
oummary 
1. Bird dogs were used for woodcock inventory work in the longleaf 
pine section of Vernon, Natchitoches and Rapides Parishes, Louisiana, 
during the winter 195-55. 
2. Sight records indicated that woodcock were present in the area 
as early as September. 
3. The fourth week in November the dogs averaged a point per 0.75 
hours. Beginning with the third week of December through the first week 
of January, no woodcock finds were made. From the second week of Janu- 
ary up to mid-February, when inventory work was stopped, woodcock were 
found in fair to good numbers. 
. The peak week for woodcock finds, with a point per 0.3) hours, 
was the fourth week of January. The peak individual count was made on 
January 29, 1955. Ina 7-hour round the dogs averaged a point every 
0.25 hours. 
5. No woodcock finds were made in 20 hours of dog work during the 
last half of March. : 
6. The inventory showed more woodcock wintering in the longleaf 
pine section of west-central Louisiana in 195-55 than wintered there in 
1953-5h. In 1954-55 the dogs worked 123.5 hours, made 110 woodcock finds, 
and averaged a bird per 1.1 hours. In 1953-5h the dogs were down 232 
hours, found 120 woodcock, and averaged a point per 1.9 hours. 
7. Fall and winter precipitation was greater in 195-55 (22.6 
inches) than in 1953-5, (14.83 inches). Fall and winter rains are impor- 
tant in conditioning the piney-woods woodcock habitat and, seemingly, 
have a bearing on woodcock numbers. 

