Snipe is a classic quarry of hunting over bird dogs in Russia and Europe. I always wondereв why not in the US...
"Snipe" at one time was an all encompassing description of long billed shorebirds including Wilson's Snipe which is what we legally hunt. It is not the same as the common snipe which is pursued on other continents. Our Wilson's Snipe specializes in freshwater wet areas, mostly shunning saltwater flats. In 1941 there was a total ban on hunting Wilson's Snipe. Shorebird hunting was illegal long before 1941 and had been banned totally by the 1920s. When Wilson Snipe populations rebounded by 1953 and the season re-opened, a lot of hunters lost interest and didn't resume hunting again which suits me just fine. I know some who use dogs, but I would never endanger my Brittany here in the low country of Georgia. We have mild winter days during the snipe season and venemous cottonmouth mocassins and large gators frequent the same marshes where I hunt snipe. On mild winter days, these two reptiles become active. I am aware of some hunters who use pointing breeds and flushers to successfully hunt snipe.
