woodcock hunting

The woodcock hunter

The term "becassier" designates the man of the woods passionate exclusively by the pursuit of the red bird. He most often hunts alone with his dog without ever getting tired of stalking the wood, for several hours, insensitive to the scratches of brambles tearing his pants, to the saplings that lash his face when he crosses thick copses. Very physical and arduous, this hunt requires a lot of constancy, endurance and courage to flush out scolopax, because empty runs are not uncommon. The success will depend above all on the alliance and the perfect complicity between the master and the dog. Without a dog, it would be completely illusory, unless there was an incredible stroke of luck, to want to raise a woodcock. This bird, mythical game,

Some purists, concerned above all about ethics, will only shoot the bird if their dog has perfectly blocked it, in no case if it starts under their feet. Some others, out of a spirit of competition, will seek to achieve a higher score than the previous season, others more out of snobbery than interest, will strive to kill the bird or birds that will allow them to maintain their woodcock reputation in order to better show up in their relationships.

woodcock dog

Several hunting seasons are often necessary to make a woodcock, as well as many face-to-face encounters.

A dog does not become a woodcock by raising only 5 or 6 woodcocks per year. It takes at least 3 years to have a good subject. The hunter will have to claim his auxiliary in priority on the woodcock so that he is well imbued with the feeling of this game. 2 or 3 weekly outings are a minimum if you want to have an experienced dog able to thwart the tricks of the golden brown. Some inveterate enthusiasts swearing only by woodcock voluntarily turn their dog away from quail or partridge by directing it exclusively towards woodcock. Without going so far as to go to such extremes, I think that you can very well start your dog on the wild quails by teaching him to master his pointing and not to pursue the game, before attacking the woods in autumn. The quail does has no equal in tricking dogs and can be just as cunning as the woodcock, especially when it stomps and refuses to get up, or when it holds back its feelings. To escape the dog and the hunter, the woodcock often stomps hundreds of meters in front of them, so it will be necessary to perfect the firmness of the stop and get the cast to order. The patience of the dog contributes a lot to the quality of his pointing, and reflects the confidence he can have in his master. The hunter will sometimes take a long time to locate his dog when it is stationary through the vegetation, so it is imperative that the dog does not break down when stuffing the game, and knows how to wait for the hunter. To escape the dog and the hunter, the woodcock often stomps hundreds of meters in front of them, so it will be necessary to perfect the firmness of the stop and get the cast to order. The patience of the dog contributes a lot to the quality of his pointing, and reflects the confidence he can have in his master. The hunter will sometimes take a long time to locate his dog when it is stationary through the vegetation, so it is imperative that the dog does not break down when stuffing the game, and knows how to wait for the hunter. To escape the dog and the hunter, the woodcock often stomps hundreds of meters in front of them, so it will be necessary to perfect the firmness of the stop and get the cast to order. The patience of the dog contributes a lot to the quality of his pointing, and reflects the confidence he can have in his master. The hunter will sometimes take a long time to locate his dog when it is stationary through the vegetation, so it is imperative that the dog does not break down when stuffing the game, and knows how to wait for the hunter.

Just like his master, the "woodcock dog" must be passionate without ever fearing to face the rain, the fog, the storm, the damp undergrowth and the thorny bushes, which constitute the essential atmosphere of this hunt.

It will therefore need a lot of courage to explore the brambles, gorse or hawthorn. If we had to draw the portrait of the ideal woodcock dog, we could define him as intelligent, devoted and faithful, passionate, endowed with a very fine and sensitive nose, the quest is dense, active, methodical and sustained, he does not fear not the brambles, he stops firm and patronizes, reports and obeys to perfection. This ideal dog exists of course, especially in our imagination, but first of all we should be satisfied with a passionate hunting companion, for the rest with perseverance, skill in training and a lot of love, everything is perfectible. . There are no miracle recipes, but the good woodcock hunter will certainly make the good woodcock dog. VS'

Another important detail concerns the coat of the dog: in the dense undergrowth, a dog with a light coat will be easier to spot than a dog with a dark coat. These few precious seconds gained to join his stationary auxiliary, a small white spot barely glimpsed through the thorn bushes, will allow you to better position yourself for the shot, arriving faster on the bird, you will have maybe the chance to shoot him before he sneaks away.

The choice of puppy

A mythical bird, the woodcock has become a real sales pitch for everything related to the world of hunting, and its effigy is represented everywhere in arms, clothing or in the canine field. Also it is not surprising to see this kind of announcements in the specialized magazines "Sell puppies, extra woodcock origins". Even though this is  reassuring for you, do not let yourself be misled by such an argument. Assuming it is real, you have absolutely no guarantee that your dog will hunt woodcock. What matters most is that the parents have proven themselves on natural game, so you can find out about the results obtained in the working competitions. A stallion or a bitch selected for their hunting qualities can transmit their passion for hunting, the stop, the pattern, as well as certain morphological characters, physical resistance.

