4.95 - Woodcock Limited

Skydance
$ 4.95
The official publication of Woodcock Limited
Spring/Summer 2013
Volume I Number 2
IN THIS ISSUE
President’s Message:
The Second Decade
East Texas Timberdoodles:
Winter In The Pineywoods
On Bird Dogs: Selecting And
Working With A Dog Trainer
Reflections Of A Shooting
Guest: George Bird Evans
And Kay Evans
Janet Nyce: 2013 Sybil Ludington Award
Chapter News
Sponsor Spotlight:
1
2
9
12
16
17
21
Cover art:
“Sunset Woodcock”
by Ned Smith
prints available at Woodcock Limited
member discount - see page 20
courtesy of Ned Smith Center for Nature & Art,
Millersburg, PA
Woodcock Limited,
a 501 (3) (c) non-profit
conservation organization,
was founded in 2003.
We are a Fraternity of Hunters
and Other Conservationists
dedicated to the welfare
of the American woodcock.
Woodcock Limited
242 Baxter Road
Montoursville PA 17754
Phone: 570-435-3487
Website: www.woodcocklimited.com
Skydance, the official magazine of Woodcock Limited, is published twice annually,
autumn/winter and spring/summer.
Editor: Marcus Schneck
mschneck@comcast.net
Editorial Committee:
Joseph J. Faux, Marcus Schneck
and Timberdoodle Tommy.
Board Members/Officers:
Joseph J. Faux, President
Pennsylvania
Michael Kotay, Secretary
Pennsylvania
James Nyce, Treasurer
Pennsylvania
Copyright
Nothing that appears in the pages of
Skydance may be reproduced in any
form without the express, written
permission of Woodcock Limited.
Robert Friedl
Pennsylvania
Tom Kisieleski
Massachusetts
Michael Rose
Michigan
D. Randolph Street
Louisiana
FROM THE PRESIDENT
The Second Decade Begins
For those of you new to Woodcock Limited, we’re a 501 (3)
(c) non-profit conservation organization founded in 2003 and
newly reorganized in 2011. We are a Fraternity of Hunters and
other Conservationists dedicated to the welfare of the American
woodcock. Our goal is to positively impact woodcock populations across the breadth of the species’ range, which encompasses about twenty-seven states as well as several Canadian
provinces.
As we begin our second decade we have some lofty goals
photo by Mark Nale
in mind.
In time, we hope to have State/Provincial and/or Regional
Chapters representing all of the states and provinces within the woodcock’s range.
The goal of Woodcock Limited is to enable these Chapters to do the educational
and habitat work needed in their own individual areas. We recognize that work
done on a local level actually benefits the bird across its range, as the sum total of
all these individual projects benefits the woodcock exponentially.
We have helped to fund various research projects during our first decade and we
hope to provide even more funding for meaningful research on woodcock, woodcock management, and woodcock habitat as we go forward.
Currently we are working in the Central Flyway to open more public land for
woodcock hunting. We will continue to be an advocate for expanded hunting opportunities wherever it is appropriate.
One of the difficulties facing all conservation organizations today is engaging
people in a manner which will entice them to become shareholders in the efforts
of that organization. We’ll seek to expand the educational and outreach work we
do through new publications and by using the social media in new ways as much
as possible.
Habitat work, much of it hands-on, will continue to be expanded. The PLOW
(Private Land Opportunities for Woodcock) Program will have a national coordinator to help it move forward.
We’re sure that during our second decade many of these goals will be furtherrefined and that new goals will emerge. Through it all, we’ll strive to make our
work as meaningful as possible, and as enervating for our members as we can.
Thanks again for joining us in our quest to help put more woodcock on the
ground.
Until next time, be safe – and help make a difference!
Skydance 1
Field Technicians collecting habitat data.
EAST TEXAS TIMBERDOODLES
Winter In The Pineywoods
BY DAN SULLINS and
WARREN CONWAY
Historically, the East Texas Pineywoods
were largely composed of open pine savannahs with densely vegetated mixed pinehardwood and hardwood riparian areas.
Shortleaf pine dominated the northern half
while longleaf pine covered the southern
half; both were widely spaced, providing
ample room for the tallgrass prairie component that flourished in these fire driven systems. In the far southeastern portions of the
Pineywoods is a region referred to as the Big
2 Skydance
Thicket (now the Big Thicket National Preserve). Characterized by dense understory
and overstory forests (hence the name), the
Big Thicket stretched along southern portions of the Trinity, Neches, Angelina, and
Sabine rivers and their associated flood
plains and creeks. Dense thickets of both
small and large hardwood spanned drainages creating barriers among more easily
navigable upland savannah habitats. Beginning at the divide of shortleaf and longleaf
ecotypes near Nacogdoches, Texas a transition from rolling hills to flatlands occurs
continued on page 3
EAST TEXAS TIMBERDOODLES
English setter pointing a woodcock during surveys.
continued from page 3
across which the streams, floodplains, and
rivers widened. A labyrinth of cover types
ranging from canebrakes, mature beechmagnolia forests, prairies, to upland pine
savannah resided along undulating gradients of soil texture and moisture.
