
WINTERING WOCDCOCK POPULATIONS IN WEST-CENTRAL LOUISIANA, 195)-55 
Vincent 8. Reid and Phil Goodrum 
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
Alexandria, Louisiana 
Winter ing woodcock inventory work was conducted for the sixth season 
on longleaf pine lands of Vernon, Natchitcches and Rapides Parishes, 
Louisiana, from November 195 to February 15, 1955. | 
Method 
As in the past, bird dogs were used; a record was kept of the number 
of woodcock points made by the dogs and the time spent afield. Usually, 
two dogs were down at one time, 
Inventory Data 
Migration.--Dogs were not used in the field much before mid-November. 
However, some sight records indicate that woodcock were present in the 
area in September. Bryce Ledford, forest ranger, *vangeline Ranger Dis- 
trict, Kisatchie National Forest, flushed one woodcock the first week in 
September and a second bird during the third week in September. These 
observations were made on the Evangeline Ranger District about 10 miles 
southwest of Alexandria, Louisiana, in Rapides Parish. 
Table 1 shows the hcurs per find by weeks for the winter months. 
The fourth week of November the dogs averaged a point per 0.75 hours of 
work. Woodcock were found in fair and good numbers through the second 
week of December. From the third week of December through the first week 
of January no finds were made. This does not mean that there were no 
woodcock at all present during this period, but does indicate that they 
were fewer in number at this time. From the second week of January, until 
inventory work stopped in mid-¥ebruary, woodcock were found in fair to 
good numbers. 
The highest weekly count was made during the fourth week of January; 
the dogs averaged a point per 0.3 hours. In the winter 1953-5), the 
best average count was made during the third week of January when the 
dogs averaged a find every 0.5 hours afield. 
The best individual count made during the winter 195h-55 was on 
January 29, 1955; on this day the dogs averaged a point each 0.25 hours 
on a 7-hour run. The highest count for the preceding season was made 
on January 13, 195 when the dogs averaged a point per 0.) hours afield. 