It seems unlikely that a dog innately possesses aptitudes for a given game, but it may be physically gifted to search for it, so it will have to be devoted to woodcock hunting to credit it to this bird. Whether continental or English, long-haired, short-haired or rough, all pointing dogs of different breeds are suitable for hunting woodcock. Each breed club organizes for this purpose one or more competitions on woodcocks or are awarded the highest rewards such as the silver bell, for example. An English setter having obtained this distinction represents a safe bet as a sire.

The English Setter

Its great versatility on all terrains and all game, its elegance and its very feline style when stopping and rolling have made it the favorite dog of woodcock hunters. This great quest dog, gentle, intelligent and passionate, must be led by a master hand, because he can quickly "get out of hand".

The Pointer

Very athletic and powerful, the pointer can hunt for hours without apparent fatigue, widely used in the mountains, it is very resistant to heat. The style is different from that of the setter, the flow more jerky, the stop impressive by its brutality. Class, brio, and great hunting skills make the pointer a dog very popular with woodcocks, but it is a Formula 1 and you will have to work on recall.

The Brittany Spaniel

The smallest and most popular pointing dog. More than 5,000 births registered in the LOF (Book of French Origins) every year. The Brittany Spaniel is very versatile on small game and excels on woodcock, it's true that in his country of origin, they abound. We may prefer the style of the English setter to that of the Breton spaniel, but it must be recognized that this bushman goes everywhere, with a nervous and bouncy quest, remains a devilishly efficient dog.

Wirehaired Korthal Griffin

A specialist in woods and marshes, he is the versatile pointing dog par excellence; he is also a very good retriever. This hardy dog is distinguished from other breeds of pointing dogs by its double fleece: a hard, coarse, half-long outer coat and an undercoat or padding made up of a fine, tight down that makes the skin waterproof. We therefore understand in view of this armor that this dog is particularly adapted to hunting woodcock in thick brambles and hawthorn thickets where it knows how to hide so well.

The French pointer

There are 2 different types: the large "gascogne" type and the smaller and lighter "pyrenees" type. The latter has the livelier and more extensive quest than the Gascony type has the heavier morphology. Easy to train and with a gentle character, the French braque stops firm and upright, very resistant and with a fine nose, he is also renowned for his ability to find woodcocks at the shed.

THE EQUIPMENT

The bell

Unless you have a hunting dog under the gun, this accessory is essential to follow the quest of your companion out of sight most of the time in the sapling or the fern. The ringing   of the bell will indicate the direction taken by the dog. If the dog trots normally, the cadence of the tinkle will be regular, but long silences interspersed with short tinkles will alert the hunter to the possibility of a halt. Instead, opt for open campanes, miniature replicas of those hanging from cows' necks. The round, closed bells risk clogging up at any time and no longer emitting any sound because plant debris sometimes gets inserted into the slot cut in their brass body, thus blocking the leaf. The bell can be wrapped in adhesive tape to soften the tone.

The electronic bell or beep

This is a sound and electric transmitter that can produce a particular sound during the gallop of the dog (“beep – beep”) and produce another different one, when, when the dog stops (“biiiiiiiiiiip”). Some models only sound when the dog is stationary and require the use of the bell to follow the movements of the latter. A good electronic bell must be able to be perceived up to a distance of approximately 300 meters, in an open environment. It must also be able to be adjusted in frequency according to the ear of the user. Criticized by some who think it kills more birds, the electric bell  has first for vocation to keep a permanent contact with his dog and to serve him in the best conditions. In addition, this tool can be essential for those who have hearing loss due to age. Some departmental federations prohibit the use of the beep.

Which weapon to choose?

Light, short, the barrels slightly choked, the becassier rifle is designed to shoot very quickly and at short distance a bird in rapid flight sometimes barely glimpsed, and which disappears immediately, caught in the vegetation. This weapon can also be used to shoot other game such as rabbits, pheasants or quail with a pointing dog, but also large game such as wild boar or roe deer, provided that you have chosen a weapon adjusted for bullet shooting. To each his own combination in terms of the choice of choke tapers: smooth/half-choke; ¼; ¾; striped/smooth.

The rifled barrel ensures optimal dispersion, but the shot must not exceed 20 meters because then there is a risk of injuring the game. Among the most famous rifles, let us quote: Chapuis, Vouzeland, Gaucher, Bretton? Verney-Carron, Beretta……

The weight of these rifles is around 2.5 kg and rarely exceeds 2.8 kg.

