Who's gearing up for dove season?

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Sniper66

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August is my birthday month and for me brings with it the hint of good things to come, like dove and squirrel seasons. I know, I know, it's a bit premature, but I find myself staring at the calendar and plotting the next several hunts; starting with doves September 1st. I have a good spot that is all mine; not great, but consistently yields 15-20 good shots. I'm thinking about driving 5 hours to a great spot where I'm at risk of exceeding the limit. I'll have 4-5 shotguns to choose from, so gotta start obsessing about that too. What are you guys pondering these days as hunting seasons arrive?
 
Ohio starts on Sept 1 also and I will be out with a buddy on public land. Last year there were 5 of us in a 50 acre field, but I think with Sunday, being the opener it will be much busier. I will be shooting a Stoeger Condor 20ga with Win AA 1oz shells. I may take my Mossberg 500 12ga along too. Last year my buddy shot his limit and me about 2 boxes of shells and 6 birds. I may go for squirrel for the heck of it but not sure yet.
 
I've never been dove hunting before and don't know anyone personally that hunts them. That being said there is some public land that they plant sunflowers on nearby so I plan to just show up and do my darndest to be social and maybe make some hunting friends in the area that are interested in more than just deer. I've read dove is one of those hunts where more guys in the field is better as it keeps the birds in the air. That true?
 
I've never been dove hunting before and don't know anyone personally that hunts them. That being said there is some public land that they plant sunflowers on nearby so I plan to just show up and do my darndest to be social and maybe make some hunting friends in the area that are interested in more than just deer. I've read dove is one of those hunts where more guys in the field is better as it keeps the birds in the air. That true?
Yes. Having a lot of guys makes them fly more.
 
Yes. Having a lot of guys makes them fly more.
Any tips on how to approach a group of hunter and not get run off? I'm guessing waving my shotgun is a bad idea and while a case of beer would be welcome it isn't a good mix with the tools at hand. This is my second year hunting so still learning the subtly of hunter etiquette.
 
Any tips on how to approach a group of hunter and not get run off? I'm guessing waving my shotgun is a bad idea and while a case of beer would be welcome it isn't a good mix with the tools at hand. This is my second year hunting so still learning the subtly of hunter etiquette.
Get there early, pull in the parking area and get out and introduce yourself. Explain its your second year hunting and ask if someone would help you out. When I hunt public land, I pull in and say good morning to everyone and ask where they will be hunting because they were there first. If I arrive first I already know where I am going and usually there before anyone else. I would pull in, good morning, I am new to this would you guys mind if I tagged along. Just please, please watch the way you shoot. I am not discounting your skills or mindset but I have been with many new hunters that when the animal appears its like tunnel vision and sometimes they don't watch where other guys are. I generally shoot 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock are my limits. I also make sure I am at least 200yards away from the gun in front of me.
 
I know how I keep aware of what's going on when I shoot clays, namely when someone's dog think they are frisbees. With that said I don't know how buck err dove fever will hit me so I'll take all the reminders about safety. The public land I'll be hitting is nontoxic shot only. I'm guessing #6 or #7 steel with a modified choke would work for dove, that sound right? Winchester has a rebate on AAs so I might buy a case of the steel shot and then I can reload the hulls (just bought a press to load all my nontoxic but haven't gotten it setup yet).
 
I know how I keep aware of what's going on when I shoot clays, namely when someone's dog think they are frisbees. With that said I don't know how buck err dove fever will hit me so I'll take all the reminders about safety. The public land I'll be hitting is nontoxic shot only. I'm guessing #6 or #7 steel with a modified choke would work for dove, that sound right? Winchester has a rebate on AAs so I might buy a case of the steel shot and then I can reload the hulls (just bought a press to load all my nontoxic but haven't gotten it setup yet).
From what was recommended to me by guys on here was #7.5 shot. I wouldn't go any smaller than that. Yes, fever hits and you get tunnel vision. One thing to get black balled from a group would be swing your gun on someone is why I brought it up. Also, take McCoy's advise on a hat and glasses. We got rained on by pellets bad last year. To cure fever I usually will aim at a few and talk myself into calming down. With deer I don't immediately grab my gun or bow when I see them because its really bad at that point. I like to sit and watch for awhile and let myself calm down.
 
From what was recommended to me by guys on here was #7.5 shot. I wouldn't go any smaller than that.
Even with steel shot? I thought you always sized up at least one size, is that rule of thumb for larger game like duck and geese? Sorry guys for pulling this WAY off topic.
 
Even with steel shot? I thought you always sized up at least one size, is that rule of thumb for larger game like duck and geese? Sorry guys for pulling this WAY off topic.
I have no idea about steel shot. I found a lot of Win AA #8-9 shot and upon doing some research it said the smaller shot #8-9 was bad for doves because it lacks the kinetic energy. I don't mean to insult with this but the higher the shot number (7-8-9) the smaller the BB. The lower the number (3-4-5) the larger the BB. Doves are hard to hit because they are small and fast. I would stick with a mid range BB like 6-7.5. Oh and make sure your choke tube is rated for steel shot. Good luck and let me know how it goes. I will be out Sept 1 on public land.
 
I'll run up to my buddy's place in Waco Sept 1 and I've talked to a duck/goose outfitter who does dove hunts, might get something going there for south zone which opens the 14th. Still have to get my license. It'll be cheaper this year since I'm not going to mess with a publc hunt permit.
 
Over the last few decades having tried every iteration of dove hunting available with varying and unpredictable results, I'm thinking about paying for a guided hunt. For reasons I won't bore you with, I have abandoned public land for good. The private land I have access to is one, two, and five hours away. Not coincidentally, the further I have to drive, the better the hunting. So, by the time I pay for a couple tanks of gas, motel costs, etc., I'm wondering how much more a guided hunt would be. Outfitters own or lease fields that they subsequently reserve for paying customers. Spending the grandkids' inheritance seems wise to me.
 
Went out for my first dove hunt yesterday. Had a motorized decoy and a couple clip inflatables. Hunted over sunflower fields and maybe saw two dozen birds all day. This just a bad year with the wet spring or are the doves already south of Nebraska?
 
We don't start until the beginning of next month; I just need a new migratory bird permit. Everything else is ready.
 
Well, since initiating this thread I ventured out to my first dove hunt of the year. We had many inches of rain above our average here in NE Kansas this summer and my dove field reaped the benefits of way too many downpours. The 5 feet tall very thick weeds made it impossible to set up our shooting location in my usual spot. The local ponds are all overflowing so doves had water everywhere. No need to come to my pond. It was a hot ugly day to boot. Saw 3 doves flying well out of range. So we scraped that plan, went to local convenience store for a 6-pack, found some shade, and drank a couple beers instead. Also set up my blind for deer hunting in about 6 weeks. So, a good time anyway. I'll try again next week.
 
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