October's "Woodcock Moon"

[OH Osthaus]

so - its no longer October - but still have seen no flights for another year, the season ends in a couple days and this is my last chance (the weather is not going to cooperate - high wind warnings Thursday and Friday)

so, today- a rookie mistake - OH Griffin and I managed to pick up a couple and I was on a run with out a miss (never think about this while on a hunt)- Griffin covered an area at least three times with no bird- so I break the gun and get the camera out- about the second picture - up goes the bird he had been looking for.

Drop the camera- recover and close the gun and miss the bird with both barrrels

George Bird Evans once said -"for the dog's sake try not to miss the first bird of the year, for your own sake try not to miss the last"

[Dean Romig]

Condolences Rick...

On the bright side - I never even got a shot at a woodcock this season... never even saw one. I missed the flight I'm certain of it. Grace pointed a number of them here at home but on my Vermont hunts - nada.





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[Gary Laudermilch]

A little surprised that I am still finding them here. Moved 8 last Monday in a cover that typically is only good for one or two. The weather has been warm though so maybe the flight birds are taking a long break before continuing their journey.

[Mike of the Mountain]

Here's hoping these storms and high winds push more birds down to us over the next few days! 20+ MPH winds today and Saturday. All the rain yesterday and snow showers projected for Saturday may help add some to the larder!!

[OH Osthaus]

Mike

not sure if 50mph winds out of the south or southwest are going to help with a woodcock migration

if they get up into the wind -they may end up back in New Brunswick

[Mike of the Mountain]

Or Greenland!!!!

[Tony Ambrose]

I spent the last two weeks in October in northern NH and central Maine. We got into lots of woodcock, but mostly in NH. We hunted covers that always seem to have an abundance of resident birds. There may have been some flight birds, but by the size and fatness of the birds and their flush patterns, we believed that most were residents. My pointer Pink pointed about 30 one day in NH. Our shooting barely put a dent in the population!!



In central Maine the last week of October, we found plenty of woodcock, but nothing compared to what we found in NH. The grouse, however, were another story. While there were many reports of grouse numbers being down in Maine, their numbers in central Maine exceeded our expectations. Many more birds than the last two years!

While not a Parker, this little Fox is a lot of fun!