The appreciation of small game hunting in general is something that seems to have been lost among the modern hunters of today. It's lack of popularity and hunter participation has some fringe benefits. Private landowners are more likely to grant permission to hunt small game than deer. Small game hunting areas, specifically the habitat that is likely to hold snipe, are typically less pressured. Getting away from other hunters offers an experience of solitude, which is a nice change of pace from battling with weekend warrior waterfowlers.
It's a great alternative activity when your days off don't always align with the best days of duck hunting. Snipe are often a by-catch as far as harvesting target species, and their season runs parallel with waterfowl in Oregon and Washington. A fair weather day that doesn't get ducks moving can often become a great snipe hunt. Popular public game reserves for pheasant and waterfowling are good places to look when duck hunters are at home waiting for a rainy day. Drainage ditches and shallow flooded grasslands near wooded areas are another safe bet. A snowy small game hunt can often narrow down the space these birds will occupy. Their long beaks are made for capturing worms in bogs, shorelines, or the edges of marshland. Frozen ground will often push them back into thick cover. They need to be able to probe the ground to be out and actively feeding.
Snipe are the only shorebirds legal to hunt, and they inhabit the northwest year round. There are many shorebirds that are protected species, but once you stumble upon snipe, observing their flying habits make them unmistakable. Killdeer are often encountered in the same areas and are off limits. They make a loud, continuous, annoying call, and often fake being injured to lead threats away from their nests. There are several other shorebird species such as the dowitcher, that are also off-limits that you're likely to see out in the marsh. These you'll often see out in open flats in large flocks. You'll be able to spot snipe once they're airborne, it is extremely unlikely you'll ever see one on the ground. They make a distinctive peep as they leave the ground and take to the air.
One tip my father gave me on that hunt as a kid was, "Shoot 'em before they shit!" His suggestion was that snipe are like a racehorse with wings, meaning that once they lifted off and lightened their load, they would suddenly accelerate into oblivion. That advice helped me take my first snipe on that hunt, just as it left the ground. However, hunting them as an adult revealed the value of patience.
The flight pattern of a snipe for the most part is highly unpredictable, zigging and zagging erratically as they reach a certain altitude, wings beating frantically, often looking confused as to where it's going, much to the confusion of the hunter aiming at it. A "sniper" is a shooter skilled enough to take down this strange bird. Although the birds are excellent table fare, this is admittedly not the most economical method at gathering food, and they are mainly appetizer sized birds. The scientific name for Wilson's snipe is Gallinago delicata, gallina being latin for "hen," the suffix -ago meaning "resembling," and delicata meaning "dainty." They are small creatures that are tough to hit and it often takes many shells to bring home a few. Non-toxic shot is required by law, and you don't have to use the smallest shot possible with the most pellets you can sling in their general direction, but it helps.
There is a bizarre phenomenon to their flight pattern that sometimes pays off not to take the shot right away. Once they've frantically zigged, zagged, and gained altitude until nearly out of range, they often seem to forget why they flew off in the first place, double back, and attempt to land where they took off. This is often your best shot, and you may not get this opportunity if you spray and pray right away. Walking with the wind to your back also creates an advantage as they often take flight into the direction of the wind, giving you a better chance at an early shot.
Hunting snipe is the hybrid of flushing upland game birds and waterfowling among the marsh. It's a great youth hunting opportunity on days when it's difficult to keep kids engaged because ducks aren't flying. It doesn't require fancy camo or a well-trained dog, and it's a good hunting opportunity for a minimalist that enjoys walking. Being able to hunt shallow marsh in fair weather often means you can perform this activity in jeans and hip waders, rather than getting fully suited and booted.
This article was published in the January 2019 issue of Northwest Sportsman Magazine
