Age  ratio.

For the 2013/2014 season, the béc @ notes service of the CNB indicates that 65% of woodcock collected are young people aged 6  months or so. Here is the ONCFS analysis: a high proportion of first-year woodcock will therefore firstly reflect a strong hunting pressure. This hypothesis was confirmed by repeating the experience of setting aside during a single hunting season. The following year, the proportion of adults had again increased to reach a value greater than the neighboring territories.

The method I use (see table on previous page) indicates that more than 69% are young woodcock. The CNB calculation method does not take into account the fact that withdrawals are not homogeneous on the metropolitan territory. Scientists recognize that a high proportion of young, reflects a strong hunting pressure. A high proportion of young also supposes a satisfactory reproduction, but in both cases a strong imbalance.  

  So we have too great an imbalance  and renewal in the very short term, ringings in France show a survival rate of 0.34 * for year-old woodcock and 0.44 * for adults. For example, in England the 1st year we go to 0.47 * and for adults to 0.58 *.

The same parameters in Brittany on a protected territory  , surrounded by hunted territories, the values are significantly higher, the first year, 0.63  *, and adults are at 0.86  *.

Moreover, banding also shows that woodcock lives less long in hunted areas than in reserves. Only 99 days of wearing a ring in the hunted areas, against 261 days of wearing a ring for the reserves.  * source oncfs