Fox Collectors

The gang and I got out for another woodcock hunt before the Christmas Holidays mess things up for us what with family obligations, gift giving, keeping up traditions, and gourmet meals and other such nonsense during hunting season.

It was a good time. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Faith had a lot of heart today and really worked the briars.



Emma was also super and staunch on point.



There was a lot of sign everywhere with chalk splash letting us know where they have been.



We all used 16's today, I had Reynard, my Gournet engraved custom Fox, one Buddy used a Sterlingworth and the other a minty Jaeger imported Masquelier from the 60's.



My first timberdoodle of the day lost quite a few feathers, some of which landed in a deep puddle. The winter sky and a barren tree made a nice reflection.



We toasted Hubertus before the drive home, wishing each other a merry Christmas and planned the next hunt before the season closes in early January.



Merry Christmas everybody!

Great report, Roger. Three of us hunted yesterday and had five flushes, but no success. Nice to live it vicariously through your group! Well done.

Stan

Thanks for sharing the pictures Roger,

Love those Brits, orange and white is my favorite, Emma looks good!

My son and I were going after grouse today, I thought of you finding woodcock over there in Jersey. With these warm tempatures, they're probably some in PA, what are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Stan Hoover

Roger, you sure know how to find the woodcock! Nice job.

fine job Roger,really enjoy story and pics. Merry Christmas friend,fred

Stan Hoover wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 10:16 pm Thanks for sharing the pictures Roger,

Love those Brits, orange and white is my favorite, Emma looks good!

My son and I were going after grouse today, I thought of you finding woodcock over there in Jersey. With these warm tempatures, they're probably some in PA, what are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Stan Hoover

Stan,

I live in PA but get an out of state license for New Jersey every year as well, from my experience the eastern side of Pennsylvania along their major flight path is too industrialized to attract them too far west along their flyway. Studies I've read say our birds are coming down mostly from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine and the travel the coastal regions where the soils are soft and produce copious amounts of worms in the top 6 inches of soil. Our flight birds hop the Delaware bay and continue south through Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The area around Cape Charles Virginia is another historic hot spot. It seems that they hold up there to feed and strengthen up before they cross the Chesapeake. I've found pockets of woodcock along the Susquehanna and up in the Poconos but never anywhere near in numbers that I find in Southern New Jersey. My hunting buddies want to chase the migration South after the NJ season closes hitting Maryland and Virginia. If I do it with them it would make a great newsletter article.

Like Willy Sutton said when asked why he robbed banks, “Because that's where the money is.”, that's why I go to New Jersey for Woodcock.

Roger,
Great report on the timberdoodle chase. Wow, all three guns being 16 gauge makes for a perfect woodcock hunt!! Love the intensity of your Britt! Very stylish! Well done!

Roger, so nice to see your Faith and Emma and your way cool Reynard out hunting and making memories; so many Fox smallbore customs seem to mainly gather dust except for show & tell sessions in the den or on a show table. Thank you for posting. A joyous Christmas to you and yours. frank

Foxnut wrote: ↑Sun Dec 24, 2023 7:37 am Roger,
Great report on the timberdoodle chase. Wow, all three guns being 16 gauge makes for a perfect woodcock hunt!! Love the intensity of your Britt! Very stylish! Well done!

I wish the Britts were mine! They belong to my friend Jimmie.

Here is the best picture of the day. She pointed that doodle for almost two minutes while we got to her and got the camera out. After the flush I was in position to make a great low and away shot to my left.

I have a friend who hunts the tidewater area of Va. As of last week they had not migrated down. He was there hunting Quail, but normally finds more Woodcock then Quail for sure. He found one Woodcock. I think the truly cold weather hasn't arrived to push most of the birds south. Actually I like that better. When our Va season opens again tomorrow there should still be a good many birds still in the area and some more birds moving down. I hunt the piedmont area and there are a few now, but certainly not in great numbers.

FWIW, I talked to a young lady Woodcock hunter who also has a Brit. I asked her what was the best day she can remember hunting Woodcock in Va. She recalled immediately it was in Nov of 2020. The last day of the first split she had 46 Pointed Woodcock in one day. She said it was like she was in a dream. I actually think the numbers are less now then what they were a few years ago. That's both in my home state of Virginia and in Michigan where I chase them in late October.