A fall drive to Douglas County has become an annual trip. For reference, Douglas County starts at Superior, Wis. and moves south along the Minnesota border for say, a half hour drive. It’s awesome country up there and a person doesn’t really need any other reason to go up there, but I went up there for the woodcock hunting.

First off, a woodcock is a small game bird with a distinct, long, slender bill for nabbing bugs, grubs and worms out of the ground. They are also called a timber doodle, bog sucker, night partridge, brush snipe, and mud bat. They are fantastic table fare. They are also fantastic flyers with the ability to shift gears and direction in the blink of an eye. Those are all the things that make them such a challenging and desirable game bird.

I hunted with my old high school classmate and friend Dave and his small Muensterlander bird dog named Falco. You may recall Dave from previous stories as an accomplished angler and Falco as a great boat partner and a confirmed fish licker. They have a remote and crude cabin in that area and I could easily write a couple stories on that alone. There is no insulation, no plumbing, no electricity, and a pretty healthy population of mice. All those things make it an amazing place, and I am thrilled every year to get invited up there. 

Oh, there’s one more thing that gives the cabin even more character. It’s walls are a historical journal of many hunts, outings, guests, events, and even a wedding. I also have a small record written on the wall next to the wood stove pipe.

Now to the hunt. It didn’t take long for Falco to rustle up a bird. He went on point and I intentionally hung back to watch it all play out exactly how I knew it would. Falco held tight and focused in on a bird and Dave moved swiftly in behind him. Without warning, the bird flushed and Dave swung on the bird and fired one shot. The bird folded and Falco was on task even before Dave said, “Falco, dead bird.” 

I’ve witnessed that same scene in past seasons and I’m always amazed how easy both hunters make that task look. Their skills are next level and when paired together they are just a treat to watch.

How’d I do? It took longer and more shells than I would have liked but I did finally connect on a bird. I slid in behind Falco’s point and lo and behold, the bird flushed exactly where I needed it to: straight up. Every other direction was riddled with cover and obstacles and when the bird cleared all the tops of the slashings, I fired a shot. The woodcock gods must have felt sorry for me because the bird folded and I received an atta boy from Dave and a perfect retrieve from Falco.

How many did I miss?  Would it be enough to say that my ego was bruised? I think my headline on the cabin wall is pretty accurate, “Humbled.”

Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook or at  ottwithdavebeck on Instagram for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by emailing him at dave@piercecountyjournal.news Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @thepiercecountyjournal