2019\/20 can be considered a fairly regular hunting season, at least on my hunting grounds.<\/p>\n
With an average of 14 woodcocks caught for every 6-hours hunting session, it gives us an average of one bird for every half-hour spend hunting.<\/p>\n
As with every report, I try to be as abjective as I can, for we are surrounded by enough liars already!<\/p>\n
The smallest amount on a six-days session has been 59 woodcocks, the biggest amount 145 birds, only with pointing dogs.<\/p>\n
Noteworthy to say that this hunting group with “only” 59 birds has hunted with 80- to 100 km\/h winds on the first day, no one has seen any bird on that occasion.<\/p>\n
It has been the sole empty-handed day of the last three seasons.<\/p>\n
Migration, dogs, hunting grounds and the age of the captain might explain the rest of it.<\/p>\n
Quite noteworthy is the proportion of runaway birds, a trend observed by many woodcok hunters in France.<\/p>\n
Several possible explanations according to me : fir forests are well suited to woodcocks running away, and birds having been hunted already.<\/p>\n
This trend seems to indicate a change in behavior for birds that went through a hunting season and reproduced.<\/p>\n
A direct consequence is that woodcock hunting becomes more dynamic, and sole amateurs of kill count are looking elsewhere, but who will regret those hunters ?<\/p>\n
The hunters that came this year and endured me spent plenty of excellent moments with their dogs. Gilles’ Lavande was a prime example of a fantastic hunting dog with passion and stamina.<\/p>\n
Gun et Ola, two English setters, have offered us great pointing, in difficult conditions, and Oreo, a young pointer, has scored his first pointings as well.<\/p>\n
Great memories altogether!<\/p>\n\n\t\t