The Woodcock are well and truly in!

Cbeirne82

I was out shooting yesterday with my usual shooting buddy and a friend of his. We were using his trusty GSP and we saw a lot of woodcock. We must have rose fifteen plus. We bagged three (one of which was a very good size) and one nice cock pheasant.

They really do make great shooting (nearly emptied a belt of cartridges ). We were shooting around the Leitrim Roscommon area. I was just wondering what kind of numbers other people are seeing?

I’ve heard in the past that the full moon has something to do with their arrival. There was a full moon about a week ago and the numbers are certainly there now. Has anyone else heard of this or know if it’s true?

On a side note the cock pheasant and two hens were the only pheasants we saw all day. What are pheasant numbers like also?

jellybaby21

only the 1 woodcock so far this year and he is in the bag and was out sunday morning for a few hours and the dogs put up 12 pheasants 7 hens and 5 cocks all wild birds so numbers look like they are up on other years.

mixerbarcoe

i have 4 woodcock shot seen 5 so far this year..my uncle has 8 shot..so there in the country alrite..have 11 pheasants shot and was out on friday shot a cock and seen 8 cocks..out of the 11 i have shot 9 of them were wild birds.

Dusty87

Seen one last weekend, didnt get a shot off, he was gone too far before i realized it

mayoireland

I was out lamping last night and saw 8 , i would have shot a few if i had the shot gun i only had the rifle

foxshooter243

mayoireland wrote: »

I was out lamping last night and saw 8 , i would have shot a few if i had the shot gun i only had the rifle

would have been contrary to the law if you did, you cant use a lamp on game..mind how you go there;):D

Wolfhillbilly

I got four on Saturday. I had a real chance at a left and right but couldn't get the shot off at the first one as it swing round towards my shooting buddy. I read Dan Kinney's Rod and Gun column in the News Letter (Belfast newspaper), he says this is his best year for woodcock in 50 years.

EPointer=Birdss

Wolfhillbilly wrote: »

I got four on Saturday. I had a real chance at a left and right but couldn't get the shot off at the first one as it swing round towards my shooting buddy. I read Dan Kinney's Rod and Gun column in the News Letter (Belfast newspaper), he says this is his best year for woodcock in 50 years.

Screw your buddy, not often those chances come around!
Well done on some safe shooting!

stevoman

mayoireland wrote: »

I was out lamping last night and saw 8 , i would have shot a few if i had the shot gun i only had the rifle

your a real sportsman

stevoman

I have 3 or 4 got so far.

k_d

3 mornings out and 18 bagged, got 12 in 3 hours the first day, put up over 30 id say...

Next day got 5 but again put up about 25-30...

alot about this year, cant wait till christmas...:)

stevoman

k_d wrote: »

3 mornings out and 18 bagged, got 12 in 3 hours the first day, put up over 30 id say...

Next day got 5 but again put up about 25-30...

alot about this year, cant wait till christmas...:)

im not trying to get all high and mighty K D, but do you not think 12 in one day is a bit much for one man?

I know the woodcock assosiation recommend a bag limit on these birds, and the fact that they are a very hard bird to study scientists are finding it really hard to get an accurate number of birds that are out there. Also a lot of driven shoots here and across the pond are putting strict bag limits on these birds also.

dont get me wrong im not having a go at you here, im just interested to find your and other views on it.

k_d

stevoman wrote: »

im not trying to get all high and mighty K D, but do you not think 12 in one day is a bit much for one man?

I know the woodcock assosiation recommend a bag limit on these birds, and the fact that they are a very hard bird to study scientists are finding it really hard to get an accurate number of birds that are out there. Also a lot of driven shoots here and across the pond are putting strict bag limits on these birds also.

No. that place i shot i wont touch till into new year. Ill move on and try differnet spots now. give them time..If i had have stopped after i got 4/5 birds i would have my morning shooting done in 10 minutes!!!!


All birds are used..12 woodcock will only do 4/5 dinners max...

