Woodcock and snipe

Wolfhillbilly

I was out on Saturday and noticed that the woodcock were in in numbers. I had a great day, although I was out after pheasants, I saw about 15 woodcock, got a shot at five, shot three. I've been shooting there for about six years and the most I'd ever seen on one day before was seven or eight. maybe it has something to do with the moon being the closest it's been to the earth for the last 15 years this weekend.
I thought that maybe more snipe would also be in, but still very few about. Has anyone had the same experience this year in relation to poor snipe numbers? My understanding is that woodcock and snipe share the same breeding grounds in Scandanavia and make their way over here, although I stand to be corrected on that.
Has anyone heard any explantion for low snipe numbers?

pm.

Wolfhillbilly wrote: »

I was out on Saturday and noticed that the woodcock were in in numbers. I had a great day, although I was out after pheasants, I saw about 15 woodcock, got a shot at five, shot three. I've been shooting there for about six years and the most I'd ever seen on one day before was seven or eight. maybe it has something to do with the moon being the closest it's been to the earth for the last 15 years this weekend.
I thought that maybe more snipe would also be in, but still very few about. Has anyone had the same experience this year in relation to poor snipe numbers? My understanding is that woodcock and snipe share the same breeding grounds in Scandanavia and make their way over here, although I stand to be corrected on that.
Has anyone heard any explantion for low snipe numbers?

tbh we have a lot of snipe around here but feck all woodcock

ayapatrick

pm. wrote: »

tbh we have a lot of snipe around here but feck all woodcock

some of the lads claim the woodcock are in in droves but the most ive rose on a day was 6? but snipe on the other hand - i thought they were scarce enough up until today! i seen about 50 to 60 at least!

Da Frog

good numbers of snipes and woodcock around my place.

mallards

I had nearly the exact same day as you wolfhillbilly on Saturday. The place is hoaching (Tyrone slang!) with woodcock. Snipe numbers are not as good but could be because of the freezing weather we are having up there.

Mallards

riflehunter77

Plenty of snipe and woodcock down my way aswell. Hope to add a few to the frezzer by the end of the week ....

k_d

Same over my way, put up over a dozin on saturday morning and that was only a small area,
usually might only see 4-5 in the big area we cover,

2 went up in the middle of the field while we were walkin across it,
caught totally on the hop, empty barrels!!

stevoman

Wolfhillbilly wrote: »

I was out on Saturday and noticed that the woodcock were in in numbers. I had a great day, although I was out after pheasants, I saw about 15 woodcock, got a shot at five, shot three. I've been shooting there for about six years and the most I'd ever seen on one day before was seven or eight. maybe it has something to do with the moon being the closest it's been to the earth for the last 15 years this weekend.
I thought that maybe more snipe would also be in, but still very few about. Has anyone had the same experience this year in relation to poor snipe numbers? My understanding is that woodcock and snipe share the same breeding grounds in Scandanavia and make their way over here, although I stand to be corrected on that.
Has anyone heard any explantion for low snipe numbers?

saturddat night was a full moon and they tend to migrate during these perieods. i never got a chance to get out at all this weekend, but im out on thursday and i hope to come across a few for the bag please god.

sniper83

myself and the aul lad had a great day sunday, we headed out for the day after woodcock with da springers, did a small wood in the mornin and duke started barking like mad when he went in (only barks after foxes):D:D so we raced to the end of the wood just in time for 2 foxes to appear:eek: both of them came straight out 2 us either side:D got one each;) a great start to the day!!

we ended up with 11 woodcock, spent the afternoon hunting up the mountain where there was still a lot of frost around ideal woodcock country!! but didnt see many more than that, maybe 18 at most they still seem to be scarce enough.. plenty of snipe around tho..
we also got 3 pigeons, 2 snipe, cock pheasant, a mallard and the 2 foxes:D.. will post a few pics in the pictures thread shortly;)

whitser

sniper83 wrote: »

myself and the aul lad had a great day sunday, we headed out for the day after woodcock with da springers, did a small wood in the mornin and duke started barking like mad when he went in (only barks after foxes):D:D so we raced to the end of the wood just in time for 2 foxes to appear:eek: both of them came straight out 2 us either side:D got one each;) a great start to the day!!

we ended up with 11 woodcock, spent the afternoon hunting up the mountain where there was still a lot of frost around ideal woodcock country!! but didnt see many more than that, maybe 18 at most they still seem to be scarce enough.. plenty of snipe around tho..
we also got 3 pigeons, 2 snipe, cock pheasant, a mallard and the 2 foxes:D.. will post a few pics in the pictures thread shortly;)

thats some bag, well done. my springer(pre-retirement) would go mental after fox, he'd try and go to ground after them.
my hounds flushed a couple of woodcocks while hunting forestry yesterday.

terminator2

there are a good few showing around where i shoot..........got my first left and right on sunday

maigheo

Well done with the double, terminator. missed mine on Sunday evening. Were finding more and more wookcock in light cover, but there also in the usually clumps of rough and ditches arounds bogs and plantations that we've being doing for the last few years. We can count the amount of snipe that we shot, cant find them anywhere which is a pity when it comes to cooking the woodcock.

sniper83

whitser wrote: »

thats some bag, well done. my springer(pre-retirement) would go mental after fox, he'd try and go to ground after them.
my hounds flushed a couple of woodcocks while hunting forestry yesterday.

cheers whitser best fox dog we had was a patterdale/springer cross, man could he put them out!! twill be feb before we get the bugle and our hounds out tho;)

stevoman

still seeing planty of woodcock around. we got 5 yesterday evening. the springer worked them up lovely! the setter doesnt seem to keen on them though!

maigheo

im thinking about getting a red setter in a couple of months and wondering what are they like on woodcock. my father had one a few years ago and i dont think he was fond of cover but others have told me if there used of the cover as a young dog it will bring them on id also be afraid of setting out of sight and having to leave it behind for a couple of hours at the least does this happen much?

