NY Catskills Woodcock
 

First 2 woodcocks this season with the magic gun. 28ga repro. Those Q1 and Q2 chokes are great. So far grouse are hard to find, only flushed 1 today with no shot.

The 28 is such a bird gun! Perfect for woodcock.

Nice going Jim.

Nice work! My recent trip to Upper-Lower, Michigan, resulting in just one woodcock encounter. Spots that were stacked with resident birds in years past were sterile this year. Looking forward to some flight birds.

-Victor

Nice Jim

I put up 5 grouse and 5 woodcock (6 flushes and 7 flushes with re-flushes) this past Saturday. I haven't had good Catskill grouse hunting in 3-4 years, and even then it was just mediocre. There are pockets elsewhere. I ran into 4 other bird hunters on public land and they all moved grouse. Here's to hoping the season remains good.

Victor, Hate to hear about Michigan as I am going there for a week this Sunday, lower part. Andy ,yes I have run into some pockets of grouse in NY just not where I was yesterday but not woodcock yet. This year is much better than the last few for grouse.

I had one covert with the woodcock, which I've named "Cocky Corner" : ) They had to be resident birds as they flushed about 15 feet each time and I let them be, they were small. There were a group of two then three individuals all in one general area. No others in other coverts. Best of luck Jim!

Added a grouse today ,had 6 flushes but only 1 shot. Most birds I only heard. 28ga did it's job again.

Good for you, Andy!

While our Springer "Nitro" was doing his morning runs he flushed two big flights of woodcock from fencerows just about 1/2 mile from our home. First time last week was about 20-25 birds that took off in 2's and 3's with time to reload a double-gun if while hunting and I knew more were still in the brush and ready to take to the air. Then on Monday of this week Nitro did the same with about 15 birds in another fencerow on the opposite side of the access road. Nitro was in his glory but not I ...... our PA season for woodcock and grouse doesn't come in until October 19. My neighbor there raises beefers and in those areas his pastures are wet and soft this year, and with the many plops are probably ideal for earthworms.
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