Banner Woodcock Day

[ROMAC]

Got out for woodcock again. Today was another banner day. The 3 of us got our limits in about 4 hours.

A good time was had by all, and some quick action with wire cutters saved the day from being a tragedy. One of the dogs got snared around the neck less than 100 yards from the truck. We were just behind it and saw the orange warning tape in the tree about the same time the dog got snared. We found another snare later in the day and rolled it up in the tree it was attached to so no other dogs could get snared. My friends dogs have had training to heal if they get snared and it worked to the extent that the dog did not freak out and make things worse. Trapping has its place but we could not help but think that the placement of these snares in this particular area was less than good judgement.





Anyway after that drama was over and crisis averted we got down to business. The dogs were sporty and conditions were excellent. My friends used 16 gauge Sterlngworths while I opted for a Winchester 21 that I had been wanting to use. It's an early one from 1933 with 26 inch tubes and factory chokes of Cylinder and Modified which are just about perfect for woodcock in my opinion. To add a little nostalgia to the day I used a vintage box of Federal paper shells in 8 shot. The aroma was like the scent of perfume from some long ago girlfriend.

The cover is a pain to navigate but consistently produces.



The day started out a snappy 24 degrees but was above 50 when we finished.





We always finish with a toast to Hubertus, the patron saint of hunting and woodsmen. This time it was a salted caramel whiskey called Bird Dog LOL!!

[44whiskey]

glad dogs were not harmed, looks like a great day otherwise,thanks for posting and i wish i could get a whif of that aroma ha ha, regards Fred

[vaturkey]

Looks like typical Woodcock cover with the exception of I don't see Greenbriar which is everywhere in Va. Glad they didn't all bug out given how cold its been up there.

[ROMAC]

Tom, there was plenty of Greenbriar too. I carry a pair of Fiskers pruning sheers in my game bag to get out of what otherwise would be points of no return. They came in real handy more than once today.

Everything in the background in this picture is thick Greenbriar. We are standing in a rare open area about to follow the dogs. That's one of the best parts about the cover we hunt. It varies but all areas we have access to holds birds.

[Jeff S]

Congratulations on a tremendous hunt, and thanks for sharing your adventure.

Too bad about the dog. What are the snares used for?

[ROMAC]

Congratulations on a tremendous hunt, and thanks for sharing your adventure.

Too bad about the dog. What are the snares used for?

Fox & Coyotes

[Silvers]

Roger, it sounds like you're doing well on woodcock. Great days and "Good Deal", a term from my youth. Thanks for taking the time to post and share. Greenbrier can be tough on the dogs and us.

At least here in PA, snares are supposed to have limiters to keep them from closing too tightly in case a hunting dog is snared. The dog will surely struggle but at least the snare won't close completely. Personally I don't see snares being legal anywhere in civilized country where hunters and their dogs are out and about. Maybe in the true wilderness of the far north and way off the beaten path, as with trappers wintering over in remote cabins for months on end.

So it seems like your hunts end with a tip of spirit cups to Hubertus and with that in mind I'm wondering why you didn't bring a bottle of Brooklyn Handicap, the favorite Fox Fanatics’ hard likker to Hausmann's when you were there in June. Surely Steggy and I and others passing by would have had a sip while we fixed the trip on your Fox there on the tailgate. frank

[ROMAC]

The after hunt Spirits is a ritual started by my friend, Pat. I'm not a wet sock, but I'm not much of a drinker either.

I have a taste after the guns are put away but am always cognizant of the fact that I have a 1.5 hour ride back home in Bucks County, PA.

In regards to Brooklyn Handicap, I remember reading that it does not exist today, maybe not ever but I'm sure there could be a ritual, perhaps even a secret one known only to Fox Collector members that we could come up with to cause Woodford Reserve or some such other nectar to go through a form of "transubstantiation" whereby afterwards we could imbibe in the next best thing. Imagine a circle of XE and HE grade Foxes, barrels towards center, creating a vortex of energy around the chosen bottle, turning ordinary whiskey into Brooklyn Handicap. I can even see Steve wearing a mummers hat with a roll of Bologna in one hand while the other hovers over the proceedings. chanting the magic words......but I digress.

