While the illegal kill of woodceock in South Louisiana certainly 
was greater than it would have been had the birds remained in their 
normal range, we feel that it was not so great as to make serious in- 
roads into the population as a whole. It should be remembered that a 
certain -number of woodcock are killed illegally every winter, principal- 
ly by quail hunters. The quail season in Louisiana remains open until 
February 10, and for all practical purposes, it might be said that the 
woodcoeck season is also open at least until that date. 
Summary 
Louisiana was swept by severe cold weather in the period between. 
January 29 and February 3. Cold forced woodcock to leave their normal 
wintering grounds in inland Louisiana, and move southward to the coastal — 
parishes. For a while it looked as though these birds faced a disaster 
similar to that experienced during the last big freeze in January 1910. 
Fortunately the 1951 cold wave, while severe, was not of such long 
duration. | 
Woodeock suffered some loss of body weight during their emergency 
sojourn in southern Louisiana, but at no time were they in serious . 
danger from exposure or starvation. An undetermined number of birds 
was lost due to illegal hunting, but this loss seems not to be of in- 
mediate consequence to the total woodcock population. 
