Thread: Woodhill - Block 5

Hello everyone

I've been lucky enough to nab a day's hunting at Woodhill in September because someone pulled out at the last minute and my name was next on the reserve list. Just wondering if anyone has been to Block 5 before and what it's like? There's surprisingly very little info/chatter about it online so I'm thinking maybe it's not one of the better blocks? (Not that I'm complaining - just grateful to get a chance to go hunting for a day) Keen to hear from anyone who has hunted on it and what numbers are like if you've been there recently. A big thanks in advance.

You're in luck. I was there a week ago. There are animals in there, but I get the feeling they are passing through rather than hanging out. Lots of footprints, very little other sign that was fresh. I pretty much walked the whole block, but only saw animals in one spot. I passed through three times and each time there were animals present. I had two separate animals lined up in the scope. One was a sorel buck, so no go. The other I couldn't tell. It was at first light in a heavily shaded area and I just couldn't be sure it wasn't a spiker, so didn't pull the trigger. It was probably a doe, so kind of regret that now. On a personal note, I was heavily jet lagged on the day and very tired. If I was more on my game, I think I would have come home with something, not least through making a faster decision on the trigger. Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback and image. I was trying to have a look on Google Maps but there's not much to see. Any good clearings or anything worth hanging around or is that block mostly forest besides whatever is down the bottom of that red circle - clearing/sandunes/paddock??

Originally Posted by Remmy

Thanks for the feedback and image. I was trying to have a look on Google Maps but there's not much to see. Any good clearings or anything worth hanging around or is that block mostly forest besides whatever is down the bottom of that red circle - clearing/sandunes/paddock??

Half the block is clearings. It's all cut over. I sat overlooking a couple of spots for an hour each and nothing materialised. Something else that comes to mind. Previous advice that I read on this forum said to seek the high ground. Nothing is really high, but there was very little sign of any kind up top. All the deer I saw were on the flat.

Awesome, I appreciate the feedback. Thanks heaps.

I think the advice on high ground was meaning see if you can get some elevation so you can look down or see further.
Not always possible of course, but from what I saw you definitely have the ability to sit on high ground.

I had block 2 a month ago which was directly to the north of 5.
I was at the southern end of block 2 at first light and watched enviously from a nice high point over a huge cutover on blk 5.
Hoping to catch something head back to the cover of block 2. We had zero cutover on 2.

Where I marked in red is roughly the boundary between the cut over and mature forest. There will be deer there, especially on the edge which borders the boundary by the lake.
There are a lot of deer around the lake and in the doc land that borders the lake and pine forest.

Find high ground at first light, with a good view conceal yourself and sit tight..
If no luck have a look around for sign in the middle of the day, then set up and wait for the evening.

That's really helpful, thanks heaps!

No specific advice as I was in Block 8 this year, but can offer the following as general advice:

1. Sit and watch, it's much better than walking around, especially on those big cut-over blocks. I tried bush stalking for a bit and bumped one from 20m away, but it's thick bush in a lot of it. They will appear on the forest edges, but can be hard to see so make sure you glass a lot.
2. Be ready to shoot quickly, due to people moving in and out of blocks etc. they aren't often on the move. Have your rifle ready, a mate had a tripod which worked really well due to the terrain so either that or some shooting sticks can be very handy. Range the various spots they are likely to come from to save you some time.
3. They are on the move all day long, so don't assume it's only first and last light (although that is still the most popular). Block next two us saw two big bucks go over to our block not long after lunch (pretty much over a spot we had lunch at).

Originally Posted by Quintin

No specific advice as I was in Block 8 this year, but can offer the following as general advice:

1. Sit and watch, it's much better than walking around, especially on those big cut-over blocks. I tried bush stalking for a bit and bumped one from 20m away, but it's thick bush in a lot of it. They will appear on the forest edges, but can be hard to see so make sure you glass a lot.
2. Be ready to shoot quickly, due to people moving in and out of blocks etc. they aren't often on the move. Have your rifle ready, a mate had a tripod which worked really well due to the terrain so either that or some shooting sticks can be very handy. Range the various spots they are likely to come from to save you some time.
3. They are on the move all day long, so don't assume it's only first and last light (although that is still the most popular). Block next two us saw two big bucks go over to our block not long after lunch (pretty much over a spot we had lunch at).

Had Block 8 too. Did you get lucky in the end?
I picked the wrong tag and had to pass them up..

Originally Posted by Quintin

No specific advice as I was in Block 8 this year, but can offer the following as general advice:

1. Sit and watch, it's much better than walking around, especially on those big cut-over blocks. I tried bush stalking for a bit and bumped one from 20m away, but it's thick bush in a lot of it. They will appear on the forest edges, but can be hard to see so make sure you glass a lot.
2. Be ready to shoot quickly, due to people moving in and out of blocks etc. they aren't often on the move. Have your rifle ready, a mate had a tripod which worked really well due to the terrain so either that or some shooting sticks can be very handy. Range the various spots they are likely to come from to save you some time.
3. They are on the move all day long, so don't assume it's only first and last light (although that is still the most popular). Block next two us saw two big bucks go over to our block not long after lunch (pretty much over a spot we had lunch at).

The above is all good advice for Woodhill, especially the sit and watch. Lots of people march up and down their blocks and wonder why they see the back end of lots of deer.

@thatguy - no sadly we didn't. We had a super windy day. A guy from the block 9 said he saw two big stags walk over to our block, but they were on the bush edge for a few seconds and then in again.

We saw a nice hind an fawn, but were too slow in setting up. It was windy so they were on the open belt in the horseshoe clearing for a couple of minutes and then out again.

It was a very windy day which meant they weren't really coming out as much as I'd have liked.

@Quintin , bugger!

I had block 3 few weeks ago.
Block 5 looks pretty good. Huge area of cutover on western side which animals move through.
Just bear in mind whoever has block 3 will likely be watching the road between the 2 blocks.
On the day I was there the blokes on block 5 got nothing and only saw 1 all day but watching where they sat I’m not surprised. Totally the wrong spot.

Just thought I'd do a quick update in case anyone is looking for info on block five in the future. We had a great day, two does hanging out at the bottom of the track that goes down to the block first thing, guns weren't even loaded yet! Had a nice little buck within the hour though. He was hanging out with a spiker and about four does in one of the cutover clearings. Didn't see anything else in the afternoon but the wardens saw a couple of young sorrels crossing the road late in the morning while doing their rounds. Great little block. Thanks to everyone for their advice. Thanks ever more to the bloke who pulled out of the block a month or so ok freeing it up for us!