Dove, The Agony And The Ecstasy.....

[Dave McCracken]

It never ceases to amaze me how a few ounces of feathers, organs and muscle can inspire such passion in the hearts of shotgunners. Whether it's our familiar Eastern Mourning Dove or the Whitewing found in the West, the onset of dove season has otherwise level headed men and women spending more money than they should and putting everything less serious than emergency surgery on hold.

In Texas alone, the economic impact of the first week of dove season adds about half a billion dollars to the state's income.

And it's hard to rationalize why folks find dove shooting so fascinating. As best, one gains a pound or so of protein that may cost $5 an oz. And, after using a box or three of shells and still being short of your 12 bird limit by 9 birds. the game seems as pointless as golf and more expensive.

Dove will serve as a reality check. Every dove is accompanied by cubic yards of empty air that soak up lead shot before they can tumble the bird. Dove can switch directions, speed and altitude 3 times each in less time than it took you to read this sentence, and are seemingly clad in Kevlar. Every time I feel like I have some kind of handle on this wingshooting thing, September 1 administers a comeuppance.

And every September I run across someone with fresh sunburn and eyes glowing like coals buying another case or two of field loads and sometimes even a new shotgun ready to go battle these mini pigeons again. Tell one of these folks you know of a hot sunflower field and they will follow you through Hell to get there. So will I.

For those new to this addiction and as a refresher to the vets, here's a few tips....

First and foremost, think safety. Dove shooting tends to group folks together and oft we're excited. Heck, that's part of the fun. But, we ALWAYS have to remain cognizant of where the others are and avoid low shots like the plague. I've been sprinkled with shot and it's not fun. Always wear shooting glasses and a brimmed hat to protect your eyes. These also reduce glare.

Second, even if you've a good dog at hand, when you do drop a dove, do not take your eyes off it until you're stuffing it into your vest or cooler. Dove are terribly easy to lose in a field.

As for ammo, the various promo "Dove and Quail" loads will work, but better choices abound. Trap loads have hard shot, pattern better and will give you a few yards and more energy transferred leading to quick and humane kills. 8s will work, often 7 1/2s are a better choice and some folks swear by 6s for distance.

Use a shotgun you shoot well, preferably with a tubed barrel or barrels so you can set the choke for the most common shots. Modified is a good choice for starting with a single barreled shotgun.

I've used chokes from None to Almosttoomuch to good effect, and also have just wasted ammo because I mischoked. Experimentation is in order.

Gauge is not an issue.The 28 works well on dove within 30-35 yards or so. The 410 is borderline at best.

As for the shooting, swing through works for me, though on the longest shots I do a little better with sustained lead. If you're missing dove, and of course you are, keep adding lead until they drop. Sometimes it takes an amazing amount of air between bead and barrel, but do perservere.

And eventually, you'll be standing in a breezeless field soaked in sweat with empty hulls scattered around you, grinning like an idiot as another brace of feathered missiles comes towards you. You'll send off a shot at the first bird, drop the last and laugh. Congratulations, you're a dove shooter.....

 

[anapex]

Sounds like fun Dave, so when's the hunt?

 

[birdv]

I just love shooting the little buggers, they are so stupid. I sit at one side of a pond and my buddy sits on the other. 50 birds will just keep circling until there is just nothing left.

 

[Texian Pistolero]

Excellent points! To which I might add,


Sept 1 in Texas is usually HOT, hydrate before and have [plently of water/Gatorage etc in ice chest, carry into field.

I like 7 1/2 shot. Buy more than you need.

Have a plastic bucket to sit on.

Camo up or do what you have to do to eliminate ALL shine.

Doves think, "I flew over here yesterday and there wasn't anything shiny."

Get in tree line or whatever to break up outline.

Dove are stupid ONLY on opening morning. After that, they are harder to hit.

 

[Battlespace]

I hunted in central Texas with a guy who surprised me by charging towards a water hole surrounded by doves. He later told me he could not hit them in the air and figured he would try to get them on the ground. Although he tried, he still came away empty handed.

