Woodcock

[waterman]

Rabbit hunted a field today and flushed 9or 10 woodcock . Never seen that many there before. Up until two years ago never saw any. Anybody else see an uptick in the population?

 

[Crappieaddict]

I jumped a couple a month or so ago. First I had seen in decades.

 

[Carlos]

I've only seen them 1-2 at a time in all the years I've hunted.
That must have been noisy,
Almost like quail.

 

[CATCHDAWG]

Haven't seen any yet this year. It's just now about time for them to show up here locally. But yes, I usually see several every year. Timber doodles…

 

[waterman]

All we're single birds except one pair. Guess I'll head back when season opens and try to bust a few

 

[CATCHDAWG]

All we're single birds except one pair. Guess I'll head back when season opens and try to bust a few

I don't know if you've ever eaten them before or not, but if not, don't get your hopes up… Lol

 

[Carlos]

I don't know if you've ever eaten them before or not, but if not, don't get your hopes up… Lol

They taste like Doves.

 

[CATCHDAWG]

They taste like Doves.

They are edible but me personally would MUCH rather have dove.

 

[waterman]

Good to know . Heard they taste like liver......... I do like liver.

 

[Smashdn]

Seems late. They probe for earthworms with their bill (or is it a beak?). Ground freezes they are in a bind. And because of what they eat, they sort of taste like mud too.

 

[GUNNERX2]

I hunted woodcock seriously albeit it was 45 years ago. I had some incredible places to hunt. They would start showing up in good numbers the weekend after Thanksgiving and had good populations throughout the season. The latest I've seen them was February and was surprised in that the ground had been frozen for a week. No idea how it was able to eat. Back then, TWRA was trying to get a handle on how many people were hunting them and were issuing a free permit to try to get some meaningful numbers. My permit number was #7. The earliest I've seen them was in September when we were walking into our woodduck hole. Before the field behind my house started being farmed, I could hear them in the spring "singing" just around dusk. The latest I've seen them here was in June when I flushed one while walking my property.

 

[WilcoKen]

I've killed a few while rabbit hunting the last couple years. I thought they'd taste good but in my opinion it was the worst fowl I've ever eaten. Maybe because they eat worms. Like the other post said--tasted like mud.

 

[fairchaser]

I hunted a property 30 years ago that held a few and when I got one, I mounted it and have never seen another. I think they look cool.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I run into quite a few in certain little wet hollers starting about mid January. I think they are tasty personally.

 

[Grnwing]

I always have a few at my place. Their buzzing sound is pretty distinct and they are active at first and last light.I think they are pretty neat birds.

 

[.243 Deer]

They are some pretty cool little birds. I've never seen them before, same with quail. Seems like hunting them would be loads of fun.

 

[Bone_Chaser]

We would usually bag 1 here and there rabbit hunting always singles or pairs. 2 years ago I thought there was a big group of doves in my garden and I decided to flush and kill a few. When I did it was a group of 20-30 woodcocks. Middle of wide open 20 acre field.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I've been seeing more than usual around southern middle TN. Most are in river and creek bottoms. But, I always jump a few off the top 1/3 of some hills whole shed hunting our place in Hickman County.

 

[MickThompson]

We have a few that raise here through the summer but most migrate in and they can be here today, gone tomorrow, or vice versa. Fun birds to chase when they're in