
Weather 
Inventory information accrued over the four-year period shows the 
importance of fall and winter rains in conditioning the piney woods 
section of west-central Louisiana as favorable woodcock habitat. Table 5 
shows the rainfall in inches, October through February, and the average 
number of hours per woodcock point for the season. The precipitation 
records are for the Leesville, Louisiana weather station which is close 
to the areas under observation. The dogs averaged a wodcock point per 
hour when fall and winter rains totaled 18 inches or more. When fall 
and winter rains dropped to 11 inches, as they did in 1951-52, the dogs 
averaged only a point per two hours afield. 
Precipitation totaled greater than 30 inches in the winter 199-50. 
Woodcock counts were consistently good in this area from December 1 to 
February 7, 1950. The dogs averaged a point perl. 4 hours or less afield 
all during this period except for the fourth week in January when the 
count rose to a point per 2.5 hours dog work (fig. 1). As a result of 
the heavy rains, the branches, bay galls, ravines, small creek and stream 
bottoms that finger through the piney woods contained water. The boggy 
hillsides, blackjack hillsides and post oak flats were moist. Feeding 
conditions were excellent for woodcock throughout the piney woods dur- 
ing the winter months. These favorable habitat conditions were, no 
doubt, responsible for holding the good woodcock numbers in this area 
all during the winter of 199-50. 
Table 5.--Precipitation in inches as recorded at the Leesville, La., 
weather station and woodcock inventory figures for the 
winters 199-50 winters 1949-50 through 19° 1952-53, 
Months ~— ot Hours per 
Winter Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Total | woodcock point 
1949-50 8.69 | 5.23 | 10.27 1.1 
1950-51 1.82 {10,82 1.98 lel 
1951-52 3.86 | 2.91 1.25 2.1 
1952-53 6.11 | 1.86 7.31 1.2 

Sex Ratio 
Twenty-four woodcock were collected during the winter. Thirteen 
of the birds were males; 11 were females. 
Weights 
The average weight of the 13 males was 149.1 grams. The heaviest 
bird weighed 168 grams; the lightest, 125 grams. The 11 females averaged 
196.3 grams. The heaviest bird weighed 210 grams and the lightest weighed 
180 grams. During the period December 1, 198 and January 26, 19h9, 
Goodrum weighed and sexed (post-mortem) 23 woodcock, 15 females and 8 
males. The females ranged in weight from 210 grams to 143 grams with 
an average of 172.8 grams. The males ranged in weight from 188 grams to 
143 grams with an average of 159.2 grams. 
Why 
