woodcock

steve · woodcock

the woodcock seem to be arriving now stood on the edge of a wood at dusk and saw 14 fly out in about 40 mins heading to feed on the marshs
it amazing how in day time you never see one in the wood.

fish

nice one! ive never seen one alive! you say theyre arriving,are they migratory birds? ive got some woodcock wings in my flytying kit.
do you live near the marshes? i love the sounds of the birds on marshes ans mud flats,can be spooky though! :shock:
little wonder you dont see them in the woods during the day just look at their cammo!

Yeeharr

I've only ever shot one woodcock. Shot a few snipe over pointers though.

steve

hi
nearly all the woodcock we get in suffolk migrate here to over winter from scandinava ,norway, etc did you know if you get a right and left at woodcock you get a badge from the woodcock club only ever seen it done once. as for snipe they surely must be the hardest thing to hit.

fish

how do you prove the woody shot? :lol: :lol: :lol: and you should note that yeehar shoots his snipe with a catapult!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

steve

when you shoot a left and a right you must have a witness, no not your DOG a human! and a snipe with a catapult now that deserve some kind of prize. i have only shot a pidgeon and a rabbit with a catapult and got thu about 50 bags of marbles by the way do they still do lead moulds for catapult amo? i know you can get steel amo but i have plenty of lead and would like to make some amo and no the lead did not come from my local church roof! mind you there plenty being nicked lately.

Yeeharr

Not quite reached the level of hitting Snipe with a catapult yet but did manage some clays the other day! I had a conversation with someone who was saying that a shotgun is more versatile than a rifle, I disagreed, mainly because I think the bloke is an idiot. He said "You wouldn't be able to hit a bolting bunny with a rifle and wouldn't be able to shoot a flying bird!" I KNOW that I can hit a flying bird as I've hit feral pigeons on the wing with my air rifle, I appreciate that I couldn't use a rimfire or centrefire rifle on flying birds due to the problem of missing and sending the round flying off for a couple of miles. But bolting bunnies I thought wouldn't be a problem, I've hit a blacktip rabbit trotting at 100 yards with my .17HMR, so at my gun club I stood on the firing line and got someone to roll clays along the ground in front of me while I stood with my .22LR. After a couple of misses I got the lead right and proceeded to hit a few on the trot!!

One of the other blokes said "I'm surprised you haven't tried that with your catapult" At the time I didn't have any ammo with me.

Last Wednesday I made sure I had a big bag of steel ammo with me. I started off shooting rolling clays and after a while was breaking them regularly. I then asked for some flying clays to be thrown. I had about 12 spectators watching from behind the shooting line, a couple of shots went wild and then I started to get closer to the clays, big "Oooooohs!!" and "Ahhhhhhhhs!!!" from behind resounded as the steel balls could be seen missing the clays by inches and a couple came so close that one guy remarked that I'd "shaved the paint of those ones!". I said out loud, in a cheesy American accent "Come on, be the ball!", as the next clay was thrown I drew back and loosed the ball, I watched it shine in the floodlights all the way to the clay, and smack it in the centre, smashing it to bits!!!!! :D

A voice from behind said "For f@cks sake! Now he's never gonna shut up about this!!"

I finished on that, so that I couldn't be accused of a lucky shot!!!

fish

brilliant one yeehar! WE ARE NOT WORTHY OH KING OF THE CATAPULT!

Ere steve heres a link to where i got the moulds, i got the 5g size (size zero) thyre about the same size as the stainless ammo.smaller than marbles and heavier! keep yer eyes open for lead,recycling centers and scrappies is best,you dont need much to make loads off ammo,i used 3lb of lead to make 400!!!!!!!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BALL-LEAD-S...14QQcategoryZ112956QQcmdZViewItem

steve

cheers for that fish they are just what i am looking for.

Tidal_wear

I actually shot a couple of woodcock when I was a kid with an air-rifle,incredible camouflage,the one giveaway is their eyes.
Caught one in a flight-net once as well,accidental catch I guess as we never had another.

pablo

was out today with the irish terrier cutting some holly sprigs as you do this time of the year and the terrier rise 8 woodcock

fish

wow sounds fab,get any? :smt001

pablo

got plenty of holly no woodcock used to be a member of a woodcock shoot in fermanagh best year the dogs retrieved 60 best day was on the nort coast of antrim shot 10 by dinnertime called it a day and headed home

fpo

get to see a load of woodcock when I go out lamping with husband - eyes shine so bright like due on grass didnt realise they were birds until husband walked me up to them until they flew off.

This left and right for woodcock - on the shoot where I beat, for each days beating it earns you the right to shoot on the beaters days (several each season) one of the Louder mouthed beaters who tells everyone He is ex SAS - look Ive got the tie! was on a drive natorious for woodcock, shot one with the left then stood around for 5/10 mins until the next one went over hadnt reloaded his gun and then tried to demand a witness, (technically it was a LR because he hadnt broken his gun - But makes a bit of a mockery of it)!!!

Dont think anyone agreed to witness it either! Think it actually has to be two people to witness it as well.

pablo

was out today with the terrier cutting some hazels about 5 mile away from the wood i put the 10 woodcock up we never rise any at all