- Most hen woodcock nest in young second-growth hardwood stands near feeding areas and/or the singing grounds where they bred. The woody stem density of nesting areas should be at least 6,000 stems per acre. Excellent brood habitat is characterized by a protective cover of dense young hardwood trees growing on soils that support ample numbers of earthworms.
- What to Look For:
- Forest sites that are somewhat drier than prime feeding areas, with saplings or small pole-sized trees. These areas may include young-forest or shrubland habitats on uplands next to streams, rivers, and other bodies of water, including up to the second bench above the watercourse.
- Young, open second-growth hardwoods in the seedling/sapling size class, which occurs from 2 to 15 years following clearcutting. There should be no dense ground cover beneath the trees, as bare ground is necessary for brood rearing.
- Pole-sized hardwoods that may have been growing for 15 to 25 years following clearcutting. Beneath the hardwoods there should be a dense shrub layer: examples include aspen with a hazel understory; or alder, larch, or aspen with scattered firs.
- Where nesting habitats overlap feeding areas, woodcock will nest on drier sites, such as those supporting alder up to 10 to 15 feet in height.
- Characteristics:
- Woodcock will use areas as small as 1 acre. However, 5-acre units lend themselves to more efficient management.
- The forest types that woodcock use for nesting are the same as those preferred for feeding areas.
