Daryl makes a good point. I don't think woodcock smell like other upland birds, and that makes sense if you consider that their diet is meat vs the mostly vegetarian meals of other upland birds (except insects, but that's mostly when they're chicks). I've often had to shoot a woodcock or two for my dogs before they figure out they're supposed to point them.
I recall running across one in central Iowa in mid-March, when I was working the dogs on a public hunting area and hoping to find a pheasant or two. There was a woody, marshy corner to that area, from which the woodcock flushed. Couple days later, we were hit by a late winter blizzard. Often wondered whether that little guy survived the storm.
I'd be very surprised to find any in northern Wisconsin right now. I decided to check my LP tank yesterday, and almost had to call 911 to help me out of a snowdrift.
Last edited by L. Brown; 03/08/12 09:23 AM.
