If a timberdoodle reaches adulthood, its life expectancy is about 1.8 years. Banded wild birds seven years old have been recovered. Woodcock heading north too early in spring may be caught by late-season snows or hard freezes, which seal off their food supply . This agency monitors the species' population and sets the framework for hunting seasons and bag limits. Compared to most other game birds, woodcock have a low potential productivity.
Population densities vary in any one locale.
Woodcock may be scattered, concentrated, or absent, depending on time of year, weather conditions, or habitat. In autumn, concentrated groups of woodcock may not reflect the carrying capacity of land on which they're found, as they may just be passing through. The overall population can fluctuate greatly over the years. Steady human encroachment on wet woodland, timber maturation and flooding may pose threats to the woodcock population. Woodcock may be exposed to pesticides used to control either forest or agricultural pests.