Regarding the driven shoots, I think they could be putting a bag limit on to keep some birds at there shoot...
if there advertising woodcock shooting and there all shot early season there late season customers not going to be very happy? Hnce i think the bag limit!!!

maybe i wrong but anyway.. everyone has tehre opinions...

stevoman

k_d wrote: »

No. that place i shot i wont touch till into new year. Ill move on and try differnet spots now. give them time..If i had have stopped after i got 4/5 birds i would have my morning shooting done in 10 minutes!!!!


All birds are used..12 woodcock will only do 4/5 dinners max...

Regarding the driven shoots, I think they could be putting a bag limit on to keep some birds at there shoot...
if there advertising woodcock shooting and there all shot early season there late season customers not going to be very happy? Hnce i think the bag limit!!!

maybe i wrong but anyway.. everyone has tehre opinions...

well thats fine if you are not haunting the same area. you must be quite lucky if you are getting hunting like that. what type of dog do you use?

I have done a lot of research into woodcock hence why i ask these questions and i have a personal bag limit of 3 birds for one days hunting, although i would be lucky to get that.

its been proven that woodcock will always return to their wintering grounds where they migrate to, so as a conservation point of view thats why strict bag limits or no shooting of woodcock is now a common practice on driven shoots.

natdog

kd sorry but i agree with stevoman just because a bird gets up doesnt mean you have to shoot it. I now this can be hard sometimes but its something to think about.

westwicklow

stevoman wrote: »

its been proven that woodcock will always return to their wintering grounds where they migrate to, so as a conservation point of view thats why strict bag limits or no shooting of woodcock is now a common practice on driven shoots.

There was a driven shoot near Kilcullen last Sunday. Beaters shot anything that came back over them and there was an agreement that any woodcock was fair game for them also.

stevoman

westwicklow wrote: »

There was a driven shoot near Kilcullen last Sunday. Beaters shot anything that came back over them and there was an agreement that any woodcock was fair game for them also.

well firstly i never said it was every driven shoot and secondly why would beaters be shooting. should they not be beating?

what driven shoot was it as a matter of interest and was it run by an estate, gun club or syndicate as a matter of interest?

westwicklow

I don't know why a beater would be carrying a gun. I would have thought there would be enough to do what with just getting along with the job at hand not to be bothered with carrying anything that was all but essential which wouldn't, IMHO, include a gun.

It was on a very large private estate with quite a lot of great shooting and fishing. A non local gun club helped them out for the day stevoman.

Cbeirne82

Cheers lads.

Sounds like there are a lot of birds on the ground alright. Your starting to go off in a bit of a tangent though!

What about the full moon thing. Any thoughts?

stevoman

Cbeirne82 wrote: »

Cheers lads.

Sounds like there are a lot of birds on the ground alright. Your starting to go off in a bit of a tangent though!

What about the full moon thing. Any thoughts?

the full moon does in fact have a lot to do with migration patterns and most woodcock do arrive arfter the november/december full moon. but they are a here today gone tomorow bird.

Cbeirne82

stevoman wrote: »

the full moon does in fact have a lot to do with migration patterns and most woodcock do arrive arfter the november/december full moon. but they are a here today gone tomorow bird.

What do you mean "here today gone tomorrow"?

stevoman

Cbeirne82 wrote: »

What do you mean "here today gone tomorrow"?

some area that may have a good few woodcock in it one day will be empty with them tomorow and they are laying up somewhere else. this is what makes them so hit and miss when you are hunting, instead of the like of pheasents who will always frequent the same areas if undisturbed.

pedroeibar

Was out in S. Kerry last Friday with a mate - we saw a total of 14, shot at four and bagged three. Haven't seen that many in one day for years. Saturday was too wet to go out in, let alone bring a gun out.

Although there is a resident w.cock population here, most are migratory and come in around the first full moon in Nov., as said above. If the weather is hard up the country we get more birds down here. The Shannon floods probably helped us.
Rs
P.

marlin vs

Saw 2 and and got 1 love to see them.