Anyone have a source for woodcock

[cornmuse 0]

One of the few pelts I don't have. Talked to a hunter friend who says they have a season for them in Minnesota but he's never hunted them and doesnt even remember seeing any. I've not found any in the usual spots (but I haven't really looked that hard). Any suggestions...

 

Joe C.

[Guest]

Joe, the only souce I could find is here: http://www.flyfield.com/feath&skin.htm

 

They don't have the skins just a bag of feathers.

[Lance Kekel 0]

They're not a very easy bird to skin. I usually shoot some over my dogs every year and I tried to skin one gracefully once. nothin' doin.....

[Alex C. 0]

We get some good flights of them through northern michigan. Usually flush a few evertime out for grouse. Best time of year for them is the last week of september, usually.

[7wt 0]

Funny you should ask...I will be in Wisconsin in a couple of weeks to kill me a few. They are VERY hard to skin. The Gordon I hunt over likes to hide them after I shoot them, but for me, there is nothing I would rather hunt.

[cornmuse 0]

Well if any of you gent who hunt these critters would care to work out a trade, I'm certainly interested. Thanks.

 

Joe C.

[Redleg 0]

Next time I can get out I'll try to save you some feathers. I'll try to pluck some clean ones, not sure I want to mess with skinning them and mailing a skin. I ussume 2 wings, a tail and some breast?

 

If you get a chance or have a source, I can always use wood duck (barred and not barred), and some bronze, mallard flank.

Don

[Bud Guidry 0]

the migration of woodcock are governed by the freeze line. if the ground is frozen you can bet their farther south. we get them here by hugh numbers in december or right before a freeze comes thru. briars or any tangle of vegetation will hold them as long as the ground is damp. we knock the crap out of them while rabbit hunting with beagles although their numbers have not been up to par with what we'd see a few years back. Jens philgaard may have some skins avalible but he's in denmark.

 

 

Bud

[Joe Hard 0]

I saw a website a few days ago that had woodcock wings for sale. I will find it. I was also given a big bag of black duck feathers, they were from a hunt. The person who gave them to me told me that they couldnt get any more because they were going hunting for woodcock. Are they any good he asks. Ohh yea I said real good, get me a skin or two. When I find the web site and get some of the hunted birds I will let you know. By the way, if it wasnt for this post I would of replied yea good for nothing. I have hunted woodcock. I made a real mess cleaning the first bird, it was given to my cats. That was the last one I ever hunted.

[maddog48 0]

I got some wings from Badger Creek Fly Tying. Check him out at www.eflytyer.com.

 

 

Mike

 

[Alex C. 0]

I heard somewhere that they are illegal to sell since they are migratory :dunno:

Got a few plucked and bagged though, what area of the body do the best feathers for tying wets come from?

[cornmuse 0]

I heard somewhere that they are illegal to sell since they are migratory :dunno:

Got a few plucked and bagged though, what area of the body do the best feathers for tying wets come from?

 

For tying the traditional north country spider, the feathers should come from the shoulder of the bird. Those are the feathers I've been most interested in. I have what can be termed an "unhealthy" :devil: fascination with soft hackle flies - I use them often for smallmouth, bluegill, trout and others. And I love the way they look when they are tied correctly. I've got a little C&F box with a swing page than holds something like 280 flies and it is almost (ALMOST :headbang: ) filled with a selection of various spiders in sizes 10 to 20 with emphasis on 12's and 14's. I love that Stewart Spider with the starling hackle!

 

You can use paired slips of the wing primaries for quill wings on small flies, too.

 

Joe C.

 

[Alex C. 0]

thanks cornmuse