Thus pre-European inhabitants had already created habitats for woodcock” (Wildlife Management Institute, 2008). There were many villages of 1,000 to 2,000 people.

practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, moving every 10 to 15 years.

In 1535, Jacques Cartier reported, “Numerous clearings along the river where corn, beans and squash were planted. Early historical records indicate several forms of trapping and hunting methods that were used to catch these birds. History shows the woodcock was a significant staple in many Indigenous diets. The woodcock is no stranger to the First Nations that live in the eastern and central flyways. The Latin name was changed from Philohela minor in the latest version of the American Ornithologists’ Union 5th Edition in 1957. Along that road, people gave many names to what we now call the America Woodcock or Scolopax minor. We know they served as a food source for Indigenous people, were trapped and hunted by colonists in the 1600s onward, and, eventually, became a wingshooters’ favorite bird by the end of the 19 th century. The oldest fossil record was found in Marian County, Florida, and carbon dated to the Pleistocene period (William G. The biological history of the American woodcock is believed to date back as far as 1,000,000 years, surviving at least two ice ages. The nicknaming of woodcock is far older than modern wingshooting. Listen to more articles on Apple | Google | Spotify | Audible But the very evolution of this bird, unlike any of its counterparts, lends itself to this creative naming. Author George Bird Evans was quick to condemn the act in a way that has been referenced many times since its mention in The Upland Shooting Life. Some may be offended when they hear the various names for the unusual species that is the American Woodcock. The American Woodcock has a storied history in culture that has resulted in many names and interesting history. New England Grouse Shooting, by William Harnden Foster.The Upland Shooting Life, by George Bird Evans.

Aj this american life