Munitions

In most cases, 12 gauge shotgun shells will be used. Fat wad cartridges loaded with 32gr. Leads N° 10, 9, 8 or 7½ are perfectly suitable for shooting bronze. Some cartridge makers even offer “special woodcock” loads in 38gr. Lead N° 9. Others recommend cartridges loaded with 36gr. Small pellets and skirted wads for best results with rifled barrels. For the occasional woodcock who can't invest in a specialized shotgun, his good old 12 gauge loaded with dispersant rounds will do just fine.

Clothes

Woodcock hunting is a hunt where you walk a lot, in a sometimes hostile environment, made of intertwined branches, brambles or thorny bushes. Subjected to severe tests, the clothes must be waterproof and resistant. Waxed cotton jackets and shorts are recommended, but promote perspiration if you walk a lot. A jacket lined in Gore tex with a resistant fabric will be more suitable but more expensive.

The shoes

If you hunt in the mountains, a good pair of leather walking shoes, paired with a pair of gaiters will protect your ankles in steep and rocky crossroads. On the other hand, if you operate in spongy ground crossed by multiple streams, the essential pair of rubber boots will protect your feet from humidity, opt instead for moderately priced boots, because even high-end boots will end badly. season from being lacerated by brambles.

Where to find woodcock?

The first migratory woodcocks arrive in November, their migratory axis is oriented northwest to southwest. They arrive from northern Europe to the northeast around November and December and begin their return in February/March from the southwest. At the start of the season, the astute hunter will take care to orient his hunt on the slopes of his territory facing north-east, while at the end of the season he will rather explore the south-west part of these same territories   .

Earthworms represent 3/4 of the mordoree's diet; the moist wooded plots, rich in humus, and sheltered from the wind, the woods bordering the meadows frequented by livestock will constitute probable shelters for scolopax which will not fail to eat in these environments rich in invertebrates.

During the passage, in November and December, the search will be carried out in more or less open environments mixing vegetation and under low vegetation; birches, aspens, alders, beeches, chestnut trees, young firs, hardwood regeneration, ferns, copses, brambles, blackthorn bushes etc...

Around mid-December, the woodcock   will confine itself and will not occupy the same tenements: it will rather look for large woods, copses under high forest, large fir forests dotted in places with small clearings where ferns and hardwoods grow mixed together. In these secret places, she will find the peace and security necessary for her survival.

During their migration, woodcocks travel mainly at night, these nocturnal flights can sometimes reach hundreds of kilometers, fog, storms, snow, heavy rains can then force the birds to land just anywhere , this is how some hunters have been able to catch woodcocks in crops, in the middle of a meadow, some have even been observed in town on lawns; these behaviors are of course exceptional and are always the result of extreme weather conditions.

Unsuitable places

Grounds cluttered with creeping ivy, tall grass or heather should be avoided as they hinder the movement of the woodcock, which does not feel comfortable there.

In case of frost

When a severe frost hardens the ground, it will be a good idea to walk along the edges of streams where the ground will be less frozen and where food will be more accessible to the golden browns. The clumps of boxwood, holly, and large fir trees will also keep the ground at a milder temperature at night under their thick foliage and will serve as sheds for longbeaks.

The future of woodcock hunting

The PMA (Maximum Authorized Withdrawal)

This legal measure was put in place to limit excessive harvesting by meat-loving and irresponsible hunters. It was, moreover, requested by the CNB (Club National des Bécassiers) for many years. This catch limitation will psychologically involve the hunter and make him aware that this celestial mane is not inexhaustible and must be managed with respect and parsimony. Brittany, which is considered a privileged site for the abundance of woodcocks, has instituted a PMA of 3 birds per hunter and per day. The annual harvest must not exceed 50 woodcocks for 1 hunter, each catch must be recorded in a notebook and scrupulously accounted for.

Habitats under threat

The sudden changes in the quality of the habitats are really worrying about the future of the woodcock. The grazed permanent meadows which represent the most favorable places for the feeding of scolopax tend to disappear in favor of artificial meadows or crops.

For how long can we hunt woodcock without endangering the species?

It is estimated that between 3 and 4 million woodcock are killed in Europe each year, the samples taken in France represent between 30 and 40% of the European picture. The majority of the hunting board is carried out in autumn / winter.

The census of populations, although practiced with seriousness, seems quite uncertain, because the bird lives in a closed environment and migrates at night. Even if we may never know precisely the total number of woodcocks in Europe, we hunters have every interest in respecting the PMA if they exist, if not, in moderating our harvesting if we want to continue to practice this hunt. beautiful and pass it on to our children.

Source: Woodcock passion hunting – Ediloisir Magazine – Serge Lardos – SNCC