American woodcock occurrence and
habitat use in pre European settlement east
Texas is not well documented, and speculation about its occurrence during summer near Caddo Lake in northeast Texas
revolved around its potential movement
to that region from the Big Thicket. The
upland open pine savannahs were more
suitable for Northern bobwhite and wild
turkey than for woodcock, but it is likely
that during any winter, no matter what the
habitat conditions and/or precipitation patterns were, some portion of the landscape
featured the moist soil and dense overhead
cover required by woodcock. After Euro-
pean settlement, east Texas was essentially
cutover for timber, then plowed and planted
to grow cotton, where eventually the shallow erodible topsoil layer diminished and
cotton farming was no longer viable. Row
crop agriculture was then replaced by large,
industrial timber production, which did
not require the rich fertile soils needed to
sustain cotton farming. It is difficult to
comprehend what once was ideal woodcock habitat in east Texas and there are no
baseline data to determine truly optimal
habitat or occurrence throughout much of
the first half of the 20th Century. However,
the American woodcock has proven to be
very adept and successful in making use of
current pine plantations and National Forest
land throughout the Pineywoods.
Today, the east Texas landscape has
changed drastically since European settlement. Almost all of the pine savannah was
continued on page 4
Skydance 3
EAST TEXAS TIMBERDOODLES
continued from page 3
cutover by 1930, and fire has largely been
removed as disturbance factor driving landscape patterns . Second (or third) growth
forests of mixed hardwoods and loblolly
pines dominate private timberlands and the
four National Forests in East Texas. Most
private lands are comprised of a mosaic
of even age stands of loblolly pine on 1825 year harvest cycles. Woodcock appear
to have adapted well to these changes and
can be found during winter in most cover
types and forest age classes throughout the
region. However, available habitat has not
been quantified and habitat use across the
landscape, both spatially and temporally,
encompassing periods of flood and drought,
is not well understood. Our current research being conducted through Stephen
F. Austin State University seeks to identify
regionally important habitats across a range
of landcover types in east Texas.
Our field research was conducted during winters of 2010-2011 and 2011-2012,
where woodcock surveys were performed
along secondary roads in the Davy Crockett National Forest in Houston and Trinity
counties, and on a private timber property
in San Augustine County, Texas. The 5,900
acre private property contained stands of
even-aged loblolly pine timber interspersed
with mixed pine/hardwood streamside management zones, where management consists of traditional industrial forest management practices. The > 150,000 acre Davy
Crockett National Forest is predominately
second growth mature loblolly pine with a
hardwood understory and has small patches
of bottomland hardwoods and mixed pine
hardwoods throughout. Management on the
Davy Crockett National Forest incorporates
selective thinning, cool season prescribed
burning, and habitat management for the
endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.
We conducted woodcock surveys using a
pointing dog (English setter) affixed with a
GPS collar from December, 31 2010 –Febcontinued on page 5
Pine sapling regeneration on the edge of a stream side management zone of the Private Timber property San Augustine County, Texas.
4 Skydance
EAST TEXAS TIMBERDOODLES
continued from page 4
ruary, 12 2011and November 8,
2011- February, 28 2012. We
began each survey at the center
point of each survey site (circle)
and each survey lasted an hour
and a half. Each site was surveyed at least three times each
winter, where once woodcock
were located, their locations
were recorded using a GPS. Because the pointing dog was wearing a GPS-track collar, we could
calculate the dog’s travel path
and area searched during each
survey.
We performed nearly 180 surveys during this research, with
301 flush events being recorded.
In 2010-2011 alone, we traversed > 500 km during pointing
dog surveys. In the first year,
we observed that all survey sites
continued on page 6
Study areas in the Pineywoods ecoregion of Texas.
Streamside cane habitat on the Davy Crockett National Forest. Photo by Thomas Riecke
Skydance 5
EAST TEXAS TIMBERDOODLES
continued from page 5
on the private timber study area and 77%
(14/18) of National Forest survey sites were
occupied by at least one woodcock, where
1.7 birds were flushed per survey on both
sites combined. In 2011-2012, we observed
that 17 of 24 plots, including all survey sites
on the private timber site and 61% (11/18)
of National Forest plots were occupied by
at least one woodcock, where 1.6 birds were
flushed per survey on both study areas combined in this second year. For both winters
combined, woodcock were present during
at least one survey on 21 of 24 survey sites.
Only 1-3 woodcock were found on 50% of
occupied sites and a maximum of 8 woodcock were flushed during an individual survey.
Our survey results indicated that unoccupied sites had a prominent upland mature
pine or hardwood component with excessively drained sandy soils. Within survey
sites, we determined that the greatest wood-
cock densities occurred in small stream and
riparian seasonally flooded hardwood forests, followed by young (1-3 m tall) pine
forests, while upland deciduous forests had
the lowest densities. Woodcock were often
located under any available cover close to
riparian or wetland areas including sapling
pine trees, dewberry vines wax myrtle,
cane, sapling hardwoods, Chinese privet,
yaupon holly, American holly, and American beautyberry.
During winter of 2011-2012, three survey sites occupied the prior winter were
vacated and one previously unoccupied
site was colonized on the Davy Crockett
National Forest. There was no turnover in
occupancy at sites located on the private
land, as all sites were occupied at some time
during both years. However, the maximum
number of flushing events occurred on differing sites each winter for both study areas. On the private land, sites holding the
continued on page 7
English setter pointing a woodcock during surveys on the Davy Crockett National Forest.
