Beware the Ides of August

[dagger dog]

The Hoppes #9 and RemOil is flowing again.Boresnakes and carbon fiber rods are being pulled and stroked through countless barrels short and long.

Boxes of .22 hollow points magnum to subsonic, are being pulled off the shelves along with shot shells red, yellow, green, blue .410-12ga.

How many different patterns of cammoflage, are hanging in your closet? Bet you could wear a different pattern every day for the next week, and never duplicate an outfit! Man did you see those boots on sale at Pro Gander?

It's small game season again, time to perfect that stalking technique sneaking up on ole mister bushytail while he sits in his favorite shag bark,or smoothing out that follow through swing to get the bead on the mourning doves fighter pilot moves, as he does a split ess over the milo field.

Of course this is just the lead up , you gotta keep that eyeball peeled for sign of larger quarry, the cloven hoof that leaves that game trail, just barely perceptible over the forest floor, or the scratchin' leaf raking of the deer or turkey in search mast.

Waking pre dawn, driving those darkened roads to that special wood lot or field, the gear having being loaded into the vehicle the night before, having a sip of the coffee from the thermos, and thinking about those sandwiches packed in the cooler, along with those special bottles of "brown pop" to share with your buddies after the days hunt (of course).

Squirrel and dumplins, dove breasts wrapped in bacon, and all the other delectible game that will be table fare once again. Then later in the year maybe deep fried turkey,venison roast smothered in onions , roast pheasant, fried rabbit and mashed potatoes 'n' gravy.

All this and more, but only to the successful hunter, but it all depends on your own interpretation of success. To some hunters, the bag is the score he has to bag the game to be successful, to others all it takes is the trying, the grocery store is on the way home.

AND IT'S ALL JUST WEEKS AWAY

 

[ch1966]

So what's the dove report where youre from?
I drove around my family's 1/4 section this morning, and the plowed ground was covered with birds. I sure hope they stick around for a month or so.
Good luck and sticky fingers all...........

 

[MCgunner]

I got whitewings out the WAZ around my house. Don't have anything on my place to really attract 'em, normally not that great down there. I'm sure I'll get into 'em in Waco with my buddy, though. Last two seasons have been quite awesome up there. His place is all sorghum and corn. My place is just range land, miles and miles of brush and range land. He's got a couple of tanks, too, which helps in dry years. I go up there for birds and he comes down here for deer/hog, so we got a thing goin'.

 

[sm]

It is time to check out the do-nut shop you always stop to buy do-nuts, and do-nuts holes in the wee hours en-route to hunting too.


And some parents wonder why kids, that went dove hunting for the first time last year , wants to check out that do-nut place they stopped at in the wee hours ...

Parents sure are dumb sometimes? *wink*

Now would "I" suggest checking out the do-nut place to a kid?
Darn right I would!
Us kids gots to stick together ya know? *snicker*

Oh, for the record, single moms that went hunting for the first time last year, are such easy pushovers.
"Great Idea!" -mom
"Neat Bat-Turn moOm!"



I'm just passing forward is all...

 

[MCgunner]

Well, I think of my son-in-law as a bit of a kid, 26, that's a kid to me, ya know. I don't know how much dove hunting he's done, not really THAT into shotguns. But, he does have a nice Winchester M1300 and I think he's going to head north with me this year. Ain't like he's new to firearms, got back from his second tour of Iraq a few months ago. But, a 1300 Winchester handles a little different than an M4, I reckon.

He's new to bow hunting, too, and I don't bow hunt. So, we got him set up down on my place for bow season. I'll be setting the hog trap come first cool weather. Should be anther good season. Ya know, life starts with retirement. I never had this much fun when I was punchin' a clock.

 

[matrem]

That's what keeps us going,huh?.We all have our own hunting styles and preferences,but your last paragraph,sums it ALL.
Bow(chase phase for whitetail) season in "my neck of the woods"...Phenomenal.Could almost make a guy fore-go small game.....almost...

 

[sm]

That's what keeps us going,huh?.We all have our own hunting styles and preferences,...

Dove season is the first season down here in the south.
It is a tradition, and has its traditions.

In a lot of ways, I have become my Mentors.

That kid, with new LLBean Rubber soled leather upper boots, that hat, and 'stuff" being ordered, coming to the house by the little brown truck and getting to try it all on.

That sweepy kid getting up so early and it is still dark outside...
The kid was so excited , they could not sleep and fell asleep shortly before the alarm went off.

The traditional stop at the do-nut shop, that wakes up 'em for sure!
The kids first hunt, it is all about the kids.
It is all about the single gals, the single moms...

First hunt, these folks get a pocket knife, another tradition. It may look like a knife, but the kid, or person that recieved it, it is a lot more, and will be more to them.

Gotta have that BBQ! Yes indeed! Part of the Tradition.
The kid falls asleep on the way home. It has been a full day, lots of new stuff, traditions and nothing smells better than a kid that smells like do-nuts, bug dope, shotgun, doves, dawg , sweat, BBQ....beef jerky...

Everybody knows a stick of beef jerky in the back pocket makes one a better shooter...
Traditions, memories, people, dawgs...passing forward...

I have become my Mentors, so I have some folks I took out the first time.
Since, they have been passing forward what they have learned, and continue to learn.
Why did I not hunt, even bother to get a license?
Tradition. I stayed to keep tabs on some older folks sick, so these single gals, single moms and kids could go hunt.

This stuff was never about me, always about others.
The older I get, the more I understand why Mentors grinned a lot.

Each one- teach one.

Don't forget the traditions....

 

[dagger dog]

Dove report south central Indiana the breaks of the Ohio river, it's been an unusually wet year the farmers that were able to plant the wet fields are going to have a GREAT year plus all the natural flora is ready to produce a bumper crop. Plenty of doves not in the big flocks yet but as soon as some of the fields are harvested they will be!