Behold the Mystical Snipe!
Jan 12th, 2009 | By Hank | Category: Hunting & Fishing Stories, Wild Game | Comments | 13 Comments |
Snipe. Even its name suggests that this little marsh bird does not really exist.
Most people think snipe are about as real as a jabberwocky. The birds are most often the subject of campground jokes involving flashlights, pillowcases, and occasionally a pair of rocks banged together. But as you can see, snipe are very real.
And tasty.
Or so I am led to believe. I had a taste of snipe (I think) back in my college days, when a teammate of mine (I was a distance runner) brought back some. I remember it being delicious, but I was eating 5,000 calories a day back then so I was not so discriminating.
Flash forward to the beginning of my hunting days, some years ago. I was in Minnesota and full of wonder at all the types of hunting there were — and at the tastes and meals that could be made from wild game. The idea of woodcock and snipe hunting struck a chord in me.
I have a thing for swamps. As a boy I loved tromping around New Jersey’s Great Swamp, and the salt marshes down the Shore and on Long Island have always been places of fascination for me. This is where snipe live. Plus I like the notion of wearing a good pair of Wellington boots; they look so World War I…
I never hunted snipe in Minnesota. My friend Chris wasn’t too into it, and I suspect the birds fly south fast in that chilly state. Nor did hunt snipe I when I moved to Northern California: Here there are at least four other birds that look like a snipe in the marsh — dunlin, killdeer, dowitcher and plover — so I did not want to kill an illegal bird in my ignorance. I needed a guide.
Enter Josh Stark. A native of Isleton in the Delta, Josh knew where some snipe would be, and he offered to take Holly and me out for them. Holly fell ill with what would later prove to be appendicitis (she’s OK now, but it made for an interesting weekend) so I went solo. Josh was with his cousin Kevin, and away we went.
Snipe hunting involves walking in boggy areas, whether they be natural marshes or wet, muddy fields. We hunted some plowed fields that had an inch or so of standing water in puddles here and there. Perfect for snipe, and a perfect use for my new wellies. When I say “mud” I’m talking deep, sucking mud; regular boots would have been a nightmare.
It was foggy, which Josh said would be good — the birds would not see us creeping up until it was too late — so we spread out and made our stalk on a puddle. Snipe are invisible in this context, as their backs mirror the colors of the muck. But when they flush, they make a scarping, “graaack!” noise, take off low, then climb to about 100 feet high and zig-zag wildly.
Nice, huh? This is another reason why no one snipe hunts. Snipe also apparently flush singularly, while dowitchers flush in a flock. Dunlins rise in pairs, and killdeer are much whiter, and make a distinctive noise.
We crept closer to the puddle and heard the “graaack!” Snipe! Josh shouts, and the bird zigged Kevin’s way. He missed, but the bird climbed and zagged right towards me. I gave it a good lead and slapped the trigger — and to my utter surprise the snipe fell!
My first-ever snipe! We all whooped loudly (flushing another snipe), because I then learned that we were all practically snipe virgins. Kevin had never shot one, and Josh, our guide, hit his last snipe when he was nine years old. I thought I’d gotten beyond the odd joy and wonder at shooting a bird (odd because after all, I just killed it.), but when I picked up this little snipe it was like a dream: Ever since I’d thought about starting to hunt, snipe was always something I’d wanted to hunt. Now I finally had one.
I immediately noticed how little they are: Snipe are apparently smaller than woodcock, which are even more prized but don’t live out West. My second thought, after the initial wonder, was: “Geez, I’ll need at least four of these to make a good meal for two.” It had about the heft of a dove.
On we went, and after a couple missed shots I flushed another snipe, which I down very quickly with one shot. I had to rush to the spot where it fell because they are so well camoflauged that to take your eye off the bird is to lose it.
That field done, we went to another, where after another couple misses (snipe are as tough to hit as teal or doves), I had what is apparently a rare double flush: A snipe flushed in front of me, heading away toward Josh. I got one shot at it, then realized it’d be Josh’s bird. Just at that moment, I heard “graack!” behind me – another bird!
A smaller snipe had flushed about 10 feet behind me — I’d walked right past it — and was heading toward Walnut Grove. By the time I got the shot off (remember I had just one shell left in my over-under), the snipe was more than 40 yards away. Crack! And the bird tumbled. As it turned out, a perfect wing shot. Well I’ll be dipped. Just don’t ask me to replicate that one anytime soon…
Shortly thereafter Kevin got his first-ever snipe, and we had four! Kevin graciously gave me his bird (not much to do with just one snipe), so I had a proper amount for a serious meal.