Photo by Andrew Bennett
6 Skydance
EAST TEXAS TIMBERDOODLES
continued from page 5
most woodcock had a good amount of 3
to 5 year old plantation with tress 15 to
20’ tall, with nearly shaded out dying
undergrowth of beautyberry, briars, and
blackberry vines. On the Davy Crockett
National Forest, sites holding the most
woodcock varied between winters, where
in the first year, most woodcock were
found along a cane dominated stream,
while in the second year, the greatest
number of woodcock were found in a site
having dense pine sapling regeneration in
a hurricane blow-down area. Most birds
were found on fine sandy loams.
In December 2010, all sites were in
the midst of extreme drought, and by the
start of 2011-2012 surveys (in November)
both study areas were under exceptional
drought conditions. However, by the end
of February 2012 drought conditions lessened to only “severe” on National Forest
sites and to moderate on timber property Map of a dog track log from a survey on the
sites, due to mid and late January precipi- Davy Crockett National Forest.
tation, which was the only substantial precipitation occurring in both seasons of the study. During the first winter, woodcock were
found in the lowest elevation portions of survey areas in close proximity to creek and river
channels, next to springs, or on the fringes of drying beaver ponds and swamps through the
first winter and half of the second winter of surveys. Dry conditions prevailed throughout
spring, summer, and fall of 2011, effectively drying out forested wetlands and riparian areas, particularly on the National Forest - the edges of which no longer provided soft moist
soil habitat for woodcock during 2011-2012. After significant late January precipitation in
2012, woodcock were found at slightly higher elevation locations in sapling and pole pine
stands on both study areas.
Throughout all surveys woodcock proved adept at existing in multiple landcover types,
where habitat use was not dependent on specific plant species, but cover-structure provided. However, certain species providing necessary cover requirements may be critical during dry years. For example, we determined that cane thickets were havens for woodcock
in during the dry years of the study. The thickets often provide the requisite soft most soil
habitats and adequate cover, but also serve to slow overland flow during flood events, trap
nutrient rich sediments, and provide suitable probing substrate for woodcock. Such cane
thickets have been greatly reduced, and are considered locally and regionally rare throughout the Southeast. Loss of cane thickets have likely been greatest in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley where forest and thickets along the Mississippi River have been replaced with
row crop agriculture. Although there are historic accounts of very large canebrakes in the
southeastern United States that were tall enough to hide a man on a horse, such canebrakes
have all but vanished. The reduction of these thickets has been substantial enough to reduce or possibly drive to extinction avian species far more specialized than the American
continued on page 8
Skydance 7
EAST TEXAS TIMBERDOODLES
continued from page 7
woodcock, such as the Bachman’s warbler
and Swainson’s warbler.
Comparatively, in east Texas habitat
change from open pine savannah to even
aged managed timber and mature loblolly
forests with thick undergrowth has created
no reduction in available cover for woodcock. Although it is unclear if these habitats
are optimal or marginal, they are not likely
to be as fertile as they once were – although
cover does not seem to be a limiting factor.
Small streams and riparian areas that meander throughout the east Texas landscape
provide undulating gradients of soil texture
and moisture, where, in dry winters, such as
those occurring during this study, woodcock
spread out amongst small pockets of densely covered moist soil habitat along these
habitats. Whether woodcock distribution
becomes more clustered during wet or average precipitation winters is not known and
8 Skydance
there were areas within the study areas that
had greater densities than those randomly
selected for surveys. Future data analyses will incorporate detection probabilities
based on several site and survey covariates
to provide more accurate estimates of occupancy rates. Recorded GPS track logs combined with distance sampling techniques
will be used to provide more accurate density estimates. Woodcock have adapted
well to current land uses in East Texas and
this area is providing wintering habitat for
large number of individuals. However any
future changes in land management could
have consequences on woodcock populations and should be monitored.
Dan Sullins is a graduate student at Stephen
F. Austin University in Texas. His thesis research is focused on the origin of woodcock
wintering in east Texas and their habitat use.
Dr. Warren Conway is Dan’s thesis advisor.
ON BIRD DOGS
Pete DeAngelis – ON BIRD DOGS
Pete DeAngelis, our new bird dog columnist,
owns and operates Longview Kennels at
Slatington, Pa., and trains dogs at Water &
Wings, a 200-acre private training club at Zionsville, Pa. He boasts a long and successful
career as a professional trainer and handler,
having trained many champions, including
national grouse and woodcock field trial
champions. He takes only 20 dogs for training at any given time so that each dog can
be given the attention it deserves, and develops a personalized training program for each
dog, because no two dogs are exactly alike.
Selecting And
Working With
A Dog Trainer
You’ve just bought a new bird dog – the dog of your life, you hope – and you want to
find the right dog trainer. Your first step must be to research some possible trainers. Ask
friends who own bird dogs. Check online; look on dog websites. That will give you some
possibilities and probably help you to eliminate some others.
When you’ve decided on a possible trainer, talk with clients of that trainer. Talk with
several clients, as some might be close friends of the trainer and others might not be friends
at all. Talking with different clients should allow you to get a better handle on the trainer.
