Any love for the timberdoodle?

W

warzaw

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GunNutz
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niagara region
I grew up when these little guys were not on most hunters radar and they were plentiful . I still remember the first flush at 14 years old (lied about my age to get a license ) What the hell was that after I emptied my m12 16 gauge and never raised a feather . We hunted the creeks of Niagara at dusk to catch what we called the night flight the little fellows would take flight just before dark and fill the skys . Got hooked on the critters and went through three great Britts a Yellow Lab
and believe it or not a little Beagle that was a cracker jack on these birds and would also retrieve them as did all my dogs . Spent a few seasons on a national woodcock survey and watched them go downhill along with most upland game now days . I am happy I grew up in those days.
 
Sounds lame but I have always thought of them as being too damn cute to shoot. I don't like the flavour of the meat and could never bring myself to want to shoot them. Fun targets and would be a hoot with a good dog but those eyes, long beak and stubby little body, just too cute :)

Patrick
 
Never intentionally hunted them. My lab flushed one on a grouse outing. When it flushed it was right under his chin and never made it to flight. He snapped it up the instant it flushed. I couldn't figure out where the bird got to as I heard a whirr of wings but nothing emerged to shoot at and then he came to me and raised his nose up to present me with his catch. I spotted a sprig of wing feather protruding out his mouth and that's when I clued in to what had taken place. He had the entire bird in his mouth alive. I took it from him and tried to set it free but I guess he had injured it when he snapped it out of the air and it couldn't fly. I took it home and ate it and wasn't impressed enough with the flavour and size to bother shooting at them. We flushed many hunting grouse and/or walking into thick alder surrounded beaver floods to hunt woodies and mallards over the years but I've never pulled the trigger on one. They are a neat little bird and I love watching and hearing them "winnowing" during mating season.
 
They don't do well with overcooking and if you don't like Liver you won't like them . Broiled with a little bacon works for me. I don't know how cute they are burned a lot of shells on them through the years and missed more than my share . i have taken them along with a mixed bag of Ringnecks ,Ruffies , and Wooducks on the same hunt in coverts that are now subdivisions around the farm . Glad I am old.
 
I hunted them when I was a teenager. Not many that I shot, they are so damn fast and small. I could never get a second shot, hence a Mossberg bolt action 12 gauge. Parents cooked them, but they were not enjoyed, we were raised on ducks, the woodcock tasted a little "fowl", pun intended.
 
Don't tell me someone is breeding Timber Wolves with Poodles now...... so many doodles these days! :)

I spoke with the owner of a berna-doodle this winter and she was saying that the dog's fur caused ice balls to quickly form around the paws..... hypo allergenic but not built for Canadian winters.
 
Used to always shoot four or five during a season of grouse hunting. Their numbers have been down in my area for the last few years. Last fall I only flushed one and did not shoot. When I did get a few they went into a slow cooker with 3 or 4 grouse and some bacon and sour kraut. They were excellent prepared that way.

Darryl
 
Can-down said:
Don't tell me someone is breeding Timber Wolves with Poodles now...... so many doodles these days! :)

I spoke with the owner of a berna-doodle this winter and she was saying that the dog's fur caused ice balls to quickly form around the paws..... hypo allergenic but not built for Canadian winters.
Click to expand...

lol thats what I thought too! I googled Timberdoodle and was confused when I saw birds not dogs!
 
Havent had anything here like that for quite some time (also niagara), but seeing alot more wood ducks, and a pair of sand cranes that had a baby last year, hadnt seen any around for a good 10 years.

Also have something that sounds like a turkey but they are small birds. Maybe a woodpecker, doubt its a mocking bird.
 
Yup, used to come across them quite often when out grouse hunting. Always along the creek beds/ wet marshy areas. Could tell they were back by the little round holes punched in the mud bottoms. Would generally always flush straight up to get above the alders then level out and gone. Had to be quick but it sure was fun. Nice dark moist meat. Tasted a lot like dew worms lol.
 
I made one pilgrimage to woodcock country based on the kind invitation of a fellow upland bird hunting and pointing dog fanatic. What a wonderful experience. I loved everything about it. The "new to me" habitat, the bird with all its wonderful peculiarities, the challenge of the hunt and the shot, the dog work, and the semi-ceremonial meal at the end. Based on that singular experience, I really like everything about woodcock hunting. An added bonus is that I was able to do it in an area that also offered snipe, ruffed grouse, and sharptails. And hunted with a very accomplished pair of pointing dogs.
I plan to go back and I will.

Photo: Ruffed grouse, woodcock, and snipe taken on the same hunt, pointed and retrieved by my Pudelpointer, and shot with my 16 ga. It doesn't get any better.
 

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Great post I feel the same way upland hunting with good friends ,wild birds and great dogs . It doesn't get any better so sad that a lot of that is slipping away . Thanks again for a great post LW.
 
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Longwalker said:
I made one pilgrimage to woodcock country based on the kind invitation of a fellow upland bird hunting and pointing dog fanatic. What a wonderful experience. I loved everything about it. The "new to me" habitat, the bird with all its wonderful peculiarities, the challenge of the hunt and the shot, the dog work, and the semi-ceremonial meal at the end. Based on that singular experience, I really like everything about woodcock hunting. An added bonus is that I was able to do it in an area that also offered snipe, ruffed grouse, and sharptails. And hunted with a very accomplished pair of pointing dogs.
I plan to go back and I will.

Photo: Ruffed grouse, woodcock, and snipe taken on the same hunt, pointed and retrieved by my Pudelpointer, and shot with my 16 ga. It doesn't get any better.
Click to expand...

seeing working dog getting your birds is the best you can have for sure.
 
Reminds me of this

bird-catch.gif
 
Have gotten turned inside out a few time by timberdoodles hunting them in old fields overgrown with alders . little buggers wait until you pretty near step on them be for rocketing straight up past your face . I do like to flavor of them though .
 
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