 

[Smoke]

like 7 1/2 shot. Buy more than you need.

...way more than you think you could ever need.

Dove are stupid ONLY on opening morning. After that, they are harder to hit.

True.

Dove are fast, they are also quick. SOmetimes it takes a box or two of shells to see the difference.

Water is a good place to bring in birds. A little cover helps. My experience is camo is not needed. Earth tones will do fine. Heck I've hunted birds in a white T-shirt and limited when they are thick. When they're thin thats the time to ante up the tactics.

Give me a windmill in the sandhills of West Texas, sit on the tailgate of a pickup (with the radio on) and wait until 1 hour before sundown, try to melt your barrel down in 30 minutes. I usually get to the point of saying "I'm only shooting at birds flying east to west." :banghead:

When the birds are getting really thick...picking your target can get harder....just pick one and shoot at it until it falls. I've had birds come in and in the time it took to decide which shot was best ...had them all fly by with me holding a loaded, cold gun. :banghead:

Smoke

 

[ACP230]

There's an experimental season in Michigan this year.
Unfortunately, it's only in some counties bordering Indiana and Ohio, well south of me.
I don't expect to get down there this year, maybe in 2005.

I have never shot at a dove, but I ate some of their relatives (wild pigeons) when my family lived overseas. I remember them as good, but bony.

 

[sm]

There was a time in my life Doves frustrated me. I was still a young whippersapper , yes they had modern shotguns with shells you could buy already made up, some were paper , some were plastic. Even had what is called modern guns.

Now my mentors taught me better and I - being a whippersnapper - forgot some early lessons. One being - don't hunt with idiots, and the other being - don't get caught doing what idiots do. I blame this on youth, Mssrs. J Daniels & Budweiser and a Brunette.

I had to make a decison , something had to go, I weighed the situation carefully, I got rid of the idiots. Matter of Priorites you understand.

I went back to what my mentors had taught me, basic simple stuff. One cannot hit what they cannot see, smooth gun mounting - gun to face ( with a shotgun that fits) , know the gun and load, one bird at a time, and don't hunt with idiots.

This revelation btw is one reason I changed playmates, playgrounds, and playthings. This led to another endeavor called skeet.

Back to Doves, Now my elbow bending excercises were great, I needed to apply the same to mounting and dryfiring the gun. I had patterned the guns at ranges, that much I did know. I used the word NO - that kinda was foreign to the idiots.

Instead I headed off alone, with permisson to hunt a spot all to myself. I walked off the yardages to various ditches, roads and other landmarks. I also left the repeater in the trunk and instead used a single shot 28 ga. I did not fire a shot, instead I just watched, made mental notes. One major note - another set of idiots were "over that way". This was good, not only for me , but for the shotshell industry - I mean afterall the shotshell folks invented Dove Season then the gummits found a way to make monies too.

The next day I decided I was ready to apply the wisdom of Sages. I loaded the single shot and my weak hand held the extra shell. I sat on my ugly tin feed bucket , jeans, khaki shirt, gray bandana, and LLBean rubber soled boots. I smoked a cigarette and sipped my coffee...two more aspirin....must have been the Brunette again.

Yep, right on schedule, 10 minutes before shooting time WWIII, erupted over yonder. I crushed out my smoke, took the last swallow of coffee, and stuck a bite of Jerkey in my mouth - very important this Jerkey btw.

Well a squadron of grey was heading my way, I sat, they kept coming, I sat, past the old oak tree with the black marks from a lightening strike, I sat, past the farm road, I sat, past the tattered and torn feed sack the wind had carried, I sat, past the broken pc of cane pole I had stuck in the fork of the road , the majority was over me, there were stragglers, always were, I stood up slowly and the burlap bag slipped off legs. I mounted smoothly the single shot to face, found the bird I wanted and pulled in toward me and kept pulling ahead - it fell in the clearing , I don't remember touching the trigger, or opening the gun, next thing I knew the gun was loaded and I felled another.

