The woodcock is one of the hardest game birds to hunt. He weighs from four to six and a half ounces, is of a golden color, with a large head and an ear that you could stick a lead pencil into. He is a sharp fellow, knows when you are after him, and is very tricky. He lives in timber swamps and about springy places the year around.

When in search of food the woodcock will go along in wet places and turn the right side of his head to the ground and listen to any noise which he may hear from under the surface of the ground. When he locates it he turns his head to the side again to make sure, and then puts the point of his two and a half inch bill on the ground and works it, making a sound like boring a hole in a board. When he gets started, he holds his bill in the ground, drawing his body close, then flutters his wings, which helps him to drive his bill down. He stands still a minute, and then proceeds to pull out a worm; this is the common fish worm and is his main food.

A good way to hunt woodcock is to hang a couple of bells on your dog's neck and send him in after the birds; as long as you hear the bells you will know he has found nothing, but when the bells stop, be sure the dog is on the point. Woodcock shooting is all snap, that is, hit or miss shooting, and nine times out of ten you cannot tell whether you have hit or not, the cover is so thick.

Here is where a nice retriever comes handy, to find the dead birds and retrieve them from all kinds of brush, grass and heavy cover, and bring them to you. When you shoot, order your dog to "Go hunt dead"; if you killed, he will bring it sure. If you don't kill, just keep a sharp lookout behind you and you will not fail to see the same bird again, as one of his pet tricks is to double back to the place he was in when shot at. This deceives the amateur, for few would think of looking for him in the same place the second time, but the experienced woodcock hunter is aware of the bird's tricks and will wait and try for him again.

The best load for woodcock is No. 9 or No. 10 shot.