
Table .--Precipitation in Inches as Recorded at the Leesville, La. 
Weather Station and Woodcock Inventory Figures for the 
Winters, 1949-50 through 1953-5) 
: Months “~~; Hours per 
Winter : Oct. Nov. Dec. Jane Feb. Total : Woodcock Point 
1919-50: 7e7 «0028 = 869) 5023) = 10227) 32.21 lel 
era ¢ 1.71 2-47 %1.82 10.62 1.98 18.8 : lel 
1951-52 : 0.16 3.07 3.86 2.91 1.25 11.25 H 2el 
1952-53 +: 0.00 7.01 6.11 1.86 Te31l 22.29 : 1.2 
1953-5): 1652 3.601 6.61 2.37 0652 4.83 : 1.9 
a2 en 
le 
36 
he 
Se 
Te 
Ge 
SUMMARY 
The first woodcock was noted on October 25, 1953, 
There was a general movement of birds into the area the fifth week in 
November and except for the third and fourth week in December the 
counts remained fairly uniform through mid-February. 
Peak counts were made the first and third weeks of January with the dogs 
averaging a point per 0.7 hours and a point per 0.5 hours respectively. 
The highest individual count in the 1953-5 season was made on Janvary 
13 when the dogs averaged a point per 2) minutes. 
An effort was made to locate woodcock during March, April and May. 
The dogs worked 31.3 hours and found adult birds. An adult female 
with a brood of was found April 1, 195) on the Kisatchie National 
Forest in Natchitoches Parish. 
Fewer woodcock were found in 1953-5) than in 1952-53. In the period 
November 1, 1953 to February 25, 195) the dogs worked 232 hours and 
found 120 woodcock,. They averaged a point per 1.9 hours for this 
period. In the winter of 1952-53 the dogs averaged a point per 1.2 
hours. 
Fall and winter rains were lighter in 1953-5l than in 1952-53. Asa 
result there was less favorable woodcock feeding area in this piney- 
woods region. 
The fact that there was less moisture and consequently fewer favorable 
feeding places for woodcock in this area probably accounts for the 
fewer number of birds found during the inventory work in 1953-5h. 
A lesser amount of precipitation with resulting reduction in favor- 
able feeding area seems to be correlated with the number of woodcock 
recorded during the investigations. 
10 
