October's "Woodcock Moon"

[JeffTowner]

Hit early flight birds in Northern Minnesota two weeks ago. Pretty easy limits 4 days in a row. Last weekend only saw local birds at our camp in northern Lower peninsula Michigan. Now in North Dakota hoping the weather stays warm and the birds stay put until I get home. Pheasants and sharptails are proving cooperative for the Setter. Hungarians not so much...

[Rick Riddell]

Dean where in Downeast are you heading? We've had a ton of birds come through already, I'm hoping this moon and weather will bring more in!

[John E. Williams]

The temp seems to have been falling all day here in north-central Kentucky. That old moon is getting fuller every night, too! I'm dying, here...

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Rick Riddell

Dean where in Downeast are you heading? We've had a ton of birds come through already, I'm hoping this moon and weather will bring more in!

I won't be even close to Downeast Maine - I'll be up in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom where, in the elevations I hunt, major woodcock flights are about as dependable as spring peepers in January... but we almost always find a few and we are rewarded every few years by a really good drop. Problem is, as is usually the case with woodcock, you've gotta be there when it happens!






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[Gary Laudermilch]

Well, the moon is here. Moved 30 woodcock in 3 hours yesterday. With two dogs down simultaneously it was a bit hectic at times.

[Dean Romig]

I sure hope they haven't moved on by the time I'm in their coverts on Saturday morning.






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[Mike of the Mountain]

Yeah, last Monday-Tuesday we moved 42 woodcock in about 4 hours with limits both days. Yesterday and today we moved a total of 3 birds with no shots. I think our flight moved on over to Gary's coverts!! I'll be watching for Dean's report from the Northern Kingdom and plan accordingly. Hope after he gets into them they'll be down with us a few weeks later.

[John E. Williams]

It's been raining all day here, with up to two more inches forecast for tonight. Can woodcock swim?

[Mike of the Mountain]

Rained so much here today I hope the earthworms can swim!!

[John E. Williams]

Well, it hasn't rained here in so long that the ground has soaked it up like a sponge! It's still early for flight birds this far south, but it may be worth going afield to probe the locals over the next several days. I'm still so crippled from the back injury that I'm mostly limited to walking 50 yards from the truck, but I may still make it out a time or two before the end of November. Hope you guys are finding some birds!