On to plucking. I dry-plucked these birds a day after hanging them; I hadn’t intended to hang them, but taking care of Holly is far more important than plucking game birds. As it happens, Brillat-Savarin
Snipe are indeed like doves, but only in size. In the plucking, they are like tiny Aleutian or Cackler geese, covered in black down that makes the plucking oh-so joyous. But I got it done.
Now, what to do with these snipe. There are lots of recipes around for them, and they were delicacies in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I initially thought about recreating one of these classical recipes, but I have been reading the Alinea
The bottom line is that I really don’t want to mess these birds up: I’ve been waiting for them for a long, long time.
The jabberwocky exists.. it must do, I saw it on the telly!
I don’t picture you as an Alinea kind of guy! Always a new interesting edge to you mate!!
So, what do snipe taste like?
I too love snipe! I chase them in Colorado’s boggy area and have had exellent pointing dog work on them!
It was a pleasure hunting with you. By the way, Hank was able to ‘walk-up’ snipe, and also did a short stint with driven birds, so he can speak with a proper English or Scottish accent now, I believe.
And holy cows! he can shoot. He’s also being modest, as that bird behind him wasn’t 10 feet when it kicked up – I had a great view and it was much farther out. He spun fast, and dropped that bird, and almost as instantly our jaws… it was a great shot.
Shawn, the first place we’d hunted wasn’t so good for dogs, but the second spot was perfect, and had I known that, I would have asked my cousin to bring his amazing pointing lab to work.
I just wanted to add to your observation that “a snipe jumped, and then a smaller snipe jumped behind you.” I am recently amazed by the variation in size and condition of birds of the same species, killed in the same location. Recently, I plucked two hen greenwing teal taken during a morning shoot in a coastal creek in NC. One of them was big, full of fat – the other, scrawny. Both were adults, both were presumably hanging in the same group for awhile (we haven’t really had any weather to move new birds into the area). On the same trip, my buddy shot the smallest drake wood duck we’ve seen this year. That thing was tiny!
Always wanted to go snipe hunting. Perhaps we’ll find a spot before it’s too late this year.
Ahhh congratulations on the Snipe. Such a wonderful game bird. Sporting and nothing short of surprising when they’re flushed. A most delicate flavor and one to be savored. Enjoy.
You learn something new every day. If you’d asked me before, I would have said that snipe were fictional. I can’t wait to see how you’ll prepare them.
Adele: I have developed my menu, which I hope will be good — everything’s set for a Saturday night meal!
Kindred: I hear ya. I’ve shot two birds in the same flock that were radically different. One thing about drakes this lates in the season, though — they tend to be skinnier than the hens now because they’re doing all the chasing; the hens can still sit around and be wooed…
And Matt: I am still absorbing Alinea. I am definitely not into his presentation, which is beyond rococo to me, but I am interested in the techniques. More to come…
Awesome post. Great hunt. Congratulations.
I’ve long since discovered that some of my happiest moments as a California sportsman have come from pursuing some of the more obscure fish and game species such as snipe, crappie, frogs, monkey-faced eels, bandtailed pigeons, etc. No crowds, no competition, good conversation fodder, and great table fare.
I read a great book on my honeymoon called “Reflections on Snipe” (how’s that for romantic), which explored the history of snipe hunting in America. It was really interesting. From what I remember about the book, snipe hunting used to be a hugely popular activity in the U.S. Market hunting and other factors, however, severely reduced the snipe and rail bird populations to the point that the hunting seasons were closed for many years across the U.S. By the time hunting seasons were re-established, the culture, passion and knowledge about the sport was gone. Snipe hunting never much caught on again.
Makes me think about the closure of the CA salmon fishing seasons and what happens if that continues. Or arguments about closing waterfowl seasons when breeding is poor, etc. I think those closures may do more harm then good in the sense of diluting and removing passionate advocates for those individual species, the cultural loss, the financial loss in terms of license sales, gear and conservation contributions and enthusiasm.
Enjoy those snipe!!
The jabberwocky does exist! And as a wetland scientist, I see plenty of them all the time. Let me know if you want to hit any spots if you ever come up this way.
That mud, man. You come out of there a foot taller than when you went in.
Reminds me of woodcock–delicious!
As an avid snipe hunter I thoroughly enjoyed that story. I found it through a link that was posted on a snipe hunting discussion forum. I know other folks that hunt them as avidly as I do will get to enjoy the hunt with you. Best of luck with your future snipe hunts, I’m off to the marsh.
Skip
im glad the snipe hunt turned out well for you!
If you really want to see a tiercel peregrine fly (such as my Anakin) what you want is too see is a snipe hunt. Seriously. If you and Holly can set me up on a clean flight in season, we’ll catch some snipe. … Well , I can’t promise there will be a whole bird left over for us, but it would be pretty to see.