#351 | Keith Marcott on Woodcock Covers, Border Crossings, and a Lifetime of Bird Hunting

Birdshot Podcast

Nick Larson

Sports, Science, Wilderness, Nature, Leisure, Hobbies

4.8 • 969 Ratings

🗓️ 29 May 2026

⏱️ 103 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of Birdshot Podcast, Nick sits down with Keith Marcott to talk about woodcock hunting, bird travel, and a lifetime spent chasing upland birds across North America and overseas. Keith shares stories from hunting woodcock in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Scotland, along with memories from Wyoming, the western bird country, and the years before GPS and OnX made it easier to find cover.Keith Marcott is a retired engineer and lifelong upland hunter now based in Wyoming. After growing up bird hunting in the Northeast, he eventually built a life around western birds — Huns, chukar, sharptails, prairie grouse, and mountain hunts with Llewellin setters. Some of his most meaningful bird hunting memories, though, came from repeated trips into New Brunswick and Quebec, and later to Scotland, where woodcock hunting shaped the way he thinks about dogs, habitat, and travel.In this conversation, Keith and Nick talk about:- Woodcock hunting in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Scotland- What separates woodcock hunting from grouse hunting- How hunters found productive cover before GPS and OnX- Bird hunting travel, border crossings, and old-school camp logistics- Western bird hunting, dogs, landscapes, and the pull of woodcock countryEpisode breakdown:- [00:05:02] Keith Marcott’s background and a lifetime of bird hunting- [00:07:01] Moving west: Wyoming, huns, chukar, and prairie birds- [00:09:42] Keith’s bird hunting road trip across multiple states- [00:11:07] Camping, snake country, and hunting dogs in the West- [00:13:00] Snake avoidance training and a rattlesnake encounter in the field- [00:19:20] Western hunters, ticks, and the difference between regions- [00:27:07] The first New Brunswick woodcock trip- [00:29:27] Hunting with guide Danny Bird and chasing woodcock full-time- [00:36:47] Repeated trips into Canada and DIY hunting in Quebec- [00:42:05] Alaska, British Columbia, and border-crossing logistics with dogs and guns- [00:48:01] Finding woodcock cover before modern mapping technology- [00:49:27] Why woodcock still matter to a western bird hunterLinks:- Birdshot Podcast: https://birdshotpodcast.com- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hwy22outdoors/- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17EVUDJPwR2iJggzhLYil7- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birdshot-podcast/id1288308609- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@birdshot.podcastSupport:- Use promo code BSP20 to save 20% on your onX Hunt subscription: https://onxmaps.com/hunt/app- Use promo code BSP10 to save 10% at Meadow Creek Mounts: https://meadowcreekmounts.com/Birdshot is presented by onX Hunt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Attention all passengers. The Uber ride for Jeff's rugby team will depart in five minutes from Platform 15. Your ride comes with six toilets and a refreshment's carriage that you'll empty within five minutes. Thank you for booking your tickets on Uber.
0:20.4	Trains on Uber.
0:21.6	I'll now hand you over to my best man, Eddie.
0:26.6	Wow, wow, wow. Second time's a charm, eh, Billy Boy!
0:30.6	Oh God.
0:31.6	Substitution could see a paddy-power embarrassing Eddie makes way for Sensible Samuel.
0:36.6	Cool, well that was close.
0:38.2	You might not always pick the right starter, but your sub can still deliver, because with Paddy's super sub, your bet rolls over to the player coming on. Paddy Power. Valid on selected leagues and markets only. Pre-match and in-play bets on qualifying player outcome selections only. D's and Clusions apply. 18 plus scumannware.com. One of the reasons that I am so tied to coveybirds in the wide open now is because
0:58.4	somebody asked me recently, they were hunting with me and my dog Quest, who is a Llewellyn
1:04.6	setter, and he's a solid 300-yard dog.
1:08.3	I've lost count of the number of times he's gone on point and he's at
1:11.8	450 or even 500. They've asked me, is he my best dog? And I've thought about this a lot because
1:18.4	I've been very fortunate. I've had some great dogs. And I have to say, for what I want to do now,
1:24.0	yes, he's the best dog I've ever had.
1:52.5	Music do now? Yes, he's the best dog I've ever had. Good girl, sweetie. That's a big bird.
1:58.2	Wow.
2:08.6	Hey everyone. Nick Larson here, host of the Birdshot podcast, the show that brings you conversations, stories, and traditions from all across the uplands.
2:14.8	The Birdshot podcast is presented by Onyx Hunt and supported by folks just like you via our Patreon and community.
2:18.0	If you want to stay up to date and not miss any of our upcoming episodes,
2:19.8	be sure to subscribe and follow the show in your podcast player or on YouTube
2:21.6	wherever you're listening or watching today.
2:23.5	Tap that button for me.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 18 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Nick Larson, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Nick Larson and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.