Easier to find if felled in the clearing , I remembered that part from a long ago lesson.

I had decided I would only take one box of shells, no matter what, that was my limit on shooting. No matter the bird count. Limit is 15 birds here, it took me a box to fell 10 birds. I had a lot of learning to do, and some lessons to learn on the skeet field.

I headed back in, I met the old black man that worked for the owner, I gave him the birds, helped him clean 'em. I gave him a box of 12 ga shells, he was most grateful. His wife came out with a Jelly glass with clear liquid - whew doggie! She took the birds in the house the kids came out and I handed each a box of 22 shells...I got hugs and grins.

I had to cut short the visit , not too short , because the fried apple pies were about to come out of the cast iron skillet. Even a Brunette will excuse a fella for being a bit late when Fried apple pies are the reason - helps to take a few to her and her momma and daddy as well. " You stop dating that boy and we gonna take a switch to you daughter...we like that fella- you hear?"

Another tip: spoil the parents - date the daughter.

I hunted that season some with the old black man. I hunted with the folks teaching me skeet, that is when I REALLY learned about Gun fit and follow through. I was allowed to only load one shell even with a repeater, my mentors would take any follow up shots. The dogs would find the birds.

I still remember the idiots , they have continued to breed all this time. I just use the markers to tell me ranges and let the idiots send the birds my way.

Dove Hunting: The trick is chewing on Beef Jerky .

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks for the responses. A couple things...

Hydration is very important, and there's few places I've perspired heavier than dove fields. Of course, we stick to non alcoholic drinks until the guns are put away, right? An unobtrusive cooler one can sit on is de riguer. A few frozen water bottles provide cooling as well as a beverage.

Camo is a good idea, but I've used earth toned clothes too. I do prefer to set up so that light will not reflect off my glasses,which doves can see from the next time zone.

And some Hunter's Specialities camo tape on a shiny shotgun helps big time.

I've done a few shoots where the shots were so frequent that I'd work on a particular angle that was giving me trouble or use a full choke to take birds way out there, but usually this isn't the case.Better to take the shots as they come and enjoy the process.

A few shoots every year will really sharpen our shooting, and the results are delicious.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Doves'n'rice. Oh boy.

Glad the neighbor planted 26 acres of corn behind the house this year, that'll help keep the doves coming.

Hope I can get Fran out with her house gun and a bird barrel this year. Maybe that 21- incher off the Cinderella turkey gun and an IC tube... .

Be nice if the new Brittany puppy (now almost 6 months old) gets a start at retrieving this dove season. She already goes looking for the source of gunfire, and is working on the 'fetch' thing. Problem is the neighbor kids are busy teaching her 'keepaway... .'

Gonna have to pick up a Sportsman's license this year, after going without for several years. Wasn't hunting or fishing due to the med problems, so no need... . Glad I have the Hunter Safety card, that will allow me to renew after the break with no hassle.

lpl/nc

 

[sm]

Since I got yelled at....

Idiots refer to a bunch of unethical / unsafe hunters some mumbly something years ago I tried to share safety and ethics with. In the wee hours of opening day , with the skeeters buzzing and biting - the load of pellets missed me and hit a farm bldg. I did not hunt that day. I never hunted with those folks ever again. I tried really hard to pass on that which was passed on to me. It didn't take. It was not so much the load of #8's from a 12 bore that morning - it was the principle of the whole matter.

Anything I do , I have fun. If I catch a fish, fell a dove - that is a bonus. Too many times I have gone Dove hunting without felling a Dove - I didn't plan on it - I didn't even take a gun. I only went to help teach someone, especially a kid. Okay , I wanted to watch the dogs, spoil them and eat BBQ as well.

Kid - well yeah some were Young as far as "numerical age" ....ever seen a 82 y/o kid ? I have...I was damn glad I was there for him on his last hunt too.

For me , this whole dealie is about passing it forward, enjoying Good Folks , the Dogs, The BBQ, the jokes, ribbing and side bets.

