Unfortunately, they don’t all fall dead to the shot as we’d hope. This is one of the reasons we love our dogs, not only for finding and pointing game but also as indispensable tools for finding the birds after the shot.

Woodcock are hard to spot most of the time on the ground anyway, but when they are burrowed under cover in an attempt to hide after the shot, they can be impossible! Without a trusted dog with the nose and desire to find them, many would go unrecovered. Even with a dog, much of it relies on us, the handler; this is not a time for impatience to rush off to find another. We owe it to the birds and any game we pursue, for that matter, to make every effort possible for the recovery.

I like to get near where I believe the fall occurred and just stand still. Let the dog work around the area and give them every opportunity to make game. This is an amazing time to watch dog work: the joy I feel and the excitement the dog displays when they find the bird are very fulfilling parts of the bird dog life.

Take those extra few minutes, they are worth it!