# Woodcock!!!



## Uglystix

Its my understanding that the state claims that the population of woodcock in Ohio has been falling for some time now. I find this hard to believe. I spent some time around Westbranch tonight and heard plenty of woodcocks doing their thing and when I drove home to Brimfield (Portage County) I heard even more.
I counted five in a field just off Cline Road and that was me standing still. I heard at least that many more near Dix Stadium and about three at a stop along Meloy(sp) Road.
I dont know to many people that hunt thease bird and I have never hunted them myself. If any of you have any info on hunting thease birds such as Where they go during season, ways to hunt them,How they taste please let me know.
Thank You
Mark


----------



## johnboy111711

been hearing them for twodays here in copley


----------



## Darwin

They were very active at home over the weekend. Delaware county.......


----------



## 1977 walleye guy

Woodcock perfer wooded,swampy area or at least a soggy one. About the best place to hunt for them, that I know of is Killdeer Plains. I can get more specific on where to go, if you decide to try hunting them next year.


----------



## crankus_maximus

I was there at Killdeer this weekend and it was/is VERY soggy everywhere.


----------



## Walter Adkins

Are you guys mistaking wipporwills for wood cocks? Most wood cocks only migrate through Ohio to Canada where they nest. They may be headed north and what you heard were them just stoping by for a bit of Ohio worms.


----------



## kingjohn

But the way to visably see them is when they are doing their mating flight at dusk! Those little buggers are pretty camoflauge? And the only time Ive seen them before flight is when profiled against snow!
We hunt them here in WV but they only migratre throught to Canada UP Mich etc Maine!
Whipporwills will start first thing in the am ! and make lots of noise! then shut down till dusk. 
But there are alot of shore birds that get confused with timberdoodles 
john


----------



## spot chaser

Walter Adkins said:


> Are you guys mistaking wipporwills for wood cocks? Most wood cocks only migrate through Ohio to Canada where they nest. They may be headed north and what you heard were them just stoping by for a bit of Ohio worms.



Don't know if all stay - but some do - the ones doing the mating flights will be staying. I've spooked them while walking shorelines and nearly $$$ my self...


http://ohiodnr.com/wildlife/resources/wildnotes/pub313.htm


----------



## Crawl

Woodcock taste like liver.


----------



## Walter Adkins

Crawl I believe you must have had a bad cook. I like liver and I like woodcock but they are about as far apart on the taste buds as they can be.


----------



## steelmagoo

Woodcock are best eaten while hungry  . Actually, I like them, but then again I like liver and onions. Wrap them in bacon and grill. Or, saute with lots of onion, garlic, a little wine and maybe some shrooms. We had them this way with sheephead mushrooms up in Minnesota last season and we thought it was the best.


----------



## Crawl

I cooked them and they tasted like liver to me.


----------



## john_michaels72

I went grouse hunting quite a bit this year and the woodcock were thick in some places I hunted. I was having over 20 flushes in 3 hours of hunting. The best bird hunting year I have ever had so far but the grouse were scarce. We got into alot of woodcock on the last weekend of grouse hunting also. I thought that they usually migrated south during winter???


----------



## Walter Adkins

They do migrate south but I have ran into them coming back north at the end of February a few times. Crawl I will have to cook some for you. I promise they will not taste like liver.


----------



## Crawl

We were hunting in Michigan and all I had for cooking was some leftover bacon and onions and I just pan fried them-I still thought they were good but nothing like a grouse-yummy!
How do you prepare them?


----------



## birdhunt

That's a new one on me, never knew they were vocal.......their mating flight show is something to see though.........uglystix--you must have been close, or have real good eyes, I have a hard time picking them up in front of a point.


----------



## Uglystix

Birdhunt: They sound kind of like a frog I guess if you could put it to words they would say "meet-meet" about every 3 seconds until they fly up in circles and come crashing to the ground. I went on a nature walk a few years ago at Towners woods and the guide explained that the whistle sound that is made by their flight is coming from special feathers they have. What a neat bird! Thanks for all the info guys! PS Can someone walk me through uploading pictures?


----------



## kingjohn

Yeah if you watch them real close they will land in the very same spot each time! and he's right about the whislte,, and the MEET_MEET they like the soft areas to get to worms.


----------



## birdhunt

My Boykin put some up at Resthaven Thursday...........cold as it has been up here this week, I'll bet they didn't stay around long.


----------



## cnmrosko

*
Mosquito game refuge has an area that is marked as a wood cock spring "wooing" grounds.

The woodcock populations have been on a steady decline for the past 10+ years throughout their range. Habitat loss is the main reason with predation comming in at a close second, particularly with owls. The male woodcock's evening fluttering and dancing ritual is easy pickins for owls. My own personal hunting records affirm the reported steady population decline. Occasionally you may experience a short lived heavy migration influx and see a good number of birds for a day or two during peak migration periods.



john_michaels72 what county did you see the woodcock in?



*


----------



## john_michaels72

I seen them on mead hunting grounds close to wilksville area.vinton county.


----------

