# Woodcock Hunting!



## ZekeSnow (Jul 4, 2013)

Has anybody ever done any woodcock hunting on here? I don't know how to train my V for it... Do I just continue his pointer training with Quail and Pheasant scent and him just pick up other bird scents such as Woodcock or is there some way to work him on them in particular?


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

PIKE was trained on woodcock just like other upland game - years ago his first one - he was hesitant to pick it up - that is when the training paid off - dead bird pick it up - and he did !


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## sniper john (Jun 17, 2010)

He should take to a woodcock just like a quail. My Vizsla Blaze pointed hard on every one she has ever found.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

SJ - & ZS - my thought on why PIKE balked on the dead bird - he pointed it - 9mo old in the UP - the majority of upland hunting is done on nonmigratory birds IE: white meat - with doves ducks & geese - migratory IE: dark meat - on these he was taught to sit mark then retrieve - I think he was just wondering this is different - LOL -


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## ZekeSnow (Jul 4, 2013)

I've actually heard of tons of bird dogs that won't pick up Woodcock... Don't know if it is the taste or the scent but a lot of them don't care to have them in their mouths...


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

ZS - when U get into the woodcock game - get ready 4 a lot of muddy paws - this is where they feed - in the UP we go 4 grouse & woodcocks R just a great bonus - back home in KY when out 4 ducks I always run PIKE in areas that look good 4 woodcocks - the ducks & woodcocks show up about the same time - this year in KY ducks start Thanksgiving day 2 weeks later than usual but we get a longer season - Hunt well Hunt often !


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

ZekeSnow said:


> I've actually heard of tons of bird dogs that won't pick up Woodcock... Don't know if it is the taste or the scent but a lot of them don't care to have them in their mouths...


Funny thing happened on a shoot this Saturday, one of the beaters sent his V into a marsh area that had just had some snipe shot over it. His V retrieved one of the snipe as he returned to his handler the V very clearly 'spat' the snipe out of it's mouth and wouldn't pick it back up!
Handler said he'd never seen his pup do that before!

I've heard of magpies having a scent/smell that a lot of gundogs don't like, not sure if it's true or bit of a myth!!!

Hobbsy


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

Hunting wetter areas we have sniped them hard over the years 

only Mate that liked them from start to finish was Big Black Max My lab and water fowl specialist

He did better then grade B - on **** birds as well

Rudy must think they smell tad rank : :'(as well not sure why and only shot them rarely know

They love it damp and wet


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## Kevin (Dec 29, 2012)

We got some wood **** a feW weekends ago.

Hegy retreived them but hesitated on the 1st one. When we all got back together, one of the guns remarked that he was impressed he retrieved and held them as alot of dogs simply refuse or spit them out. Apparently, its the feathers and the oils that make for a different feel in the mouth, so I was told.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

we get a few woodcock on our shoot, Ruby hasn't had chance to retrieve one yet though. They are very tasty though esp in a casserole with a couple of pheasant breasts


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## huntvizsla (Jun 8, 2013)

I love running puppies on WC - but sometimes have to shoot a wild flushed bird to get the pup to realize WHAT we are looking for. Maybe the fact these little guys eat worms means they don't smell like the upland game birds they were exposed to prior - but its not unusual for the first few bird contacts to result in flush and no point.

Since WC are usually found (around WI anyway) in young aspen woods or edges (and they seem to like the nasty high blackberry bramble understory as well) and along black-brush lined waterways I do like to keep a bell or beeper on the young dogs so I can keep track of them and call them back to likely areas. Watch for "whitewash" markings on the forest floor, lots of leaf litter and rotten logs, and stay away from openings with tall grass. I think the WC are a relatively weak flyer so grass and alot of heavy brush can be difficult for them to fly out of so they tend to avoid that kind of terrain. If I find the telltale signs of whitewash I will call a young dog over to let them get a nose-ful of the scent so they get the idea of what we are looking for, and often will find a bird nearby. 

Usually the first bird shot does not get retrieved - again the scent seems to put the dogs off a bit. But, I take that bird and mess with the pup for a few minutes and they get over it real quick.

Have fun - these are a great little game bird, can be challenging to shoot (cannot tell you how many aspen I have toppled over the years) and are neat to hold in the hand at the end of the hunt.

As for cooking them - my all time favorite is to skin the bird (including the legs which are actually white meat as compared to the breasts which are dark), marinate in bourbon or dark beer for a day, wrap in thin bacon, grill to medium rare and ENJOY. Overcook these little birds and you may be unhappy with the results. 

Quick story - when first learning about these little birds thought I would share the fruits of the hunt with our two dogs. Karma gobbled the little pieces up - but not Mojo. In disgust he picked all the pieces of bird out of his dog food and spit them on the ground, ate the dog food, then ROLLED in the pieces of WC! Tells you what he thought of my cooking at the time.


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