Any Woodcock about

kermitpwee

I dont see many woodcock around my way in mayo. They were in in droves this time last year. Are they in and i'm missing them or something?

pullandbang

My mate got one on the opening day here in Meath.

bunny shooter

Friend of mine got one on opening day here in Sth Tipp

locum-motion

Saw 3 today in NE.
Didn't hit any, though.

Grizzly 45

Saw two Thursday evening,too dark to shoot and search for if hit.:(

deeksofdoom

Put one up yesterday.

MIDLAND

shot 1 yesterday, in kildare,

terminator2

only been out twice didnt see any ,

marlin vs

I put up 2 last Wednesday, and got a shot at one of them and missed.

stevoman

got one yesterday. seen another. in laois.

J. Ramone

The migrants don't seem to be in yet. I was through some woods yesterday which usually hold good numbers when they are in but didn't flush any yesterday. The birds that posters have come across are most likely resident. I see them frequently in the summer months flighting at dusk making their squeek - croak croak call.

LetFly

Been out twice in South Tipp and shot two. Met about 4 more that didn't get a shot at. They seem to be about earlier this year in my neck of the woods anyway.

Sfinn

Very quiet here in west Galway too. I wonder is it to do with the current moon phase and also the mild autumn to date.

EPointer=Birdss

Met 8 over the weekend & heard of 6 more so 14 in total. Didn't see one the week before. Full moon & bitter winds during the week brough a few in I'd say... Going up the cover this weekend for a few!

sonofthegun

dog put two up yesterday no luck hitting them my mate was in the feild oppisite and saw a least 4 more got one based in south tipp

Feidhlim Dignan

theres a good skatter of them down here in west cork

dwighet

loads of em around Kilgarvin(Kerry) were I go stalking...They frighten the heart out of me when Im tip toing through the woods and they take flight..

ayapatrick

Seen 4 the past week along the road around duskish and i seen one flushed from cover.

pedroeibar

Was out all day Sunday in Kildare and flushed just one.
P.

bmcm71

Shot 1 on sunday and saw a few more. 2 mates of mine shot 6 so they seem to have arrived in the Banner

sniper83

got my first one sat, only got out for a few hours all wkend .. there seems to be good numbers of them around, actually one of the lads has nearly 20 shot already this season:eek:

J.R.

Met three last Sunday....no shot though.........we usually never have them here until after Christmas and that's only if there's a spell of hardy weather.

stevensi

Hi,

I don't want to stir up a shooting wildlife debate but does anybody think that the shooting of woodcock and snipe is wrong. I have no problem with the shooting of pheasants or partridge as they are introduced mainly by gun clubs for the purpose of hunting and their numbers can be increased if needs be.

However Snipe and Woodcock are mainly migratory birds (although some are resident) that arrive in winter, they are also ground nesting birds and after a wet summer they may have had a bad breeding season so numbers could be very low and yet hundreds are shot here in Ireland which could be decimating the population. Unlike pheasants they can't be farmed to be released.

Again I'm not anti hunting as gun cluns have conserved some great areas of woodland and marshland etc but I just feel the hunting of migratory species doesn't make sense in the long run. Any views?

stevoman

stevensi wrote: »

Hi,

I don't want to stir up a shooting wildlife debate but does anybody think that the shooting of woodcock and snipe is wrong. I have no problem with the shooting of pheasants or partridge as they are introduced mainly by gun clubs for the purpose of hunting and their numbers can be increased if needs be.

However Snipe and Woodcock are mainly migratory birds (although some are resident) that arrive in winter, they are also ground nesting birds and after a wet summer they may have had a bad breeding season so numbers could be very low and yet hundreds are shot here in Ireland which could be decimating the population. Unlike pheasants they can't be farmed to be released.

Again I'm not anti hunting as gun cluns have conserved some great areas of woodland and marshland etc but I just feel the hunting of migratory species doesn't make sense in the long run. Any views?

In some ways i agree but in others i dont. yes we do have resident snipe and woodcock and i have read books on the birds and it seems their nesting habits are quite good as opposed to pheasents. snipe tend to nest in upland regions with the male bringing food to the mother whilst she nests. the woodcock is different in that once the male has mated he leaves the mother to fend for herslf. i belive though that both birds nest in "safe" areas that wouldnt be effected as bad by a wet summer as say grouse and pheasents.

also the fact that we have migratory birds means they are nesting in large numbers in other countys with good stocks. i agree that bag limits should be put on birds that are hunted and i excerise that myself so i do.

i love to hunt snipe more than any other quarry and 2 snipe out of the or 15 i see is a good result in my opinion.

the only problem i have is people shoot these birds and dont eat them which really annoys me. if you are to kill a creature then eat it or dont hunt it.

cavan shooter

Snipe and woodcock are plentiful around my neck of the woods, I put two wood cock out last week and this morning flushed 1 at the corner of small plantation. Now for the querky bit, I dont shoot at woodcock or snipe till around christmas, normally day after st.stephens day when i feel the numbers are up. We'll say no more as I've no scientific evidence that it helps it's only me:o

marlin vs

stevensi wrote: »

but I just feel the hunting of migratory species doesn't make sense in the long run. Any views?

Ive been involved with counting and sending in wings of snipe and Woodcock <mod snip>.

lucy333springer

stevoman wrote: »

if you are to kill a creature then eat it or dont hunt it.

Stevo, Your sick man,

Marinated fox chop's with garlic fried potatoes,
Herb-baked crow with tagliatelle,
Creamy magpie with dill in filo basket's,
Brandied rat's liver with bacon & onion's,

DON"T TRY THIS AT HOME. he ha :pac:

SeaFields

I was walking to the car in Cork city the other night when a woodcock flew over my head and landed in the grounds of the city hall...

shooting there is probably frowned upon :P

terminator2

Was out on sunday ,flushed two shot two, but there was a distinct shortage of snipe around,by the way these two woodcock are the first two ive seen this year

stevoman

marlin vs wrote: »

Ive been involved with counting and sending in wings of snipe and Woodcock <mod snip>.

im involved myself this year. keeping records of birds flushed and spotted.