The start of Woodcock Season in North Carolina

As an upland bird hunter living in North Carolina, December is the month I look forward to most. That’s when woodcock season opens here, and each year it feels like a fresh start.
In November, I spend time scouting the areas around me. This year, I found no shortage of birds, which usually means a mix of resident birds and early migratory woodcock passing through. When the season opened on December 11th, I headed to a new spot I’d identified during scouting—and it turned out to be the perfect way to start the season.
Less than forty minutes after turning the dogs loose, I had my limit of three woodcock. Koko, Rose, and Ty all took part in the action, and we even capped the hunt with a water retrieve—always a fun bonus when you’re hunting behind versatile dogs.

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A Small Setback for Rose
After taking photos of the dogs with the birds, I noticed blood on both Rose and Ty. A closer look showed it was coming from Rose’s ear—one of those small cuts, likely from a thorn, that just wouldn’t stop bleeding. I heeled her back to the truck and treated it once we got home.
That meant a couple of days in a bandage and crate rest for Rose, but after three days she was back in action and ready to hunt again.
The following day, I hunted a different spot and found birds there as well, including another water retrieve. One of the reasons I enjoy scouting is that it allows me to rotate spots and reduce pressure on areas that have produced in the past. Even two weeks into the season, I haven’t returned to any single location more than twice—and I’ve been fortunate to be successful on every hunt so far.
This year, I’m also participating in a harvest survey with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It’s been interesting to track how often I hunt, how many locations I cover, and how success changes as the season progresses. With a month still left, it will be fun to see how migration patterns shift as colder weather sets in.

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Performance in Tight Cover
The dogs have been doing exceptionally well.  Koko is a natural in the woodcock woods—this is where she truly shines. Her pace, range, steadiness, and nose for woodcock result in her finding at least half the birds on most hunts. She simply finds and holds woodcock.
Rose also does well on woodcock and consistently searches the right cover. While her nose isn’t quite as dialed in on woodcock as Koko’s, she’s still an excellent bird finder and can out-hustle just about any dog she’s braced with. Interestingly, when we’re hunting prairie birds out west, the roles reverse—Rose becomes the standout, with Koko close behind.
This has been Ty’s first season hunting woodcock, and it’s taken a little time for the two of us to learn each other. One thing I’ve come to understand is that Ty doesn’t hear well out of his left ear. In thick woodcock cover, where dogs can disappear quickly, that presents a challenge. When I call him back, he always looks to the right—no matter where I’m standing—and heads that direction. From Ty’s perspective, sound always comes from his right side.
His sire, Brother, also lost hearing in one ear as he aged, so this is familiar territory for me. It’s simply a matter of patience and managing distance, and Ty continues to improve with each outing.  After a couple of weeks in the woods, Ty has figured out the woodcock game and had pointed a retrieved a few birds for me.  Not bad for his first time chasing timber doodles!

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A Special Hunt with Rose and Whiskey
One memorable hunt this season was getting Whiskey and Rose (the sire and dam of our upcoming B-litter) on woodcock together. While visiting my mother in eastern North Carolina, I met up with Lee Scripture for a morning hunt.  
​The hunt started slow, but toward the end we got into birds. Rose had a nice find, Koko worked in from behind, and Lee brought Whiskey in for a clean back. I went in to flush, got a decent shot, but missed. Lee had a large tree between him and the bird and couldn’t get a shot off.
As we worked back toward the truck, the dogs got birdy again in some thick, briary cover. Rose locked up tight in a mess of thorns. It took some effort—and more than a few scratches—for me to reach her. When I finally got there, she was rock solid, but nothing flushed. I tried releasing her, but she wouldn’t budge. After a few more encouragements, she broke and took off through the brush.
Whiskey worked into the understory, following the scent. Suddenly, Rose swung back around, plunged her face into the leaves, and came up with a woodcock in her mouth. The bird had been there the entire time.
For as long as I’ve been hunting, I’ve said that a dog can’t catch a wild bird. Rose proved me wrong.

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Hunting with the Next Generation
Another highlight was hunting Koko alongside one of her pups from the A litter--Vanguard Ada May. Ada’s owner, Keith Marek, and I met at a local spot and hunted together for about four hours.
The first half of the hunt covered several miles with only a few bird contacts toward the end. It was rewarding to watch mother and daughter work together for the first time. By the second half of the hunt, Ada—only seven months old—was starting to tire, so I brought Rose out to give us some extra dog power.
The birds we found in the second half were buried in thick cover. While Rose did contribute, every one of the four woodcock we put in the bag was found by Koko. She was exceptional.
Ada had a great first woodcock outing. She’s a cooperative young dog, and it’s easy to see the foundation of an excellent upland dog already in place. I’m excited to watch her develop into the kind of bird dog her genetics promise.