doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Curious, when is the last woodcock you saw? Where?

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.