Missouri Department of Conservation

Bird Facts

American Woodcock

Scientific name: Scolopax minor
Length: 10-13 inches
Wingspan: 17-19 inches
Season: Oct. 15-Nov. 28
Daily/possession limit: 3/6

Wilson’s Snipe

Scientific name: Gallinago delicata
Length: 11-13 inches
Wingspan: 16-17 inches
Season: Sept. 1-Dec. 16
Daily/possession limit: 8/16

Sora

Scientific name: Porzana carolina
Length: 6-7 inches
Wingspan: 12.5 inches
Season: Sept. 1-Nov. 9
Daily/possession limit: 25/25 (in the aggregate with Virginia rails)

Virginia Rail

Scientific name: Rallus limicola
Length: 8-11 inches
Wingspan: 13-15 inches
Season: Sept. 1-Nov. 9
Daily/possession limit: 25/25 (in the aggregate with soras)

Make a meal out of it

You won’t feed a large group with utility birds unless you bag a limit of all three. Some people say these birds are not fit to eat. Others—who either are better cooks or have broader tastes—think they provide excellent table fare.

The easiest way to prepare snipe, rail and woodcock is to pull back the skin covering the breast and carefully fillet the meat from the bone. Snipe and rails yield about an ounce of meat per bird. Woodcock breasts are a little larger.

Soak breast fillets for an hour or so in milk or buttermilk, then rinse them with cool water. Saute the breast halves in butter or olive oil with minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Cook only until the meat is still slightly pink at the center. Overcooking makes wild fowl tough and contributes a strong taste.

To make a sauce, remove the meat from the pan and add a tablespoon of red wine for each breast. Cook on low heat until slightly thickened. Garnish with parsley and serve on a bed of wild rice.