Woodcock are found mostly east of the Mississippi River. Their numbers are dropping but they are still fairly plentiful in early growth forests. They eat insects and worms so migrate from the north to the south in winter. They are about the size of a bobwhite but have long beaks, long legs, and big feet. Adult males will have beaks shorter than the width of a dollar bill, females will be longer.
Females and juveniles migrate earlier while males stick around. They do not travel in flocks but they will congregate in areas during the migration. A covert may be bare on one day and hold dozens the next depending on winds. Or, a covert will empty out just as quickly.
Timberdoodles, bog suckers, mudbats, et al generally sit tight to danger but I've seen more and more waddle out from a point, especially in heavily hunted areas. They are still great birds to work young pointers on.
Woodcock are found in in thicker, wetter ruffed grouse type cover in the north and "swamp quail" cover in the south. I find it most comfortable to wear rubber boots when targeting woodcock specifically.
I've done a lot of woodcock "hunting" in the spring,The chicks are hatched with feet 3/4 the size of adults. This allows one to band the chicks prior to flying. We use pointing dogs to locate broods and then net the chicks (and hopefully the hen) starting about now in the spring and continuing into June. One needs to be licensed and have experienced, good handling dogs to do this but it is a good way of learning about the bird and getting into the woods. Last weekend was a scouting session and 4 nests were found. The one should be hatching early next week with the other following over the next week and a half. The trick will be to find them even though the chicks will often be within a hundred yards of the nest for roughly the first week.