Remember to take the differing personalities of the clients into consideration.
Next, visit the trainer to watch him work some dogs, not just one dog who might have
been trained by someone else, but several dogs, at least. Hopefully this exercise will allow
you to see how the trainer relates to dogs of different temperaments. A good trainer will be
consistent in his approach to training, even taking into account the differences among the
dogs he’s training.
When you’ve decided on a trainer, you’ll need to give him some time with your dog.
Most dogs come with baggage, and a trainer must first develop trust with the dog before he
can correct any bad habits. Only after that has been accomplished can the actual training
commence.
Many owners think they’ll get their dog back, trained, in one month. But that’s just not
realistic. It’s more likely that several months will be required to get the job done, although
it may take more time or less. Be patient during the process.
There are many ways to get a finished dog and you are hiring your trainer to finish your
dog using his method. Your dog will be trained the trainer’s way, not your way. When
continued on page 10
Skydance 9
ON BIRD DOGS
continued from page 7
your dog is ready, you need to work with
the trainer as much as possible. To have a
trained bird dog your trainer will also need
to train you. You need to work your dog the
same way your trainer works your dog, if
you want the same results.
While some yard work with your dog
before visiting
the trainer would be a good idea, I’d suggest letting your trainer introduce your dog
to both birds and to the gun. Both you and
your dog will have fewer problems that
10 Skydance
way.
In closing, let me warn you that you’ll
find there are some bad dog trainers and a
lot of good ones. Most importantly, see the
dogs the trainer is putting on the ground. If
they are the kind of dogs you want, you’ve
found your trainer.
Pete will answer your questions about bird
dog training in future columns. Specific
questions, relating to bird dog training, may
be addressed to Pete at wlimited @verizon.
net with “Dog Question” in the subject line.
ON BIRD DOGS
Skydance 11
On a Lycoming County, Pa., hunt, from left, Old Hemlock Brooke, ???, Kay Evans and George
Bird Evans.
MEMORIES AFIELD
Recollections Of A Shooting Guest
For those of us who hunted upland birds with a passion in the later decades of the
twentieth century, George Bird Evans is a name synonymous with that passion. Relying on meticulously-kept hunting journals, Evans created some of that eras best
writing on the upland gunning experience. WL member Tom Kotay was fortunate
to have known and to have spent time with Evans and his wife Kay during that time.
We are fortunate that Tom has provided us with this glimpse of that relationship.
BY TOM KOTAY
In 1978 George and Kay Evans collaborated with Amwell Press to produce 1,000
copies of Recollections of a Shooting Guest.
It’s a book about hunting opportunities
seized and hunting opportunities missed.
It’s about sharing knowledge about what
we love with others and receiving the same
in return, and it’s about the times spent together doing special things and times spent
apart hoping they would happen again. If
12 Skydance
you haven’t read it, find it, read it and cherish its words.
George Bird Evans died in 1998. Kay
passed away in 2007. It doesn’t seem possible, but back in the early 1980s, I had lots
of troubles with a bird dog, so I wrote to
George for advice and graciously he and
Kay responded. We corresponded for several years before the subject came up about
me owning an Old Hemlock Setter. I said
yes, and Old Hemlock Brooke came into
continued on page 13
MEMORIES AFIELD
continued from page 12
our lives and brought tremendous fun, satisfaction and eager anticipation for the next
hunt.
I think of Brooke often and reminisce
about her with my brother and other hunting companions during that time. George
and Kay spoke to me about the value of a
hunting journal, and I return to mine often
to take a walk down woodcock and grouse
memory lane. I hope you can do the same.
I and a very good friend, David Hall, had
Old Hemlock half-sisters back in the early
1990s, and we hunted with Kay and George
on several occasions in upstate Pennsylvania. George even wrote a story about one of
their hunts with us in Lycoming and Tioga
Counties. You can find the article in a back
issue of The Pointing Dog Journal.
If your memory is a little foggy like
mine, that’s OK. In today’s ever busy and
complex world (and we make it more so
via all of our communication technology),
it’s more necessary than ever to sort out
what’s important - family, faith, the outdoor
sporting life, whatever - and live life to the
fullest without constant distractions. That’s
continued on page 14
Skydance 13
MEMORIES AFIELD
Old Hemlock Brooke on point on a woodcock.
what Kay and George did for more than 65
years. Here are a few tidbits from our times
together.
During one of our hunts, it poured for
several days in a row. George would say,
“You boys go and hunt if you must.” Well,
we did that to little avail, while Kay and
George toured historical and cultural sites
in the region; visited with folks in the area,
including the owners of the Slate Run Tackle Shop, and began a lifelong relationship
with them; and gathered local information
for a future story about a hard-working setter named Char. It was easy for Kay and
George to bend and find other interesting
and creative things to do. Are we that pliable? How often does something small and
petty like bad weather turn our temperaments sour?
During his early years at Old Hemlock,
George experimented with reloading his
own shells, but he got carried away with the
mix of shot, size and shape, and with the
higher than normal drams of powder. David
Hall and I happened to be visiting as one of
David’s setters was being bred at Old Hem-
14 Skydance
lock. We laughed about this experiment
gone awry, and then George proceeded to
give eight boxes of those shells to us “for
future use.” I’ve never shot one of those
Canuck Target Load 12 gauge 2¾ inch
shells. I guess he scared me too.