So if you see a lanky fella leaning on his old blue truck in the distance - watching....

Some lanky fella giving peppermint to a dog at the edge of a field, a convienece store, or small town gunshop...

Some fella handing a kid ( no matter the numerical age) a box of shells, beef jerky , an extra pair of diposable ear plugs , skeeter dope...

I promise to nod and wave back.

 

[Texian Pistolero]

I talked about camo, and some folks said, well, you don't need camo, earth tones are fine. OK, I agree, but at the end of the day , the dove decides.

The dove sees glints from eyeglasses, watch bands, MOVEMENT, or ANYTHING that glints.

There are two modes, MODE A) dove in abundance and dumb, and MODE B) dove crafty and cunning.

MODE B) has been my experience for over a decade.

One thing not explained so far, is the art of tracking a downed dove.

If dove are not in abundance,

you must have the discipline to track a downed dove all the way DOWN to the ground.

No matter what your other PERCIEVED shooting possibilities,

SOONER OR LATER you will go LOOKING for a downed bird,

and if you lack a game plan on that,

you just will be milling about, WASTING TIME in the open.

So , you must have the discipline to track the dove as he drops (or flutters), within a pre established reference.

Personally, I always shoot from the same spot,

and have memorized certain reference points to track the DROP, of a downed bird.

I have ALSO thought about carring a few archery ARROWS into the field, to drop them as an indicator of the direction of a downed dove,

but havn't tried that yet.

I watch how he falls.

If he drops like a rock,

he is DRT, (dead right there),

If the dove retains ANY control at all on landing,

THEN he might,
A) run along the ground.

OR,
B) fly off somewhere else while you ain;t lookin:.

So, know where he drops, so YOU don't waste valuable "killin' time",

millin' about in the open.

looking for a downed bird.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks for that,Tex. It's so easy to lose a dove in anything rougher than a putting green.

My watch stays in my pocket when I hunt. Setting up so the sun's behind me means first, no shine off my glasses and secondly I'm not trying to find small fast birds while peering into the sun.

 

[Smoke]

Learned this from some old quail hunters....but works great for dove too.

Take some large washers the bigger the better (i have some 7/8" flat washers) tie on some bright colored ribbon. Keep a supply of these in your pocket.

Mark your shooting position, empty hulls, scuff teh dirt, chair, whatever. When you see a bird hit the ground fling a washer out in a straight line with the spot he fell. You then have a reference from your position to establish a straight line to the bird.

Or you can do as some fellers out in Balmorhea do it. Pick your shots so the bird lands at your feet. I scoffed at the idea until I saw them do it. I really wanted to put my gun in the truck and take up golf after that demonstration.

Smoke

 

[Texian Pistolero]

When you were under thirty, did you every say something like:


"And after lunch at the Bar B Q joint, we went out to get our second limit..."

 

[Smoke]

"And after lunch at the Bar B Q joint, we went out to get our second limit..."

Who me? Umm....no sir, officer...I would never have done something like that.

Psst....Texian....might ought to push that out to 35.

Smoke

 

[Texian Pistolero]

Let ye who are without sin,

cast the first stone.

 

[Kar-el]

Try not having a dove season.................



Our canadian born governor (raised in California) passed the experimental dove season in Michigan.
Then when bird lovers whined about how we hunters were going to be shooting the doves off their birdfeeders, she signed legislation putting the dove season to popular vote. Thus taking it out of the hands of the DNR, who might have a clue as to the effect of hunting on the dove population, and into the hands of a large bunch of urban area voters.

(I have to start traveling and taking hunting trips, anybody know some good guides?)

 

[Marshall]

Dave,

You mean they are really suppose to fall after you shoot at them?

 

[Dave McCracken]

Kar-El, that bites the big one. What wildlife would benefit if left to the whims of a mob knowing little of real eco systems?

Marshall, yes. However, I've seen those dove soak up 2 or three full loads of shot and continue on their way as if they were never hit. Tough critters....