# Hunting Woodcock with a Quail Dog



## heath56 (Jan 14, 2014)

I have a dog that I hunt quail with on my private land. I like to hunt wild birds but there aren't that many to hunt regularly so I buy birds to put out. I've heard about woodcock hunting but have never tried it and have never ran across one while hunting. Will my dog or a quail dog point woodcock or do you have to train a dog to hunt woodcock? Where should I go looking for woodcock? I know the season is about to close but I don't get to get out into the woods with my dog until after deer season.


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## Jetjockey (Jan 14, 2014)

There's no such thing as a quail dog, woodcock dog, pheasant dog, etc.  Bird dogs are pre-programmed to hunt all the upland birds. All they need is exposure.  Get your dog on woodcock, and it will point them.


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## BirdNut (Jan 14, 2014)

I used to hunt woodcock a good bit, don't anymore.  My Brittany would point them, but acted funny on the retrieve towards the first one I ever shot.  She shot me a look like "Hey boss, WHAT did you just shoot?"

After she realized I was interested in them, she was interested.

I did not have to train or do anything different with the woodcock.  I have heard some dogs won't retrieve them due to a funny taste.

The hardest thing in my mind with a quail dog is if you have a big runner, then it may be harder to rein them in to work close for woodcock.  I have 2 English Pointers right now I wouldn't expect would do real well on woodcock or grouse for that matter in a heavy woods situation.  Some dogs will pick up on it just fine though.  The Britt mentioned above naturally moderated her range when in timber, and stretched out when it was more open.

As far as where to find them, moist hardwoods, creek bottoms, privet thickets and cane brakes.  Look for the white chalky splash marks of their droppings.  If you have sharp eyes you may also see holes where their bills have probed moist ground for worms.

They also make a noice called an Peent and thats what it sounds like PEEENT!  If you google it you can hear it, its very distinct and you can hear them at dawn or dusk.

You can also find them sometimes in some piney woods/old fields, but the above mentioned places are better I think.  I see you are down there in warwick with one of the world's worst speed traps on the GA FLA parkway...there are some guys on here that are closer to you than me and maybe can dial you in more on the types of places the woodcock like down there.  I think it must have something to do with soil acidity and leaf litter that gives the earthworms some special taste, but some places seem to look right but don't have the birds, and other places have them year after year.

My one go to place was a little hardwood drain that led to a lake and was surrounded by old fields and thinned/burned pines.  Woodcock would be in there thick as thieves. I stumbled on it by accident hunting quail.


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## heath56 (Jan 14, 2014)

BirdNut said:


> I see you are down there in warwick with one of the world's worst speed traps on the GA FLA parkway...



You are right on point about that. Count yourself lucky if you make it through there without getting pulled over haha 

I got some hardwood creek beds that ill give a try after tomorrow. Hopefully I can run one or two up before season closes. Thanks for the replies.


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## Coach K (Jan 20, 2014)

Do dogs have different characteristics/attributes?

Are some dogs more sensitive to scent? Ie. they are much more careful (point at first scent & stop), where other dogs are more aggressive (prey drive) & point closer to the game?

Wouldn't you think that a dog that is much more careful with his birds would be a better dog on ruffed grouse (eastern) than with pheasant?

Can dogs w/ different attributes learn to handle every species of upland game birds with enough experience to the same level of expertise?

Will every dog reach the same level of performance?

Are quail & woodcock close enough in characteristic that the same dog can learn to handle both these birds with a very high level of competence?

I have a friend, who spends an entire month hunting ruffed grouse  (eastern) & the rest of the time hunting pheasant.  He maintained that his wirehair was "expert" on pheasant, but just couldn't control his "aggressiveness" to be even a mediocre ruffed grouse dog.  Same experience on both game.  Would you say this dog could qualify for "Pheasant Dog" status?

Comments?


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## JuliaH (Jan 20, 2014)

Really interesting questions!  Now, keep in mind I do pretty much all trials and very little hunting, though I do like to get my dogs out on birds every chance I get 

1. Just from my own trial dogs.... even in the same breed (GSP in my case) they sure do have different characteristics!  Rose and Annie are really intense and serious about their jobs, and sorta high strung/high energy all the time. Sam, on the other hand, is a strong pointing dog but laid back as they come.  

2. I have experienced my dogs pointing both ways. Their training (Annie and Sam and Boscoe) took them out west to summer camp, and they quickly learned they could not get so close to wild prairie chickens as to pen raised quail, so they are likely to stop and point quicker than Rose, who will get as close as she can. 

