American Woodcock

[DuncNZ]

I am impressed with your pup, that is a lot of work for an 8 month old dog .
We don't have woodcock in New Zealand , I am limited to California Quail with my 20ga FL trade gun and 2 field type English springer spaniels , luckily there are lots of shingle river beds with lots of quail .
I called an Epagneul Breton a Brittany a few years ago and the lady owner reacted in a way that proved she was no lady .
When I am expecting birds I have my pan primed, gun on half cock , on tricky open ground I open the frizzen and dump the prime , then reprime when needed . And I hunt alone

 

[Britsmoothy]

But doesn't it have to be set on half cock to close the frizzen ? Mine does at least

No sir.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I hear your pretty good at shooting rockets ,seen the photos too !!!!!/Ed

??

 

[3Setters]

Ive tried walking around with my percussion gun at half cock but end up losing caps off the nipple. So i keep the hammers down until going in for the flush.

 

[DuncNZ]

Ive tried walking around with my percussion gun at half cock but end up losing caps off the nipple. So i keep the hammers down until going in for the flush.

I don't own any percussion guns any more but I seem to remember the cup on the end of the hammer came down over the nipple on half cock and prevented the caps coming off. Give the caps a careful squeeze to crimp them on the nipple or find a make with a tight fit .

 

[Bigpete]

No sir.

Interesting

 

[Rawhide67]

I haven't put up a woodcock in 10 years. Used to step on 1 or 2 every deer season. Would be nice to see one again, but i guess they are susceptible to habitat change like all other critters

 

[Bigpete]

I don't own any percussion guns any more but I seem to remember the cup on the end of the hammer came down over the nipple on half cock and prevented the caps coming off. Give the caps a careful squeeze to crimp them on the nipple or find a make with a tight fit .

Depending. My Seneca almost goes over the nipple on half cock,but neither my grundmann nor my Dikar even come close. The pinch the cap trick works well,I hunted for 5 hours the other day through scrub you couldn't see further than 10m in without losing a cap thanks to that little trick

 

[Brokennock]

I haven't put up a woodcock in 10 years. Used to step on 1 or 2 every deer season. Would be nice to see one again, but i guess they are susceptible to habitat change like all other critters

Very, very susceptible. They are too much of a specialist.
If a property is not continuously managed to keep them there it will often age through forest progression to a point it is no longer suitable to woodcock.

 

[stikshooter]

??

Guess it got lost in translation !!! You mentioned birds acting like rockets (blink and gone) and I mentioned admiring lots killed by you and help of your dog (nothing more ) than a very positive observation of your vast history of small game slaying with black powder guns /Ed

 

[jackpine54]

My lab and I spend many hours hunting ruffed grouse and woodcock. Miles of Aspen and old apple trees along the streams here. He usually runs right over the grouse and flushes them. If he goes on point it's probably a woodcock. I can't hear so we'll, even with hearing aids, so don't always see the grouse in time for a shot. The dog gives me some funny looks at times. The woodock are usually thick around here, so the dog get a few retrieves. He's a 4 year old chocolate pointing lab, goose retrieving machine. His record is 38 Canada geese retrieved in a morning, he was pooped. Sorry, proud dog guy bragging.

 

[fleener]

Here in the USA a Epagneul Breton is a Brittany Spaniel, or French Brittany. We have what is considered the American Brittany and several years ago the word Spaniel was dropped from the American Brittany I believe partly to distinguish it from the French Brittney Spaniel.

I did get a well intended lecture from a Epagneul Breton breeder regarding the differences when I was searching for a pup.

Fleener

 

[DuncNZ]

The trouble with all gundog breeds is that there are usually 2 different types with the same name , Field types bred for hunting and show types bred for their owners ego .
If you want a dog breed to go with your muzzle loader , look at the old paintings , you will see Spaniel types in abundance and lean pointer types , but not specifically identifiable breeds as we have now , that didn't really start until Kennel clubs got started in 1873 .
Mary Queen of Scots circa mid 1500's had a water spaniel so they go a long way back .
The problem with paintings is they were done for rich patrons who wanted to be seen in the best light and were painted to an ideal not a reality . Labradors and Chesapeake's were not around until the end of the BP era and well after ML had ended , with the exception of punt guns .

 

[Sparkitoff]

Tried again in a different National First. Moved about 16 birds in the day. A friend has ac springer spaniel and I hunted and shot one over that dog. Not my thing, I put my EB pointing dog in the ground. She had 5 solid, broke finds and I managed to kill 2 for ac limit of 3. Today was the first day with the “old” lightweight Pedersoli. What a joy to carry. No elbow, wrist or shoulder pain for me. First shot ever by me with this gun knocked down a woodcock. I started with square 1-ounce loads with #8 shot that were already, intended for my 20 gauge. However, the last 2 birds were taken with a 1-ounce scoop of powder and 1 1/8 ounce #6 because that’s what my shot punch is set for and loaded with. The gun didn’t seem to mind.

 

[fleener]

Sparkitoff

You have mentioned "square 1-ounce loads". What do you mean by a square load?

Thanks

Fleener

 

[3Setters]

Spark, leave a few for the return trip north. Dogs and i are anxiously awaiting their arrival.

 

[Sparkitoff]

The amount of powder is the same amount as the amount of shot volumetrically. That's a square load.

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

My Gordon Setter pointing Woodcock here in Virginia. They are fun, that's for sure.

 

[Sparkitoff]

I usually express it in ounces because that is how the scoop is marked, but it is certainly NOT ounces of powder...LOL. I guess if your scoop is marked in grains you would say for example: 80 grains scoop of powder and shot. I would say 1-ounce scoop of powder and shot with my accessories.

 

[Sparkitoff]

I don't see many Gordon Setter's. Pretty cool. The cover looks just like the stuff I find them in in NC and TX.