Kay and George loved reading aloud
to each other, listening to classical music
and discussing/debating every topic under
the sun. They would do that at Old Hemlock in Bruceton Mills, W. Va., or in Cedar
Run, Lycoming County, Pa. If you’re ever
nearby, please take the time and visit Old
Hemlock. It’s occasionally open to the public. LeJay Graffious is the current administrator of the Old Hemlock Foundation. His
telephone number is (304) 379-7505. West
Virginia University in Morgantown also has
a very exhaustive collection of the Evans’
publications, illustrations, audio-visuals
and personal papers, including George’s
shooting journal from those 65-plus years
of hunting.
“Field & Stream” and “Pennsylvania
Game News” ran many articles by George
continued on page 15
MEMORIES AFIELD
continued from page 14
in the 1950s and 1960. He was no different
in person than on paper. He loved his setters
and the game he pursued. He didn’t much
care for how to do it articles. He was always
ready to tell you what he saw, smelled or
felt while hunting. He truly enjoyed eating
in the field, and Kay always had special culinary treats for George and the dogs. Kay
took marvelous pictures and video of their
hunts. The videos capture many of the wonderful sights and sounds of hunting that we
all love, but too rarely talk about.
George never liked hunting in a formation with another hunter. He preferred to
hunt together in a vast area with some infrequent contact if the dogs brought everyone together. That didn’t happen often with
us, but once when it did, while I was taking
their picture, Kay was taking mine. George
would frequently say, “Boys, I’m no celebrity so stop taking pictures. Let’s hunt!”
Like many of you, George and Kay often
took three or four dogs on extended hunting
trips. He never minded the crying when he
left one or two behind, in the Subaru station wagon, because he always found time
to hunt all of them each and every day.
George didn’t put much stock in morning woodcock or grouse hunting, but he
hunted hard all afternoon, until the help of
the stars or moon was needed for the return
to the vehicle. Their vehicle was always
packed full of personal items, hunting gear
and dog supplies. It may have been cleaned
out several times a year when the dog hair
and other byproducts of hunting just had to
be removed.
George ended his hunts by cleaning,
grooming and doing a hands-on inspection
of his beloved Old Hemlock Setters for cuts
and bruises. He always completed the routine by rinsing out his setters’ eyes.
Visiting Old Hemlock was an adventure.
Kay and George would let us walk through
their home, open and read his sporting journals, handle his most precious shotguns,
have a very late night dinner with them on
a make-shift table in the breezeway. Kay al-
ways kept the dogs out of her kitchen/galley
area, which was quite small, and away from
us in another room while we ate. I never
remember the dogs crying or barking during meal times, but maybe that’s selective
memory.
Old Hemlock (the home and grounds) is
very modest in size, but every hemlock tree,
fern or tributary, or view from a window,
or the well and water distribution system
was so special to them. We often walked
around the property “to let the dogs stretch
their legs” or just hung around outside for
long periods of time while dogs were being
bred, and we would just talk about our lives
and what was happening in our worlds. After moving from New York City and settling
into Old Hemlock, George and Kay knew
very little about current fashions, or new
movies or television shows. Taking a quiet
walk through the area where all of their famous setters were buried was always a retrospective and introspective time.
I was amazed at how gracious George
was about a dry spell near the end of his
hunting career. He went a number of years
at the end without shooting a grouse or a
woodcock. He hunted into his early 90s,
and his trips into his and our favorite coverts weren’t easy. Mounting his gun was
nearly impossible. But none of that ever diminished his love for the sport, or for his
dogs. George was on that long dry spell
when he last hunted with us. When David
and I heard shooting, we’d hope and pray
for a judicious, quick and dignified kill. Our
first question when we’d hook-up would be
something like “Any success? We heard
the shot.” His response was usually brief
and forward looking, “Not this time boys,
but there’s always tomorrow.” His tomorrow never came; he never killed another
bird. That, however, did not diminish him.
His was a life well spent in the company
of his beloved wife Kay, his dogs and their
time. Time enough.
Skydance 15
CHAPTER NEWS
Pennsylvania
Board Member Wins
Prestigious NRA Award
Janet Nyce, a member of the board of
directors of Woodcock Limited of Pennsylvania, recently was awarded the 2013
Sybil Ludington Sybil Ludington Women's
Freedom Award from the National Rifle Association. The NRA describes the award as
honoring “the accomplishments of modern
heroines.”
More than 500 women gathered for the
seventh annual NRA Women's Leadership
Forum Luncheon & Auction in Houston,
Tex. Hosted by luncheon co-chairs Gaye
Kelsey and Melanie Pepper, the recordbreaking event featured a keynote address
by Sean Hannity and a live and silent auction. Forum Co-Chairs Susan LaPierre and
Suzie Brewster presented the program focusing on the event's "New Energy" theme,
honoring new members of the forum. The
event raised more than $1.2 million for the
NRA through a matching gift challenge
made by Sally Clark, Bill Hober, Hornady
Manufacturing, Donna and Eric Johanson,
Gaye Kelsey, Susan Kriley, Laser Shot, Michael Luzich (in honor of his mother, Carol), Melanie Pepper, and Angie and Bryan
Tucker, plus a number of sponsors and the
generous auction bids made by guests.
