Strange-looking woodcock

One day last week, before the duck season opened in the north zone, the quail opener and having already shot my two turkeys, I tried something different on a good October day.

Woodcock hunting ... Not a popular bird to hunt in Missouri, but in New Hampshire, Vermont or Maine, it's THE bird.

Just like the birds they hunt, woodcock hunters are a breed apart. I had a friend that hailed from New England and he was a dedicated woodcock hunter. In fact, he owned a big company and had been working on a big deal to sell the business and after the papers were ready to be signed on a certain day he announced that there was no way he could be there that day or even the entire week.

When he was asked why, he simply replied that on that week he would be in Vermont hunting woodcock. The banker who was in charge of the deal could only say, "What the hell is a woodcock."

While hiking through the woods in my back 40 acres earlier, I flushed a pair of woodcock so I knew they might be passing through and started my hunt by checking the creek bed that could give me a clue if any of these most ridiculous looking birds imaginable had left their mark in the soft mud close to the creek bed.

To my pleasant surprise, there were the sure telltale small holes the birds had made while searching for their favorite food -- earthworms. I thought I was ready when just as I took a step across the creek, a "timberdoodle, as the woodcock is called, took flight through the thick woods and was out of sight before I could get a bead on it with my 28-gauge Remington 1100.

In Missouri, the daily limit of woodcock is three and the few serious hunters don't often reach that small number. The peak of the migration is usually late September into November. The Missouri season opened on Oct. 15 and runs through Nov. 28.

There are huntable numbers of the weird looking birds, but there are few hunters that go after them. Quail hunters sometimes flush them while hunting near woods, but like Jerry Fisher, who I was quail hunting with in north Missouri, flushed one and later asked me "what in the world was that strange looking bird I just flushed?"

On a hunt with outdoor writer Ray Heady and his dog Hard Head, we found several woodcock near a small creek. Both Ray and the dog were so surprised when a pair of timberdoodle took flight that they both just stood and watched as the birds flew into the thick woods. Ray's only comment was. "What a strange-looking bird."

This unusual bird has large protruding eyes that are set farther back on it's head than those of any other bird. Placed that way they can look for any danger while feeding. Its bill is about three inches long and has a flexible tip. This long bill is used for probing soft earth searching for earthworms which make up a large part of the bird's diet. The chunky-bodied bird has a wingspan between 18-20 inches.

It may be a small bird, but is considered a delicacy. When migrating, they are fat and make great table fare.

While on my October hunt for these strange looking birds, it took six shots in the heavy woods before I was able to shoot a pair of these unusual birds and they will make a great meal to go along with the wild turkey on Thanksgiving. 

First time woodcock hunters, will be surprised at finding the birds in Missouri. As they move along their north/south migration routes, the woodcock stops over in woods with fertile soft ground. Look for places where the ground is moist but not too sandy, such as river bottoms, swamp edges, beaver ponds or even upland pine areas. Check for droppings and those small holes where the birds have probed for earthworms.

It can be a rewarding day afield in October searching for this goofy looking bird. I know I found it a great way to spend a day while waiting for the waterfowl, quail and deer seasons ahead.