If only Minnesota would do that...
Lloyd,
For most of my life, woodcock season opened on September 1st, with grouse season opening on the weekend closer to September 17th.
Truthfully, in the years of my first Setter’s life, the woodcock flights were staggering, this is 1987-2002. Hunting them before the leaves have actually turned, or before the mosquitoes had seen a frost or two, just wasn’t much fun in my book.
Shortening the season up by moving the opener three weeks later, is likely a very good thing for the birds, as the numbers are a shadow of what I used to experience.
If LOW county doesn’t get some rain, I would not be at all surprised to see the season closed there. Explosively dry.
Best,
Ted