After a recent successful bow hunt, JH came out of the woods before daylight vanished. He had his deer loaded and he just sat on his four-wheeler until dark so others hunting would not be disturbed. The sunset was magnificent and he took it all in. As he continued to wait for darkness, he heard a “buzzing” noise from above and he turned his eyes skyward. He watched birds flying across the timber heading for agricultural fields. The “buzzing” continued and he noticed the birds that were creating this sound were spiraling to the ground. “There were hundreds of them,” he related. It has been a long time since we have seen woodcock in these numbers.
The American woodcock, Scolopax minor, is a plump, upland game bird of North America. Also referred to as timberdoodles, bog suckers, night partridge, and Labrador twister, this bird is magically camouflaged making them hard to spot except during their elaborate aerial courtship rituals. They have large eyes set far back on their heads for 360-degree vision and are most active during dawn and dusk.
Woodcocks spend most of their time on the ground in moist-soil bottomland offering thick cover. Regarding status of the woodcock, the population has fallen by an average of slightly more than 1 percent annually since the 1960s. Most biologists attribute this decline to loss of habitat caused by forest maturation and urban development. Biologists and conservationists have developed plans presenting figures for the acreage of early successional habitat that must be created and maintained to stabilize populations at current levels and to return it to higher densities. CRP programs greatly enhanced habitat for the woodcock for a few years providing thick cover. With timber maturity, the habitat changes when the forest canopy begins to shade out the understory making it less desirable for this noble game bird.
The woodcock is unique with its long, prehensile bill used to probe moist soils in search of earthworms and other small invertebrates which make up most of its diet. A unique bone and muscle arrangement allows the bird to open and close the tip of its upper bill, or mandible, while it is in the ground. Both the underside of the upper mandible and the long tongue are rough surfaced for grasping and holding on to prey.
You can tell the difference between the two sexes by measuring the physical features of the woodcock’s bill. By using a dollar bill, insert the money into the bird’s bill from the bottom to the top. If the bird’s bill does not reach the tip of the dollar, it is most likely a male. If the bill, or mandible, goes past the edge of the paper, it is most likely a female. There are other methods to distinguish the differences in sex by using feather measurements, but the bill measuring method is simpler and very accurate. Also, females tend to be a bit larger than males though this can vary.
The “buzzing” noise I referred to is known as “peenting.” The males perform an aerial courtship display while making this nasal sound and chittering wing sounds while advertising for a receptive female. You should “google” the courtship ritual of the woodcock. It is most interesting, indeed.
Initiated by change in photoperiod, each fall American woodcock leave their northern feeding and breeding grounds and fly south to their wintering grounds. They need unfrozen, moist soils that allow them to feed and survive the winter. For unusual reasons, woodcocks are outliers among other migratory birds. Among them is that the woodcock does not migrate as a flock, but as individual birds. While a flight of woodcock indicates many birds in a single area, each bird found its way there independently. While a single woodcock has been recorded flying almost 500 miles in a single night, the average single fight during migration is around 50-100 miles. The longest migration for a single bird has been documented at just over 2000 miles. Quite the journey indeed.
Attracted to light, woodcocks have been known to fly into buildings on numerous occasions. In fact, it is common to find them around major cities along their migration route that have succumbed to their injuries. Once again, we see how human intervention can have a detrimental effect on wildlife. Some individuals and businesses turn their lights off at night during migration to reduce the incidence of building collisions. Perhaps others might entertain this idea too.
As a game bird, this species offers a unique challenge to the sportsman. Quail hunters in the south usually find this species as a “bonus” during their jaunts for the bobwhite. Sadly, due to low quail numbers, we don’t see many hunters with bird dogs in the field now. Woodcock will hold tight like quail but will explode from cover with a twisting flight that is extremely challenging for the shooter. Regarding table fare, they may be at the top of the list of upland game birds. In fact, this was my dad’s favorite game bird to eat. He had a wonderful recipe. I need to search for it. One may find difficulty finding some birds to hunt here locally. However, the majority of woodcocks overwinter in Louisiana and there may be opportunities for a hunt in the bayou state.
Additionally, you may want to inquire about opportunities in Maine, Vermont, Michigan, and other northern states. Outfitters offer hunts for both ruffed grouse and woodcock. I have never hunted either in that country, but it’s on my bucket list. Keep in mind, their hunting seasons coincide with the peak of fall foliage, and this offers a bonus for the trip. I love fall trips and I may even entice Stacey to walk the woods with me behind a pointer or a setter. It’s not likely, but I bet she would enjoy the fall excursion. It’s worth a try.
If you have a place where hardwood bottoms border the edges of some open fields, place yourself there late one afternoon and you may be treated to an acrobatic show from one of our most novel game birds. I’d say you have a pretty good chance this time of year to see one. If not though, all is not wasted for any evening sunset beats sitting in front of the television watching the evening news. Let me know if you see one, I will enjoy hearing your story. Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, let’s leave it better than we found it.
jeff.north@northag.net
