Adventures Outdoors'

IN WISCONSIN

Woodcocks seem to be the topic in most woodcock combo articles, but woodcocks, ducks and pheasants? I don’t adorn the English vest, high top boots nor shoot game birds with an over and under. I don’t search out earthworm hangouts or follow migration patterns of the little chunky guys, but I do love to shoot them. I’ve never seen woodcocks while grouse hunting in Wisconsin. I have however seen them while hunting ducks and pheasants. The grouse I hunt are usually in drier ground than woodcocks prefer.

I only know of a handful of spots to find them and locate them mostly by accident while jump shooting ducks or flushing put and take pheasants. Stalking slowly down the thick shores of rivers and creeks and climbing through thickets has been the most successful tactic I’ve found in southern Wisconsin. Numerous public hunting areas abound with this type of cover.

Which brings me to pheasants. After being released, pen raised pheasants wander around a little and when the pressure of the hunt is upon them will seek out think dark areas to hide. They’re not familiar with the area and lots of times get into areas that are wet or moist. Usually little pressure is in places like this and they stay there. At least until dark.

When I hunt pen raised birds I put on my hip boats and look for these areas. I leave the big fields to the pointer guys and head to the thickets with my labs. The smell holds good in thick areas and I can slowly and quietly sneak through the brush letting the dogs dig out the birds. Along the way you’re likely to find some high moist ground with five to ten foot bushes and trees with little to no ground cover allowing small birds to easily move around beneath the canopy protected from raptors. Usually you’ll find woodcock smack dab in the middle of these thickets. That’s where they live.

Around the opener of pheasant hunting in Wisconsin is a great time for this type of combo hunt in the southern portion of the state. Opening of pheasant is at noon, so start out along a river or in a marsh for some early morning ducks. Than grab some carbs and move into the edge of a thicket, slowly moving into the thickest of cover. The shooting will be fast but you’ll most likely be alone.

My two sons and I arrived late on a recent opener to the hunting grounds. Cory, my eldest son was serving in the Navy and only had a couple of days leave. We contacted my Dad and Uncle via are two-way radios who were already looking for a pheasant they shot deep in some cattails. I decided to take the kids into another thicket.

Even though we didn’t have hip boots on, it was a warm day and knowing we only had a couple hours to hunt because of a party engagement we decided wet boots for two hours was worth it.

As we entered the thicket I noticed Peggy, one of our two labs was getting birdie. I told the boys to get ready. The dog was to my right and definitely on the trail of something. Than in front of Cory a timberdoodle exploded into the air. He only got off one shot and immediately lost sight of the bird. "Did you hit it?" I asked. "Not sure he replied".

While looking for the bird I glanced over to see Xena, our other lab lunging into the brush. Just as I turned a rooster shot out of the cover screaming. One shot had the bird down. Xena brought the bird back and I admired its long tail feathers. I quickly checked to see if it had a hole through the nostrils caused by a clip the DNR puts in pen raised pheasants. I have shot wild pheasants in these particular public hunting grounds before but this one did have the hole.

We worked this two acre piece of thicket slowly and put up a couple dozen more woodcocks shooting four in total. It was a challenge for the dogs finding these little buggers and a challenge for us hitting them, although we didn’t get another rooster we still had a great little combo hunt.

Timberdoodles are great fun when discovered. And getting some ducks and pheasants with them creates a fantastic hunt, not to mention an interesting meal.

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