woodcock yet?

[setterguy]

Having a young dog I'm looking for some areas that have some woodcock in them. My usual haunts are so dry I don't know if they will stop in them or not. Been out a few times now and only seen one woodcock...

[Pinusbanksiana]

Get up north quick. We moved over 40 yesterday and similar numbers on Saturday. Go back to those dry haunts and they will contain flight birds. Now is the time.

[setterguy]

Thanks, what general area were you in?

[GSP4ME]

This time last week they were still in NE wisconsin which ammazed me as we had snow and wind

[Surface Tension]

Saw plenty of woodcock last Sat. Hwy 2 Brookston area.

In the Sweet spot(Alders)between high ground and swamp.

[Pinusbanksiana]

Thanks, what general area were you in?

Lets just say north of 200

[2thepointsetters]

There were a few up here 2 weeks ago but they are all gone already. They were only in area for 4 or 5 days in huntable numbers then gone.

[Riverratpete]

Had a couple in my backyard in the metro last week..great big migrants..one actually flew into my neighbors shed and knocked itself silly but still got up and flew away...weird, gonna add it to the list.

[Matt Breuer]

Up here in Bemidji they seem to have bugged out. I saw one the last time I was out, and that was the first I had seen in a week or so... I figured it was due to the severe dryness in NW MN. Prior to season there were good numbers around... hate that delay of a week in season!

[brittman]

Dry is an understatement. The three or four main areas that I hunt across Minnesota are really dry. I do not anticipate the woodcock staying too long as they push through.

The grouse I am getting also seem to be a little light for their size and length of tail feathers. A few here have commented on the lack of berries, etc. Acorns also seem to be spotty at best.

Hopefully these grouse are not heading into winter too lean ... now is the time when they should be building reserves.

[tybo]

I didn't hunt grouse/wc last weekend but the few weekends prior I hunted around Lake Mille Lacs. I was seeing 30+ woodcock per day and got my limit several times. In one location I moved 7 or so in a 30' or so diameter area. Some of these areas were new places I was scouting but the birds were there.

[Matt Breuer]

I have been hearing that there are a lot of birds held up down by Brainerd/Aitkin, so that makes sense, Tye. Up here, they are gonzo IMO. I'm out often, and either I'm not in areas where they want to be this year, or they are non-existant...

[Pinusbanksiana]

40+ woodcock on both Sat. and Sun. around the Lake Winnie area. They are far from gonzo. We have had neither freezing ground, strong winds or full moon to clear them out, which is what in my experience moves them along. They will be around in high numbers for a couple more weeks.

[Matt Breuer]

I'm hunting a long ways from Lake Winnie... Winnie is closer to where I've been hearing some good reports, Remer, Hill City, down that corridor.

[Pinusbanksiana]

I'll be up in Koochiching Co. this weekend where I will find just as many woodcock and I did last weekend farther south. Nothing has forced the flight birds out yet. But is is coming soon.

[Pinusbanksiana]

Woodcock are thick way up north yet. 6 to 10 per hour hunted. More if you stick in the right stuff. I don't see the flights moving out until next weekend if the weather stick to the forecast.

[TylerS]

Hunted last weekend around the Chisholm/Hibbing area and moved 5 woodcock without targeting them. Just hunted areas for ruffs, and the boy pointed the doodles, too. I shot one, but the other four got away. That's the most woodcock I've ever seen up there, but I seldom hunt for them, either.

[Riverratpete]

To add to the weirdness, some people may or may not believe me but there was a Woodcock in the underground garage of the USBank Bldg in downtown Minneapolis Saturday night when we were leaving a wedding party..no, I was not driving but was riding so got a real good look at it..must have gotten confused..

[Roscoe010]

I kicked one up over the weekend while hiking down at the MN River. Never have seen them down there before, but then again I was never looking.