Snipe hunting can be great fun for people of all ages...unfortunately there will always be a pea in the pod that has to make life difficult for the rest of us. So, to prevent any unnecessary events from occurring, we have compiled a list of rules and suggestions when going on your snipe hunt.

First of all, we gotta talk about gear: things you will and will not need for the typical snipe hunt. As you can see, Ed is dressed properly for an average, summertime snipe hunt. Had that been a wintery day, Ed would be dressed much warmer and probably be sporting some fancy orange gear. But as you will note, Ed does not have a gun in his hand....yes sirrreee, no gun or any type of projectile is needed to capture the beloved snipe. In fact, much of the hunting principals used here revolve around a catch & release philosophy, in order to remain good friends with the Department of Natural Resources.

Like we said, you never shoot a snipe -- not with a gun, slingshot, bow and arrow, not even your mother-in-law's apple pie. You just catch them in a gunnysack. Sure it seems rather odd, trying to catch a bird with a gunnysack, but look at it this way, its another fun activity like chasing down a greased up pig.

The perfect time to start the great hunt is around sundown, while there is still a little bit of light. It is important, that if you are in unfamiliar hunting grounds, that you get your bearings so that no one gets lost and the hunt just turns into a missing hunter hunt. Following me? Hope so. You first need to find a key location for the sack holder to be stationed, where everyone involved in the hunt will heard the snipe. We suggest that you put the sack holder in an area of tall grass or dense vegetation near a smaller body of water like a pond or a marsh.

After deciding on the location to lure the snipe, the group must delegate the sack holder, a coveted position nonetheless. And because it is a rather coveted position, there are more-than-not, arguments as to who is going to be the sack holder. Because I am a seasoned hunter and have been doing this for years, I always have the new guy be the sack holder, to experience the rush and the pumping of his/her adrenaline!! But let it be a rule of thumb and tradition, that the new guy always gets the rights to hold the sack before all seasoned hunters.

Because snipe are primarily nocturnal creatures, it is best to hunt them at night, under the cover of the midnight sky. The tools you will need to pull this hunt off are: a bag of some sorts (we recommend a gunnysack or potato sack), a candle with some matches and of course the snipe whistle. (If you can't get your hands on a snipe whistle, there will soon be a sample of the whistle that the sack holder can learn) Also, if its not a full-moon, the snipe herders will need flashlights in order to find their way around.

When you have all you need and the sack holder has been chosen, for safety's sake, you need to clear out all dry grass, brush, etc... around where the candle will be placed, so that there will be no danger of starting any brush fires. I am sure that the fire department would not be pleased with you, if you set yourself up to create another one of them there forest fires. So, for that, play it smart.

There is one basic way you can hold the gunnysack open to catch the snipe. One of the best ways proven to hold the sack is with both hands at the top of the sack, several inches apart, with the bottom hanging on the ground. This allows you to be mobile as possible, should the snipe herders come from behind you.

Place the lit candle about a foot infront of where you will be with the bag. If a candle is not available, you may use a flash light and point it at the ground, but then you are juggling too many things in your hands, so a candle will work best. The light of the candle, strangely enough, attracts snipe towards it, and with the casting of a shadow in the sack, fools the snipe into thinking that its some form of shelter. You will note the lack of intelligence in this bird, very similar to the common grouse. And when the snipe runs into the sack, you will want to quickly raise the sack hi in the air and close up the bag, that the snipe might not escape.

The rest of the group disperses about 200 yards from the main site of the sack holder, forming a half circle (or full circle if you have an army of people). The hunt begins with the group making as much noise as possible to scare the snipe towards the center, where the sack holder will be blowing short, melodic whistles with the snipe whistle. If you don't have a special snipe whistle, almost any melodic bird call will do.

The group continues to make the ruckus until about 50 feet from the sack holder and then comes to a hush. From this point on, it is up to the sack holder to serenade the snipe into captivity. Because the group must remain silent, it is often recommended that they move away within a snipe's ear shot, as not to spook the snipe away.

It is imperitive that the sack holder be patient. These things can take up to 45 minutes to woo it into the sack. But when you catch it, rejoice with jubilant shouts of joy, that all may know that you caught a snipe! And from personal experience, when you catch one, there is nothing like the personal thrill of becoming a master snipe hunter!!!

A couple other things to note: not all of these techniques will work for the species of snipe that we have indicated in our list of favorite snipes. But, just do your best and custom-fit this snipe hunt to the bird of your choice.

We hope that you have a happy, enjoyable and safe snipe hunt. Please, if you have any snipe hunting stories to share with us (like the big one that got away) send them to us! snipe@mailhost.net Thanks!