In addition to her leadership position
with Woodcock Limited of Pennsylvania,
Nyce recently took on co-chairmanship
of the newly launched Hunting Works for
Pennsylvania, with membership consisting of a cross-section of businesses across
Pennsylvania’s economy advocating for
public policy that supports jobs and economic prosperity through the hunting and
shooting sports.
Nyce previously was awarded the NRA’s
Marion P. Hammer Woman of Distinction
Award, which recognizes exceptional contributions to the preservation of the Second Amendment and the shooting sports
16 Skydance
Janet Nyce works the registration table at the
first national dinner of Woodcock Limited in
2012. Photo by Marcus Schneck.
through education, advocacy, volunteerism
and legislative activism in support of the
goals of the NRA.
“By winning both the Hammer and Ludington awards, Janet has won the top two
awards the NRA gives to women,” noted
Joseph Faux, president of Woodcock Limited. “Sarah Palin won the Ludington award
a couple of years ago. It’s really a phenomenal accomplishment.
“Our members and our organization are
privileged to have Janet and Jim and the
passion and the experience they bring to the
table. Their work on the behalf of Woodcock Limited has already helped to create
more habitat and put more woodcock on the
ground. “
An accomplished shooter, Nyce hunts
with rifle, shotgun, inline, primitive muzzleloader and compound bow. Her devotion
to training and education led to her becoming an NRA certified instructor in shotgun,
rifle and Refuse To Be A Victim. She also
volunteers with her community’s Women
On Target Instructional Shooting Clinic
and serves as a shotgun range master at the
NRA’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge.
As an appointee of the Pennsylvania
Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting,
Fishing and Conservation, Nyce also was
liaison and mentor to the 30 young people
who made up the Governor’s Youth Council
for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation.
In 2005, she was a finalist of the Budcontinued on page 17
CHAPTER NEWS
continued from page 16
weiser Conservation Award.
While many of the organizations with
which Nyce and her husband, James, are
affiliated with are much larger and more established than Woodcock Limited of Pennsylvania, she said,” we get excited about all
the organizations we belong to. Although
Woodcock Limited is small, the focus on
education and habitat is on the mark. We’ve
always liked to help youngsters who need
help to get places and organizations that
need help to get started.
“Woodcock Limited may be small, but
we’ve already accomplished a lot for woodcock with habitat, and the other species that
share that same habitat.”
Here’s the background on the award’s
namesake, Sybil Ludington, from the NRA:
“On the night of April 26, 1777, a wounded messenger barely reached the home of
New York militia officer Henry Ludington
with desperate news of a British attack on
nearby Danbury, Conn. Munitions and supplies for the entire region's militia were at
stake, and with not a moment to spare, Col.
Ludington turned to his 16-year-old daughter, Sybil, for help. While he organized the
local militia, Sybil mounted her horse and
galloped through the night to rally troops in
the surrounding countryside. Trekking on
dirt roads that were unknown to her, Sybil
never lost sight of her mission - to alert the
patriots about the British attack, thereby
preserving the cause of freedom. By risking
her life that dark and desolate night, Sybil
made a profound difference in America's
successful pursuit to become a free and independent nation. For her act of courage,
General Washington and General Rochambeau personally thanked her.”
Central Flyway Watch
Efforts are under way in the southern portion of the Central Flyway to expand woodcock hunting opportunities by opening
more federal lands to woodcock hunters.
Woodcock Limited discovered several National Wildlife Refuges in Arkansas do not
permit woodcock hunting as a result of regulatory changes made in the past few years.
Included among the refuges are Felsenthal
National Wildlife Refuge, White River National Wildlife Refuge and Overflow National Wildlife Refuge. Combined, the refuges hold more than 200,000 acres, much of
it in the Mississippi Alluvial floodplain. The
effort to restore the woodcock seasons to
these refuges is just beginning. Woodcock
Limited will keep the membership abreast
of any developments. Additionally, Woodcock Limited discovered several other federal refuges located in the Mississippi Alcontinued on page 18
Skydance 17
CHAPTER NEWS
continued from page 17
luvial Floodplain Mississippi do not permit
woodcock hunting. In the coming months,
we will open a dialog with the proper
federal authorities to expand woodcock
hunting in those areas as well. Expanding
woodcock hunting on these lands is not just
about providing fair hunting opportunities
to Woodcock Limited members and woodcock hunters in general. Engaging the federal authorities managing the refuges over
woodcock hunting and opening seasons on
the refuges may also improve woodcock
management priorities. The end result is a
win-win: more hunting area for woodcock
hunters and higher management priority for
woodcock.