[vaturkey]

Tom, there was plenty of Greenbriar too. I carry a pair of Fiskers pruning sheers in my game bag to get out of what otherwise would be points of no return. They came in real handy more than once today.

Everything in the background in this picture is thick Greenbriar. We are standing in a rare open area about to follow the dogs. That's one of the best parts about the cover we hunt. It varies but all areas we have access to holds birds.



Roger, I hit it yesterday local to me, but way way far away from the coast and the birds here have all bugged out. One thing about Woodcock, here today gone tomorrow this time of the year. We had 3 dogs down yesterday and hit it for about 2 hours and had one pointed bird and he ran off the point and flushed 40 yards away. That cold snap we had either moved them further south or along the coast. It happens.

PS. 3 years ago we had a cold snap and it was the same thing. Normally we can find birds up till the last day of the season and in pretty decent numbers. Our foray yesterday turned into an armed walk. Will get out next week somewhere if it doesn't get too warm and try another area.

[Stan Hillis]

Thanks for the report on a great hunt, Roger. Pics were excellent. We call greenbriar by another couple monikers .......... Devil vine, and Wait A Minute vine. Some patches of it are impenetrable by a human. I hope to be hunting woodcock here soon. I've got a feeling the numbers are here, given the conditions.

[Jim Cloninger]

Fantastic, Roger! A coupe of things: Brooklyn Handicap was the wiskey that Horace was trying to get a drink of by betting against Captain Harold Money killing Mallards at Beaver Dam Lake in the story "De Shootinest Gent'man" by Nash Buckingham. Model 21's - I have 2, both made in 1935. A 16 gauge with factory chokes IC and IM and 28" barrel. Also, a 12 gauge with factory F and F chokes and 30" barrels.
Jim

[ROMAC]

I had a real sense of Deja Vu talking about Brooklyn Handicap and remembered a little research I did a few years ago.

What learned was that there is a body of evidence that could lead one to believe that Brooklyn Handicap is actually Gin!

I'm paraphrasing others work here so apologies if anybody recognizes it as their original research.

In the story "The Gallows-Bear" from Game Bag it talks about Hal taking a cork screw to a bottle of Brooklyn Handicap and adding it to sugar water and juice in a lemonade pitcher --- It also talks about everything from bears to men getting drunk on GIN ---

A quick Google search shows that "Gin Toddy" recipe is the following:

2 oz gin
Sugar water
1 tsp lemon juice

The mention of sugar, water, tall tumblers, and juice led the researchers to believe Brooklyn Handicap was actually Gin.

Add to that the first time Brooklyn Handicap was mentioned it was brought to Beaver Dam Ducking Club by Englishman Capt. Harold Money --- Englishmen are gin drinkers. Scots, Irish, and Americans are the whiskey drinkers. Gin was also a very popular drink in America in those days, and stayed that way from the early 1800's through the prohibition days of the roaring 20's (i.e. Bathtub Gin) Holland Gin was very popular in New York. because of its strong Dutch heritage. Capt. Harold Money lived in New York at the time of the story. Coney Island --- Brooklyn Handicap --- Does it all add up???

These are other Nash Buckingham drink references: ---Catawba, Black **** Gin, Beaver Dam Punch, Tree Top Tall, Saratoga Sours, and The Gin Squad

[44whiskey]

Good thread Roger, cheers

[ROMAC]

The NJ woodcock season ends tomorrow, January 3rd so I just had to get out one more time. We hit 2 coverts and spent almost 5 hours scratching out 2 birds in the first one then hit one more on the way home and bagged 2 more in 20 minutes. That's just the way it is sometimes.

My son and I managed to get about 9 flushes and were able to bag the four mentioned, 3 males and a really big female.

I used my restored 16 Gauge Sterlingworth with RST 2.5 inch paper shells in 7.5 shot, and my son used a B. Rizzini O/U 20.

It was a great way to finish up the season.

My son, Patrick

[44whiskey]

lovely O/U Roger,thanks for posting, Happy New Year and all the best,Fred