How to Hunt Woodcock

Interested in learning how to hunt woodcock? They require skill and patience to track down, but if you practice a lot and keep your eyes peeled you will be well rewarded. These shy and elusive birds will put your hunting skills to the test. Here are a few pointers for those interested in testing their skills by matching wits with this tiny bird.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Light, short barreled gun
• Retrieving dogs, Spaniels work well

1. Make sure it is hunting season. Woodcock are protected by the federal government and poaching can get you a large fine and even jail time.

2. Locate an area likely to be populated by woodcock. They are migratory birds largely found on the Eastern part of the US and they favor woodlands, swamp areas and streams. They also like wooded areas with birch or aspen trees.

3. Go hunting at dawn or dusk. These are the birds typical feeding times so they will be out from hiding.

4. Search for a place that looks like it has been recently inhabited by woodcock. Look for droppings or nests. When you spot an area they are likely to be in or under, such as beneath some bushes, flush them out.

5. Shoot quickly when the birds are flushed. They fly up to thirty miles per hour, so you have to be incredibly fast. They tend to flush closely however, so if you shoot one the pellets are likely to hit another.

6. Retrieve the birds with the help of your dogs. The woodcock is so well camouflaged that without the dogs you are unlikely to find all the birds brought down.