Wolfhillbilly

maigheo wrote: »

im thinking about getting a red setter in a couple of months and wondering what are they like on woodcock. my father had one a few years ago and i dont think he was fond of cover but others have told me if there used of the cover as a young dog it will bring them on id also be afraid of setting out of sight and having to leave it behind for a couple of hours at the least does this happen much?

My Irish setter is fairly good on woodcock although he was slow in taking to them. The first bird he set was a snipe and he has always been hot on them, followed by pheasant. It could be that he didn;t get that much work on woodcock in his first few seasons, but now (7 years old) he is fairly hot on them too.
As regards setting out of sight, it is not a problem I have had too much, (not for a few hours anyway!). It does happen on occasion that the dog is set somewhere and you can't see him, but he/she wil move on once the bird has lifted.

Sandyman

Hi Lads,
Just noticed this thread. I was out with my buddy on that very same day, there were woodies everywhere, we shot them in places where we didn't expect them. We rose 15 or 16 birds in the space of 2 hours and finished with 5 each. Believe it or not my buddy and his brother shot another 4 that evening around 4.30 to 5pm flighting them into plantings on the mountain. It was a beautiful day not cold and not the type of day that you would expect such good woody shooting. Deffo something to do with the moon. My buddy is off work at the moment and was out 3 days this week with his springers he shot a total of 20 woddy. Some shooting on his own. He has noticed that they are coming in and going away for periods. We noticed that they were in very early this year also. Looking forward to the crimbo holidays. Hopefully they stay around.

regards

J.R.

Sandyman wrote: »

Hi Lads,
Believe it or not my buddy and his brother shot another 4 that evening around 4.30 to 5pm flighting them into plantings on the mountain.

regards

Just a word of caution to any shooters out on the short days over the festive season - often woodcock can be seen in large numbers leaving wooded areas and plantations as the sun sets and evening approaches but wodcock cannot be shot between sunset and sunrise.

WILDLIFE ACT 1976 Section 37

Hunting by night restricted.

37.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act apart from this section but subject to section 42, a person shall not hunt—

( a ) a woodcock at any time between sunset and sunrise,

( b ) any other protected wild bird, other than a wild duck or a wild goose, or any protected wild animal at any time during any period beginning one hour after sunset and ending one hour before sunrise.

mallards

My uncle and my cousin were out shooting woodcock this morning. They seen nine in two hours as well as a bunch of pheasants wherever they came back from?
Stupid work!
At least they never got any!

Mallards

maigheo

Wolfhillbilly wrote: »

My Irish setter is fairly good on woodcock although he was slow in taking to them. The first bird he set was a snipe and he has always been hot on them, followed by pheasant. It could be that he didn;t get that much work on woodcock in his first few seasons, but now (7 years old) he is fairly hot on them too.
As regards setting out of sight, it is not a problem I have had too much, (not for a few hours anyway!). It does happen on occasion that the dog is set somewhere and you can't see him, but he/she wil move on once the bird has lifted.

thanks for that info wolfhillbilly. thats sounds like a good dog you have, i try to introduce it to cover in summer months and when it shows intrest ill bring it to the snipe first and then the woodcock a few months later. Are they natural retrivers or will it take much training, the one we had would retrive but would not touch ducks, the oul man said he had a few that wouldn't attempt to look for a retrive.

Has anyone notice a drop in woodcock numbers over christmass. we notice a big drop in bird number from christmass eve to new year eve, by far the worst christmass in the last few years although from 3rd to 5th their has being a big increse of woodcock and looks like they brought the snipe with them at last. Have only seen snipe in ones and two so far this year finally they in flocks now. its go to be a long week till saturday. anyone else seeing big changes in numbers?

pullandbang

maigheo wrote: »

Has anyone notice a drop in woodcock numbers over christmass. we notice a big drop in bird number from christmass eve to new year eve, by far the worst christmass in the last few years although from 3rd to 5th their has being a big increse of woodcock and looks like they brought the snipe with them at last. Have only seen snipe in ones and two so far this year finally they in flocks now. its go to be a long week till saturday. anyone else seeing big changes in numbers?

Never seen as many woodcock in the area as we did over the last few days. Must have put about 15 up in the space of an hour yesterday morning. And as for snipe....the place is walking with them. Must be the recent cold spell.

jwshooter

pullandbang wrote: »

Never seen as many woodcock in the area as we did over the last few days. Must have put about 15 up in the space of an hour yesterday morning. And as for snipe....the place is walking with them. Must be the recent cold spell.

just hit a flight right, how are you going to cook them all lad .

Sandyman

Nice one JR. I didnt know that.

Many Thanks Sandyman.