I was standing on my left leg on an uphill incline, trying to cautiously and quietly step over an alder a moose had mowed over when the bird flushed. My shotgun was in my off hand and I was pushing back a fir bow with my right. As far as being prepared for a wing shot, I might as well have been juggling and riding a unicycle. A robin-sized bird in need of a nose job elevated to tree level and turned on the afterburners. With my lower barrel I pruned a cedar and with my upper charge a few poplars were trimmed back and shaped, but not a feather was ruffled, except a few concerning my pride.

That was my very first encounter some 20 years ago with a woodcock, and I remember it like it was yesterday. Perhaps that’s because similar shenanigans still occur each autumn as I try to match wits with these long-billed, acrobatic flying transients. Timberdoodle, as they’re affectionately referred to, migrate through Maine as cold weather chases them south from Canada. Flights randomly stop over to rest and feed for a few days in attractive regional covers, and in doing so provide a true upland wing-shooting challenge for area bird hunters.

By the way, during that long-ago afternoon outing, I did put up three more woodcock and finally managed to bag one. Having no bird dog to help, I hunted the cover like a man looking for his wife in a crowded mall. I wandered about randomly, changed directions often, and stopped frequently, standing quietly looking about. I bumped one bird from right under my feet, and two others got nervous and took to the air when I stopped to reconnoiter.

On all three occasions I used both barrels to ventilate leaves and thin out foliage on each woodcock’s erratic escape path. Much to my amazement, on my last trigger pull a bird tumbled from the sky, having mistakenly swerved into a stray pellet, I’m sure. I found the small sporty game bird among the yellow sprills under a tamarack. To me, its multicolored brown and tan feathers, long spindly legs and protracted bill were beautiful, and I couldn’t have been prouder if I’d bagged a buck. I was hooked on the big action of Maine’s smallest game bird.

Going to the dogs

Subsequent outings during my premier season of woodcock hunting, and many enjoyable outings since, have been with Bill Norsworthy of Presque Isle. Bill, well known on skeet fields throughout the state and a multi-time champion, has been a longtime waterfowling companion. His alternate wing-shooting passion consisted of gunning grouse and woodcock over Tory, his well-trained English setter, and it was he who indoctrinated me into preferable and more productive timberdoodle tactics.

A keen-nosed bird dog will cover more ground and locate and hold woodcock in place for closer, more productive shots than a randomly roaming sportsman ever could. Then and now, I get as much enjoyment watching a four-legged hunter work a cover and pin down birds as I do from the gunning. On my first outing with Tory and Bill, a woodcock was pointed within the first five minutes afield, but I was so mesmerized by the dog work, I was out of place, unprepared for the flush, and pretty much a spectator.

Hunting birds behind a dog is far faster paced than walking up birds, and you’ve got to keep your head in the game. Proper positioning and preparedness are crucial to successfully wing shooting pointed birds. If you miss a couple of shots or fail to shoot due to poor location, I swear an experienced dog will actually turn and stare at you with attitude. Some even give dirty looks as if to say, “Hey, I’m doing all the hard work, is that gun barrel bent or what?”

I learned a valuable lesson on the second point of our outing when a woodcock whizzed right into the trees and among the thick leaves. A glimpse was all the fast fleeing bird offered, and when Bill touched off the lower barrel, fir sprills fell, leaves shredded, twigs tumbled, and among it all, down came the woodcock. I was still standing at port arms. Clearly, if you wait for clear shooting lanes and wide open shots on timberdoodle, you won’t need to lug many shells, nor will you have many birds in your game vest at the end of the outing.

On Tory’s next point, the bird flushed while each of us was trying to get into position and neither of us took a shot. I couldn’t even raise my shotgun, let alone swing it among the wall of firs and alders, and Bill was trying to steady the dog so I could get closer for the flush. Woodcock number four, however, never stood a chance as we both fired and hit on a going-away chance.

My most memorable shot of that day, and my first woodcock over a dog when no one else fired, was a classic rise. I’d heard other gunners describe such a flush, and even today if I close my eyes, I can still envision the whole scenario. Tory frozen on point, quivering, tail high. Bill moving in to get the bird up, and then the skyward surge of a russet, tan and black ball of feathers and a twittering call. Then right at tree top level the woodcock hesitated for a split second, ready to change from helicopter to jet mode, and that’s when by some miracle my shot charge arrived and tumbled my premier-pointed woodcock back to earth.

I held that bird, stroked and smoothed the feathers, and inspected all the strange yet engaging features of this tiny game bird. Over the years, each time I retrieve a woodcock I still hold them and inspect them for a short while with a bit of awe and reverence. Devout woodcock hunters are a small and unique clan, and all harbor mixed feeling of challenge and devotion for Maine’s migrating misfit.

Woodcock covers

Grouse gunners seldom see woodcock, yet woodcock hunters often flush partridge. Timberdoodle are attracted to specific terrain and foliage for their stopover sites during their migration flights. Most sportsmen have a couple of prime woodcock covers within 30 minutes of their home, but overlook them in favor of grouse habitat. Alder runs and stands of poplar are common signposts of likely woodcock cover, and they’re commonly found in abandoned farm fields let go to second growth.

It’s vital that the ground be moist and fertile to support plenty of earthworms, a tasty treat for traveling timberdoodle. Soft earth allows the bird to probe with its long beak for the worms. Boundaries of fir and hardwood are likely along field edges of top-rate woodcock covers, and this is where the occasional partridge will hang out.

One veteran woodcock gunner advised me to look for goldenrod growing in the shade of small firs and a sprinkling of tamarack trees among the alders and poplars to assure soft ground and protective cover for the resting and feeding birds. Be persistent as well, if a certain spot seems birdy. One day there may be only a couple of woodcock and two days later you’ll enjoy a dozen flushes. Weather, moon phases and time of the season all affect the migration and it’s just a matter of being on hand at the right time. Check covers for white splotches from fresh droppings and for numerous drill holes on bare ground to establish a cover is being frequented. This week and next should provide the best gunning of the season as steady flights move through the state.

Gear up

If you own a bird dog or have a friend that does, by all means give that trained nose a chance at woodcock. Although pointers and setters are the most popular breeds for woodcock, many sports use spaniels and I’ve even seen a few close-working Labrador retrievers get the job done. If no dog is available, try walking up timberdoodle solo or with a partner. Meander, amble, zigzag and make frequent stops while moving through the cover for best results. Be ready to shoot at all times since most flushes are close, brush is thick, and the birds are a blur.

Wear orange to help others spot you in the dense brush and consider shooting glasses or light-lensed sunglasses to protect the eyes while thrashing through the thick stuff. Sturdy brush pants that resist tears and shun brambles, burrs and burdocks, in combination with a thick, long-sleeved shirt, offer protection and aid comfort. Comfortable rubber-soled, leather-topped boots and a pair of medium-weight wool socks will assure dry feet and resist blistering. Add a vest for shells, extra dog paraphernalia, and be sure it has a game pouch and you’re dressed to hunt.

Twenty gauge guns are favored for their light weight and easy handling, but many folks use what they have on hand for grouse, be it a 28, 16, or 12 gauge. As important as the gauge is the choke, due to close, quick shots in heavy leaves and thick branches and limbs. Try modified early in the season and switch to improved when the leaves thin out, and stick to 71/2s or 8s for shot size.

Unlike grouse, which seem to be everywhere, woodcock have to be searched out and pursued. Be forewarned, however, that this little bird offers big action, and woodcock hunting has been known to become addictive!

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com