason to bring out the sweet sixteen.

[Mergie Master]

I think I will make it a goal to try this out in January. Good reason to bring out the sweet sixteen.

Well worth it. If you have a dog it's much better.

[BRR]

28 ga is where it's at.

[Arrowman]

I remember hunting behind my house growing up. I distinctly remember while trying to jump shoot rabbits those "snipe" would get up and fly in circles making a fluttering whistle sound until they got up to about 50-75ft or so then they would just drop straight down and do it again.

[Mergie Master]

I remember hunting behind my house growing up. I distinctly remember while trying to jump shoot rabbits those "snipe" would get up and fly in circles making a fluttering whistle sound until they got up to about 50-75ft or so then they would just drop straight down and do it again.

Those were common snipe not woodcock. Woodcock are rounder in body and have rounded wings like a quail.

The easy way to tell the difference in hand is to look at the head. Snipe have black stripes from base of bill to the back of the head, woodcock have bars from side to side (ear to ear). Coloration is different too.

Snipe has stripes


American Woodcock have bars

[Rubberhead*]

That's pretty cool. I've never known how to identify the males from the females. What I like about hunting woodcock is they usually don't fly off too far. Once my dogs or I jump one rabbit hunting, I'll go stomp around in the direction he flew off in and a lot of times jump him back up within about 50 yards. Damn quail these days fly 200 yards before they land again! It's hard to rejump a quail without a dog bc they will run off from where they landed. They Woodcocks just sit there!

The easiest way is to measure the length of the bird's bill next to the width of a dollar bill (bill2bill). If the bird's bill is longer than a dollar bill then it's a female. Male's bills are shorter than a dollar is wide.

[Swamp Rat]

I remember hunting behind my house growing up. I distinctly remember while trying to jump shoot rabbits those "snipe" would get up and fly in circles making a fluttering whistle sound until they got up to about 50-75ft or so then they would just drop straight down and do it again.

Those were common snipe not woodcock.

Sounds more like woodcock to me. All the snipe I seem to run across are in more open wetlands, and get up hauling ass in a zig zag pattern after a short "scraip!" call. If you don't shoot at 'em, snipe will almost always circle back and fly right over you in a straight line.

[Swamp Rat]

Used to be, with snipe, the saying was "you gotta hit 'em between the 'scaip' and the shit" ... when they FIRST get up, they fly straight as an arrow until they drop a turd, then the zig zag begins.

[cajunwannabe]

Here we go again.............let's train more cyber hunters how exploit more game in SC for a yeti pic.

Great minds think alike.

I grew up hunting woodcock and ruffed grouse in Northern MI as a kid back in the late 70's. I have some great footage of my old yellow pointing woodcock this past season, so cool to watch him work. Not sure his 11 year old body will be up to it this season......we'll give him a try tho.

[Rubberhead*]

All the snipe I seem to run across are in more open wetlands, and get up hauling ass in a zig zag pattern after a short "scraip!" call. If you don't shoot at 'em, snipe will almost always circle back and fly right over you in a straight line.

I love hunting snipe with a IC/IM in the gun. I use the Improved Cylinder barrel for the close-flushers and the Improved Modified for the high Come-Backers.

[Cottontop74]

I thought you only used a stick and a croker sack to catch snipe?

[Highstrung]

That's a pretty good one cotton.

[Duck cutter]

That's a pretty good one cotton.

yes it was

[loud1]

Snipe are thick at the farm right now. Find a spot in the field with standing water in it you'll find the snipe

[Strick9]

I do love their mating flight and singing. One of Gods little gifts for certain.

[SharkDave]

Cool. Good read RH.

[fro]

Cane patch better get ready....

[Duck Nitz]

Good vidyurr:

[HARV]

I do love their mating flight and singing. One of Gods little gifts for certain.

That's a sign of spring up here!

[DJP]