Woodcock Status Report 1970 PDF Download

Information on the current status and population trends of the American woodcock is provided by annual singing-ground surveys over much of the species' breeding range and a wing-collection survey in the eastern United States. the 1971 singing-ground survey showed declibnes in the breeding population index of 9.7% in the Atlantic Region, 7.2% of the Central Region, and 8.3% increase rangewide. The wing-collection survey for the 1970-71 season suggested the greatest 1-year change in productivity in the history of the survey -- a 25% increase. Average daily bag per hunter was unchanged from the previous year, while the average season bag showed a slight increase. There is evidence that the woodcock harvest and number of hunters participating have increased substantially since 1964, with the U.S. harvest exceeding 1.3 million birds. Woodcock research is increasing, with present emphasis on more banding on breeding grounds. Limited band recoveries to date suggest little interchange between Atlantic Region and Central Region breeding populations.