doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Any Snipe Hunters in the North?

Look for hummocky ground indicative of grazed seepage areas. They make a beeeek sound when they get up and then go into a zigzag flight that makes for tricky shooting. I think they taste a lot like woodcock.

Are they usually found in groups (not physically together like quail but numerous birds in an area)?

Snipe are at least half the size of a female woodcock and have a grey/black coloration with a white belly. The tailfeathers have some brown near the tips. Woodcock are brownish with a buff/tan belly. No self respecting woodcock would be caught dead in snipe habitat and vice versa.

Thank you GLS.

Gil, I have seen a few woodcock out in open, big, wet areas. But, have never seen a snipe in woodcock thickets.
SRH

Stan, at night woodcock will often move into and can be seen feeding along road shoulders and pastures. Their eyes will glow like rabbit eyes when hit by car lights.
Caleb, at about 7:30 and for the next couple of minutes, large flocks ("wisps") of snipe can be seen flying in and around some perfect habitat on the Georgia coast. A lot of yakking before then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hqMQvCoLsE

Surprised we haven't heard from Skip, snipehunter, who knows more about hunting snipe than anyone I know.


Gil

Stan, I shot one my dog pointed near a small pond in woods. I was expecting woodcock. As soon as I pulled the trigger, I said to myself: "Darn. That was the fastest woodcock I've ever seen!"

Used to hunt them in Iowa along with rail (mostly soras) before any upland seasons were open. (Iowa didn't have a dove season back then.) Snipe on the fringes of the marsh, frequently on mud flats. Rail in the marsh, requiring wading. Snipe are fast, bob and weave a lot. Sora rail fly low, slow, and drag their landing gear. A real contrast in shooting those two birds. Even more so than grouse and woodcock.

Thanks Gil, I've seen that video and it looks like a ton of fun...