3. I don't know about grouse and pheasant, but I can say that a dog that has experienced wild birds would tend to be more careful anyhow. They know the birds will fly away. 

4. I think all decent pointing dogs can learn to be experts. Just some take longer than others (depending on the personality of the dog maybe more than breed).  Training time would have to vary with the individual dog and trainer. 

5. The potential is there for every dog to reach the same level of performance, but it won't happen. Dog personality and drive, talent and expertise of trainer, exposure to what sorts of game, etc. will make that determination.

6. I don't know woodcock, but I do know that my dogs learned to deal with quail, wild and pen raised, and wild prairie chickens out west. Some mistakes made, but they learned quickly and are better dogs for the varied experience.

7. Dunno... 

Keep in mind my experience as mostly a field trial person, but these are good and thoughtful questions that deserve answers so I tried to answer from my limited experience   Learning from this thread  


Julia




Coach K said:


> Do dogs have different characteristics/attributes?
> 
> Are some dogs more sensitive to scent? Ie. they are much more careful (point at first scent & stop), where other dogs are more aggressive (prey drive) & point closer to the game?
> 
> ...


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## Jetjockey (Jan 20, 2014)

Coach K said:


> Do dogs have different characteristics/attributes?
> 
> Absolutely
> 
> ...




Just my opinion though.


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## Coach K (Jan 20, 2014)

_ I have a dog that I hunt quail with on my private land. I like to hunt wild birds but there aren't that many to hunt regularly so I buy birds to put out. I've heard about woodcock hunting but have never tried it and have never ran across one while hunting. Will my dog or a quail dog point woodcock or do you have to train a dog to hunt woodcock? Where should I go looking for woodcock? I know the season is about to close but I don't get to get out into the woods with my dog until after deer season._

H56, (I was trying to download a photo, but this forum always makes it hard)

I hunt "from time to time" on wild quail & woodcock all around GA.  Woodcock are the easiest for my dogs to handle.  Wild quail can be so much tougher, especially if they have had a lot of pressure.  Sometimes you'll even run across coveys that will flush 50-100 yds in front of the dogs.  That's the worst I've seen from quail & is entirely due to the amount of hunting pressure they feel.  Woodcock will be much easier once your dog understands what it is that you want him to look for.  Finding a good "covert" makes the job much easier, so the dog won't get bored & take to deer, rabbit, etc. 

For finding woodcock, I just pulled this off of the internet.  http://www.gameandfishmag.com/2011/10/17/mixed-bag-hunting-tips-for-grouse-woodcock/  "Woodcock, on the other hand, feed almost exclusively on earthworms in the soft soil of young clearcuts, abandoned farmland and areas near or in wetlands."

Lastly, if you're on facebook, send me a friend request.  I have "a few" photo albums where you can see the type of cover I hunt woodcock in.  It can certainly vary from thick bogs, creeks & the like to agricultural fields edged with hardwood saplings, vines, etc.

https://www.facebook.com/xerxes.llewellins


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## The Longhunter (Jan 20, 2014)

BirdNut said:


> I used to hunt woodcock a good bit, don't anymore.  My Brittany would point them, but acted funny on the retrieve towards the first one I ever shot.  She shot me a look like "Hey boss, WHAT did you just shoot?"
> 
> After she realized I was interested in them, she was interested.
> 
> I did not have to train or do anything different with the woodcock.  I have heard some dogs won't retrieve them due to a funny taste.



That was my experience. She would point the heck out of them.  Woodcock really hold tight, the dog can get right on top of them.  

But she wouldn't retrieve one on a dare.  She would go over and point the dead bird so you didn't lose it, but she wasn't going to pick it up.  And this was  a dog that was a good retriever on all sorts of other birds.


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## Kscout185 (Jan 20, 2014)

*Hunt em up !*

I hunt everything with my dogs....Dove, quail, chukar,pheasant, snipe, woodcock, ducks, geese, rabbit and squirrel and they know what to do when you put them on a blood trail. They both come from excellent lines very quick and eager to learn.....hunt what you want or whats available....the dog will figure it out.... then make the adjustments to *suite you and the dog*.....ENJOY .......nothing better than a good working team


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## con50582 (Jan 24, 2014)

I agree their are no specific bird dogs, unless THEY choose to be.  This is one of the problems of being so rigid in training instead of guiding the dog.  It's in their DNA to hate birds it's what we do to them that "puts them off" certain birds.

My dog knows to come when called and I let her do the rest.  Their ain't too many birds in SW GA to be picky about the point.  When it flushes I decide to shoot or not.


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