Y'all probably thought this was a Quail hunting post. HA!
Pictures from my last Snipe Hunt of the Season. Forum member Long Haired Dave also on this hunt. He left his flashlight and sack at home so we had to use guns this time.

Look real close in the bottom left of this picture and you can see a Snipe landing. I was limited out in like 45 minutes and before Dave, so I stayed back and played around with the camera.



I somehow caught this Snipe on a fly-by picture. On this hunt I had a Snipe fly at me to fast for me to shoot it head on. It came so close to my right ear that I had to dodge it. I was too startled to turn and take the going away shot. I regret not thinking to raise the but of my gun and bat it out of the sky.



Dave again. I am sure he is a little warm in those waders. I wear hip boots myself.



A couple Teal upset with our bird hunting.



I just can't decide which of these I like best, so I am going to post them both. In the first picture I left in the background an old abandoned Decoy that was on the bank. The second one is kinda neat in that it shows the gold Snipe on the bottom of my shotgun.





Then I got this Idea for the picture. Not especially happy with my camera on this day, but being in the water and mud all the time and it did get wet and muddy a couple times; I don't dare take a better one for hunts like this.



And that's my last Snipe hunt. Short morning of shooting and back on the road by lunchtime. My shooting is never very consistent. Not sure why, but this day, was about the best I have shot all year.
I certainly had some misses, but most of the successful shots on this hunt where long difficult ones. I was definately "in the zone" as they say. I hope it continues for next time. Hope y'all enjoy the pictures and another look into my kind of hunting.
John

If I weren't episcopalian, I'd say, Gawd, Dam....

If I weren't Lutheran, I'd say schucks...

Nice. If anyone in the outdoor world is going to write an article on snipe hunting, I sure hope they find you. Or maybe you need to keep it secret for just us THFers.

Great pictures!!

very cool pics

Great end to a memorable year for the Snipe, glad you got a few more "hooked"
Hope Snipe hunting doesn't ever get like public duck hunting and the way it is on the forums, then you'll have to start "fixing" your photos to hide your good spots!!!!!

I know nothing about snipe, but that bill looks a little like a woodcock, are they related?

John,

I haven't been snipe hunting since I was in sixth grade on a youth group camp out. We took the younger kids into the woods at night with the paper sacks...just as was done to us in previous years.

I sure have enjoyed your adventures and pictures this year. Would like to tag along on a real snipe hunt next season. Thanks for all the sharing this season.

BTW, how is Blaze? Haven't been checking as much lately...is she healed up?

Cable,
Blaze is doing great and her batteries are charged! Okbowhunter and I are headed north to Oklahoma for a Crow hunt tomorrow. Blaze will be tagging along of course.

Thank you for the comments sir. I was in boy scouts many years. Senior Patrol Leader for my troop, Order of the Arrow, Oak Leaf, 1978 National Jamboree, etc. I took many a kid on his first Snipe hunt in the dark and abandoning them with no flashlight to find their way back to camp alone. Right of passage.....

Remind me next year. We will go Snipe Hunting. For real.

DallasKeith,
You know I don't roll that way. I have never "fixed" my duck hunting pictures. Well maybe when I was a guest perhaps, but not if I am the host.

Chet,
Yes, somewhat, they are both classified as shorebirds even though Woodcock are more of a woodland bird. I had the pleasure to hunt Woodcock a few times one year near Waskom Texas. I have yet to find a decent Texas public land place to hunt them. I will probably go to Louisiana in the next one to three years just so I can hunt them again. Much easier walking than Snipe hunting for sure.

Glad she is back up to speed. I will be looking forward to next season.

Awesome count.

John I hear Circuit City has a good deal on cameras.