New England Holds First Annual Shoot & Grill Event
Woodcock Limited of
New England held is
first annual summer
Shoot & Grill Event
June 30 at the Hampton Rod & Gun Club
in Hampton, N.H. The
day was filled with the
sweet smell of spent
gunpowder, as old and
new members worked
their way through a
challenging
5-Stand
venue. Our sincere
thanks go out to the
Hampton R&G Club
for graciously opening
up the club for the event. After closing up the club the “Woodcock Crew” headed over to
New England President Pierre Brazeau’s home for a mixed dinner grill and the honorary
enrollment of our newest member John Langdell, who travelled all the way from Spearfish,
S.D., via Canada on his cross country motorcycle journey. John was presented with the
lastest edition of SkyDance along with the recently sponsored communication handbook
“Talking about Young Forests,” as discussions centered on the future of our local forests,
The day was recalled with great fanfare and stories of past hunts were retold, as the evening
approached. It was agreed by all that this type of social event should be continued and a
new chapter tradition was born.
more CHAPTER NEWS page 20
18 Skydance
Support your favorite
bird, and the habitat
it needs to flourish...
Join Woodcock Limited
a 501 (3) (c) non-profit conservation organization
of hunters and other conservationists
dedicated to the welfare of the American woodcock
I want to join Woodcock Limited TODAY
at the following membership level.
Individual Membership $ 30
Family Membership
$ 40
International Membership
$ 50
Sponsor Membership
$250
Please also accept my additional
donation in the amount of ___________
Name_______________________________________
Addres_______________________________________
City___________________ State_______ Zip_________
Email_______________________________________
Phone______________________________________
Total amount of all the above________________________
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____________________________________________
Security Code____________ Exp. date______________
Signature_____________________________________
Send this form, with payment, to Woodcock Limited,
242 Baxter Road, Montoursville, PA 17754
You also can join through our website at
www.woodcocklimited.com
Skydance 19
CHAPTER NEWS
Pennsylvania Continues Habitat Workday Tradition
In April, members of Woodcock Limited of Pennsylvania again teamed with the ColMont Gobblers Chapter of the NWTF to hold their fifth annual Northeast Region Habitat
Workday. Wildlife Management Institute, Ruffed Grouse Society and Pheasants Forever
also assisted in planting aspen, alder and silky-dogwood at the Montour Preserve PLOW
Program site. PLOW—Private Land Opportunities for Woodcock—has more than 30,000
acres enrolled in Pennsylvania in an effort to create more early-successional forest habitat
for woodcock and the more than 40 other species that benefit directly from ESH.
Woodcock Limited
Merchandise Order From
______ print(s) of Ned Smith’s “Sunset
Woodcock,” this issue’s cover art, at the Woodcock Limited member-discount
price of $195. (non-member price is $215)
______ copy or copies of
the inaugural issue of
Skydance at $4.95 each.
______ Woodcock Limited
pin(s) at $7.95 each.
Postage and handling included in all prices.
Name_________________________________________
Addres________________________________________
City___________________ State_______ Zip_________
Email__________________________________________
Phone_________________________________________
Total amount of all the above________________________
Credit card (ignore if paying by check)
______________________________________________
Security Code____________ Exp. date______________
Signature_______________________________________
Send this form, with payment (Pennsylvania residents
please add 6% sales tax), to Woodcock Limited, 242 Baxter Road, Montoursville, PA 17754
20 Skydance
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
DeCOVERLY: HERITAGE CONTINUED
DeCoverly Kennels, in the Endless Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, is a blend of history, heritage and lineage with modern state-of-the-art.
The kennel, a training, boarding and breeding business has
been operating full-time for four decades, with a professional
staff and modern facility, but its Decoverly’s English setters
that really set the operation apart. The personality, intelligence, natural abilities and beauty of each new litter are the result of 100 years of thoughtful, dedicated breeding to a timeless ideal by a family dedicated to the love, appreciation
and tradition of the English setter as it was meant to be.
The line dates to 1907, when Mr. Mangan of Pittston, Pa., bred Sir Roger DeCoverly,
who within a few years was winning in the field and on the bench. He also had developed a
huge reputation as a grouse dog and was held up as the benchmark for “The Perfect Gentleman’s Shooting Dog.”
George H. Ryman, who had started breeding English Setters in Shohola Falls a couple
years earlier, in 1912 started breeding to Sir Roger and in 1916 to Sir Roger DeCoverly II
and Sir Roger DeCoverly II Jr.
Through a succession of ownership that maintained the heritage of the line, in 1977
Ken Alexander launched Decoverly Kennels. The name was suggested by Ellen Ryman
as a public demonstration of the support of Alexander from the lineage of the original Sir.
Roger DeCoverly.
Bill Sordoni Sr. bought a started setter named Smokey from DeCoverly Kennels in
1982.
The famous outdoor writer George Bird Evans had watched the evolution of the line
and in 1990, in George Bird Evans Introduces, wrote of “the DeCoverly setters, which I
consider the true heritage bloodline of the Ryman gun dogs.”
Sordoni and Alexander become business partners in 1992 and began plans for a new
DeCoverly Kennels, a 20,000 square foot, state-of-the-art kennel that was completed in
1995 in Lake Winola, Pa.
After 40 years of developing the line, Alexander retired from DeCoverly in 2009.
Bridget Bodine returned in 2010 to DeCoverly as general manager and head trainer.
Bridget and DeCoverly Kennels are now carrying on the line , breeding dogs that are
beautiful to look at , beautiful to live with and beautiful to hunt with.
