GWCT News Blog

We respond to a piece in The Field on the subject of shooting woodock.

As we take another step firmly towards winter, falling temperatures herald the return of our migrant woodcock - over the next few weeks they will complete their inconceivably long journeys from breeding sites across Scandinavia, Finland, the Baltic states and Russia. 

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has a long history of pioneering research on woodcock populations and migration. 

Dr Andrew Hoodless, GWCT Head of Wetlands Research, discusses new research on the effect of cold weather on the Eurasian woodcock and the recent article 'Regulation of body reserves in a hunted wader: Implications for cold-weather shooting restrictions'.

BBC presenter Chris Packham has started an e-petition, calling for a moratorium on the shooting of three wader species: woodcock, snipe and golden plover. It has clocked up an impressive 10,000 signatures in a week so Defra will, at least, give him a written answer – it will probably make interesting reading. We think, however, that some of the language and figures Packham has used are misleading.

There’s something about woodcock that appeals to me. Also to many other people, if the public support of the Woodcock Watch project is anything to go by.

GWCT Head of Education Mike Swan responds to a recent Shooting Times piece on woodcock.

We respond to recent coverage in The Times concerning the decline in resident woodcock numbers.