It’s in the bag

Shotguns in the smaller gauges are about all a hunter needs to kill woodcock, a small, fast-flying upland gamebird.

Like hunters who target different gamebirds and small-game species, woodcock hunters have bag limits and possession limits to think about during the season.

The daily bag limit for woodcock is three birds. Hunters often get into trouble when a group shares in the total bag. For example, two hunters might wind up with six birds after a day’s hunt, which is what the law allows. However, if one hunter shot four birds and the other two, one has broken the law.

Possession limits are set on a species-by-species basis. The possession limit for woodcock is nine birds per hunter, or three times the daily bag limit. The purpose is to allow hunters who are travelling overnight to hunt to legally possess more than the daily bag limit while on a multi-day hunting trip.

About Pete Rogers 161 Articles
Pete Rogers of Taylors, S.C., is employed with the USDA Wildlife Services and has been a sporting writer and photographer for over a decade. He has a real passion for trapping and enjoys sharing his outdoors experiences with his wife and five children.

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