In her spare time, she breeds Labrador retrievers and participates in AKC conformation
dog shows and AKC retriever hunt tests. She has titled numerous dogs through the senior
level achieving Master passes and teaching clients to train their own dogs through the
Master Level
Also at DeCoverly since 2006, trainer Bob Barth has more than 32 years of experience
obedience training dogs of many breeds. He also has owned and trained beagles, German
shorthair pointers, golden retrievers, Brittany spaniels, Australian shepherds and, currently,
English setters. He has been recognized by the Friends of the SPCA in his area, for his time
and expertise in helping to make shelter canines more adoptable. Bob trains the customer
pointing dogs and starts all of the kennel dogs.
Danielle Zdaniewicz realized a lifetime dream of working with dogs when she came to
DeCoverly in 2010. She also enjoys painting, the outdoors and spending time on walks in
the woods with her two dogs, a blue-tick beagle named Harli May, and a Siberian husky
mix named Miss Molli, who have inspired her to become a professional dog trainer. Dani
Skydance 21
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
is in charge of socialization of the pups and making sure all the dogs are healthy and happy.
Dani is Bridget’s right hand girl and is a very valuable part of the kennel.
William B. Sordoni bought his first DeCoverly English setter in 1982, 10 years before
he became a business partner in the kennel that he now owns.
William E. Sordoni grew up with DeCoverly setters from the age of seven and in 2005
become actively involved in the kennel..
Matthew Sordoni became quite active with the kennel in 2010 when Bridget returned
and in 2013 became President of the kennel business. He and Bridget continue to work
together to see that the business is self-sufficient.
DeCoverly Kennels today is a 20,000
square foot, state-of-the-art complex on
extensive acreage for hunting and training.
The whelping room consists of three
whelping pens, each to accommodate a single mother and litter. The floors are radiant
heated so that the newborn puppies maintain body heat. The room is soundproofed
and secluded from other areas of the kennel, to give new mothers and infant puppies
a quiet, restful environment.
The puppy room – nearly everyone’s
favorite part of the kennel – has four separate eight-square-foot pens and access to two outdoor runs. Puppies and their mothers are
moved to the puppy room when the pups’ eyes open and they are stable, affording constant
contact throughout the day, exposure to sights and sounds, people and other dogs. They
also are introduced to an audiotape for gun introduction.
The heated and air-conditioned indoor/outdoor training and boarding runs average 25
square feet indoors and more than 80 square feet outdoors. The indoor is separated from the
outdoor by Pickwick doors for bad weather.
Outdoor living areas provide more than 100 square feet of living space per resident. All
are sloped at a quarter-inch per foot into drains that lead to a 5000-gallon septic system,
which is pumped several times each year. There are large enclosed, vented, insulated custom made dog houses for inclement weather .The outdoor pens consist of breeding pairs,
young dogs being held by us for breeding evaluation, and retired dogs. There are often
retired dogs available for adoption.
DeCoverly’s Socialization Program has been designed to make sure each puppy has
the correct exposure to humans and the outside world. Handlers evaluate individual puppy
personalities and then work with more aggressive ones and pull up any shy puppies. The
basics are also the beginnings of DeCoverly’s puppy evaluations, which guides which puppies from a litter will be evaluated for breeding. The handler provides insights into conformation and structure, as well as the early stages of personality and intelligence.
The kennel’s developmental approach to raising and training setters is another key component of the DeCoverly Difference. It is tailored to the personality and temperament of
these loyal companions and works wonders on their growth and education. There are times
and places for all of the training tools and tricks, but they are not the primary teaching modality at DeCoverly. Instead, the instincts, intelligence and desire to please of a well-bred
English setter, when developed through a relationship with a human partner, allow the best
things to happen.
DeCoverly’s breeding program is another significant part of the DeCoverly Difference.
22 Skydance
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
Breeding pairs are matched to breed towards the centerline, standard dog. The system is expensive to maintain and operate, as it requires a large number of dogs to make the necessary
crosses. However, it is, the best method to
consistently produce quality companions.
No litters are planned that do not have the
potential to produce English setters for the
future of DeCoverly Kennels. The breeding
selection process takes at least two years,
with initial selections made at seven weeks
of age, with an emphasis on conformation
and personality, as field ability cannot yet
be assessed. Youngsters must be selected
because of their individual quality, not because they are out of particular dogs. All
breeding stock going into the future will
have been trained to a minimum of started
dog level , with birds having been shot for
them . At that point the individual will be assessed for natural ability and brains, BUT also
trainability and confidence and style in the field. Only then is the judgment made to breed
or not to breed. This is of course assuming that health clearances and structure meet our
strict criteria.
DeCoverly also has 26 years of dog boarding experience, and offers safe, comfortable
environment in the country, with indoor and outdoor runs, climate-controlled indoor sleeping areas, and providing the dog’s own food and medications.
More information: DeCoverly Kennels, 175 DeCoverly Lane, Factoryville, PA 18419;
570-378-3357; dcoverly@epix.net; www.decoverlykennels.com.
DeCoverly Kennels
English setters
Loyal companions
at home and in the field
Full service training/boarding
facility for all breeds
www.decoverlykennels.com
Skydance 23
242 Baxter Road
Montoursville PA 17754