2015-2016 Georgia and South Carolina Woodcock Seasons

[GLS]

For most of us, the days of having good wild quail hunts are thing of the past. What's a bird dog man to do? Well, he can "boot and shoot" boxed quail. Or he can look for other game. One of the most underrated and underhunted birds in the South is the American Woodcock. I started seriously hunting them with Floyd six seasons ago when I was first exposed to hunting them with his old dog Snap. This year my usual haunts were underwater forcing us to look for new areas. As a consequence, we had the best season ever. Floyd’s old dog Snap was the reason I bought my first Brittany, Abby, 5 years ago. Last year, I bought another Brittany, Willa. Floyd has three Brittanys. Snap, 12, Pop her son, 6 and Sadie, her daughter, 3. Snap is as deaf as a post but is still deadly on woodcock. Her hunting career was extended with a gps collar which helps Floyd find her when she becomes lost because she can’t hear a whistle and must see or scent us to locate us.
Here are a few highlights of the season which began in Georgia, December 5th and overlapped with SC which ended on the 31st of January.
Willa and Abby with buzz cuts:

A couple of woodcock with a wild quail:

Willa, Abby and Sadie:

There’s a dog in the rivercane: Where’s Willa?


The day I jammed my knee in a stump hole. The O/U is Billy's gun. His granddad bought the Remington 32 when it came out and had Simmons make skeet barrels in 20, 12, and .410. It was passed on to Billy's dad, then Billy. Some day in the distant future (we hope) it will be Billy's son's. :


The day began with a snow shower in the low country of SC:


On the snow day, Abby pinned a bird down 3’ from her nose. Floyd did the honors on the 6th and last bird of the day. It was unusual to find a bird in this open a spot. We could see the bird. :

The end of the season. Birds were in the thick cane. Sadie and Floyd are in the head-high and higher cane:


The Woodcock Whisperer Floyd can carve and paint:


And I know how to roast them:

The French Connection and Woodcock:
Below are my Manufrance (MF) roll crimper, MF 16 gauge loading block, MF shot and powder dippers, Cheddite 16 gauge hulls, 2.5"; MF 16 gauge Robust 226. The woodcock dog bells are handmade in the French Pyrennes by a company that has been making bells for more than 200 years. The best of the French exports affecting my hobby are definitely the ancestors of Snap, Pop, Sadie, Abby and Willa. Viva la France et l'Epagneul Breton! I can't wait for next year. Gil

[RapscallionVermilion]

Awesome Gil, beautiful pics. Thanks for sharing. It really brought back some great memories. I haven't hunted woodcock since the early 80s when I moved away from New England, but oh man what wonderful days we had when a flight came in to our usual grouse covers overnight. You really are fortunate. What SxS is that in the second photo? It looks English and a nice one at that. Floyd's sculptures are outstanding. Does he have a website?

[Shooter]

Great pics Gil. I always loved chasing those little whistlers. Never had a chance to hunt them with dogs.
Usually just honed into their beeping, and wait for them to do their dance. Loads of fun, but usually the season ends before they start doing this. Oh well.

[GLS]

RV & Tommy, thanks for the kind words. RV, Floyd doesn't have a website. The gun you asked about is an Arthur Ilsley 16 gauge, made some time before WWII in Birmingham. It's a BLNE, C/F, 5 3/4 lbs., 28" barrels. Floyd's gun is an Ithaca SKB 100, 20 gauge, 25" IC/M. It is deadly in his hands. The gun depicted with the M32 Remington is an E&G Higham 16 gauge, 29" (yes, 29) C/M, BLE, 5 lbs. 13.1 oz. The gunmaker's shop was in Liverpool and the gun was made in 1905 +/- a year or two.
The pump is a 1960's M37 in 16 gauge, 26" IC. I dearly love a 16. Gil

[RapscallionVermilion]

Nice guns all around. That Ilsley must be a wand. Another 16 Gauge fan here, and an early member of the 16 Gauge Society (still have my bag) and the 16 gauge reloading group. I use a 16 ga AOC Uggie for most of my upland.

[Treerooster]

Nice post.

I hunt WC too, but up north in Wis.

Couple years ago I was up at my cabin spring turkey hunting and there was a WC about 20 feet from my cabin doing the "sky dance". He was there every evening the whole 2 weeks I was at my cabin. Its a pretty cool mating ritual the WC have. They are an interesting bird to say the least, and fun to hunt too.

I also use SxS's in my grouse/WC hunting, 16 and 28 gauges.

[WoodMoose]

great recap of your season,,,thanks for sharing. Love the pictures of the dogs and guns,,,that's woodcock hunting in style,,,

The carvings AND the roasting both do the birds proud!

[GLS]

Less than 9 months to go and I am looking forward to next season. Gil