Woodcock flights

[Big D]

I hunted near Lovells on Friday. Only out for about an hour or so, and we moved 5 woodcock. No grouse. My buddy, who is a crazy committed grouse/woodcock hunter, opined that the birds we moved were locals. He doesn't think the flight birds are through yet

[Ed Norman]

John, Thanks for that info, my grouse/woodcock hunting buddies and I share info almost daily. I will pass this on too.

[Mike of the Mountain]

We hunted western Maine two weeks ago. Saw more mudbats than we did in 2018. We really weren't seeing any numbers to speak of until the front blew through Wednesday-Thursday. We think that may have brought some birds down since the front was a Nor'easter. Last year we missed the flight too. The Friday of our week we started seeing good numbers flying overhead at twilight. All that said means we may have them in NEPA next week. When the birds are here we have some of the best shooting of the season, albeit only for a few days. Here's hoping!!

[Big D]

Where did the term "Mudbats" come from? Is it a New England thing?

[Mike of the Mountain]

Originally Posted by John Dallas

Where did the term "Mudbats" come from? Is it a New England thing?

It’s a PA thing! Now I want some peppery scrapple, crispy outside, mushy inside, slathered with maple syrup!!

[Kevin McCormack]

Originally Posted by Mike Koneski

It’s a PA thing! Now I want some peppery scrapple, crispy outside, mushy inside, slathered with maple syrup!!

Sounds like the makings of a 1st class diabetic tsunami!

[stumpstalker]

A few days ago, I hunted in the North Maine Woods with a guide and his two English Setters. It was an off-year for Ruffed Grouse, but I did get a few very good opportunities on them, mainly due to my guide’s skill in setting up the shot.

It was the Woodcock shooting that was a pleasant surprise, and is aberrational for those environs, according to the regulars up there.

The cover we found the Woodcock in was very dense (and curiously evergreen). Thus, I got very few good chances for the many flushes.

Most of my past hunting has been without a dog and I have rarely put Woodcock up. So, it was a new experience for me when “Archie” pointed 14 birds in 1 ½ hours, late in the final day of a three-day hunt -- intensive sport; great aerobic exercise and lasting mental images.

Dean: we did meet a trapper working his line in those woods last week.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Russell E. Cleary

Dean: we did meet a trapper working his line in those woods last week.

I just traded text messages with a good friend just down the road from the area I hunt. He is the consummate outdoorsman and is an avid trapper. He told me that he doesn't trap coyote any more now that prices on them are depressed but that coyote trapping is open right now in Vermont.






.

[Tom Flanigan]

I hunt every day now that I am retired. The Pawling and Millbrook area of NY has not been blessed by flight woodcock, as far a I can tell. I usually do birds in the morning and ducks in the afternoon. Woodduck numbers are up in my area as are mallards. Overall mallard numbers are down and the limit has been decreased to two birds. But you wouldn't know it by the number of mallards in my swamp. I'm actually seeing a lot more mallards than I did as a kid hunting the swamp. This is probably due to the large number of beavers that are flooding areas which open up more open water as the trees die over the years. The swamp looks a lot different than it did when I first started hunting it at thirteen years old. The swamp has always been a mecca for waterfowl and that hasn't changed over the years.

[Woodcock survey]

No one in New England ever used that term, it must come from scrapple country.