Brother and I spent a couple hours out on this beautiful day. Glen brought his 3 goldens and they were a great team, working close and covering the ground. Glen carried his Parker DH/16 and I struggled with my 0grade LC/20. 9 grouse flushes, Glen took the only shot and got the one bird. At the end we put up two woodcock. We are hunting 30miles south of the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. These wookcock should have been through here weeks ago. Anyone else see woodcock this late? And Where? Randy

Last woodcock was a 10:43 am yesterday (Sunday) - give or take 15 minutes.

Brent

A few weeks back in southern VT. That was the last time I looked for them.

I saw a timberdoodle in the NC mountians Saturday week ago

I saw 5 this morning along the south fork river in central Illinois.
( + covey of quail/ 13 wood ducks/ a pheasant / 2 whitetails and 5 turkey - all on my own little spread of 37 acres)
oh yes - my really dumb GSP scared up all of them!
best regards,
JBP

I have never seen one here in SW Ohio in 45 years of hunting, but I have heard of some of my friends shooting them a few years ago in this area.

I was hunting the Glennie area, just last weekend, Oct.28th.
We moved a good 16 to 18 woodcock. And there was lots of splashings in the area too. Grouse were few.

Yesterday A.M. (Oct 30th) in Central Maine. Saw three circling the cover I was in at daybreak as I headed out for deer. It was very windy and dark and I'd guess they were coming back to rest for the day after feeding.
Not amazing at all, really. I have seen woodcock in early December in some years.

It is not unusual, at all, to see woodcock in the northern tier of states right up to the time the ground freezes. A couple of years ago, in north-central Wisconsin, I flushed one on November 7th.

Flushed two last Sunday morning in state reforestation lands in Berlin, NY right near the VT/MA state lines while grouse hunting. Got one. Flushed one the weekend before in Brunswick while grouse hunting and another the next day in Stone Arabia near Canojoharie while pheasant hunting. We haven't had any really cold weather around here yet; not what I'd call a hard freeze.

Flushed two last Sunday (Oct. 29) on the Nemadji SF in Minnesota. Four hours' walking, three grouse flushes, one bagged. Still waiting for the cycle to recycle.

Saw 3-4 timber doodles this last weekend in north central Wisconsin. I also thought they would be out of here by now. It was pretty cold, especially on Sunday morning at 22 degrees!

This year has been the best year I have ever seen for grouse. We have seen 15-25 grouse each day for the 6 days I have hunted. Threw a lot of lead and had a few fabulous meals of grouse breasts cooked with olive oil, butter, fresh garlic and a mushroom+wine sauce over wild rice. After washing this down with a little Aborlour scotch and a good nights sleep I was ready for another 8 mile hike.

I saw one Oct 29 in northern Mn near Dora Lake. Dwight Beske

While pheasant hunting last Saturday, one of my springers flushed a woodcock from a barely damp creekbed in southern Minnesota farm country. Don't often see them in these parts.

Dogs flushed five last Wednesday, along the WI, MN border, three of which landed in my vest. Limited out the previous weekend as well. Saw an interesting thing back in the woods: a bear had climbed about 20 ft. up a beaver chewed poplar. The bear's weight caused the tree to fall toward the side the bear was on, killing him. I turned on my GPS, marked the spot, went back to the car to get a camera and relocated the spot for some photos. Also got some wonderful shots of my three cockers with three woodcock. Once at home, I managed to goof and delete all the photos except the bear ones and a single, not so good one of Merlin, Gryphon and Cooper, my three cockers, and a woodcock. Oh well, it is the fleeting moments of birds and dogs in the woods that are emblazzoned in the memory. The photos never quite live up to the experience anyway.

Was hunting all day Sunday just south of Alpena on state land and flushed about 8-10 pat, only bagging two myself(brothers and friends also got a few). Havent seen a woodcock for about a week now on my property or state land, but obviously from the posts, they may still be around. I would think the frosts we got would chase em south but there must be some stragglers. I thought I saw a woodcock while pheasant hunting but I think it was a killdeer, maybe?

Still had quite a few around Mon. temp mid 60s. Would imagine most are gone, temp this morn mid 20s and looks like the rest of the week going to be cold. Was hoping to get out one more time.