Doves in NE Kansas?

[Sniper66]

I'm curious how your opening day was. Mine was a bust. One of the first times I have ever been skunked, got nary a shot. I had to postpone going to my favorite spot due to the extreme heat in NW Kansas. Went to an old favorite, though not always productive, spot in NE Kansas. Something has happened to the doves in NE Kansas and I am wondering if any one out there has any info to share. Out west I find them by the 100s, but the population around where I live seems to have dropped dramatically. Could they have migrated early??

 

[jbkebert]

We had our annual youth dove hunt on Saturday. We hunted the KDWPT field located at 1st and Urish in the Topeka area. We took 9 kids in the morning and 11 kids in the afternoon.

It rained Friday night and cooled down a fair bit. I was worried about the mud and the cooler temps. However doves were flying well. Morning group took 65 birds and the afternoon group got 52. One lucky kid bagged 11 birds in the morning group. However everyone got at least one bird.

The kids were drawn from our August hunter education class. A few kids who hunted went through hunter ed with the big brothers big sisters program. Throughout the day we went through 8 flats or 2000 rounds of 20ga ammo.

 

[wgp]

Found a lot of birds about an hour NE of Wichita on a small pond. Three of us, all limited in just over an hour and I had a very good shooting day for me, 15 birds on 28 shells. May be a while before I do that again.

 

[Sniper66]

Hey, you guys are doing great. Glad you got the kids out. And WGP...that's the kind of shooting I am used to out west. My brother and I usually limit out in an hour or so once they start flying. But being stuck here and not out west, I went on Saturday evening and didn't get a single shot; this over a pond where I have shot a limit in past years. Went this morning to my favorite ranch...several large grain fields and ponds. Saw maybe 2-3 doz, but scattered over a couple of sections, not a one came close enough to shoot. The landowner said there were lots of doves 2 weeks ago. If the weather cools some, I'll go west next weekend. Wish me luck. I'll be shooting p-dogs and doves when I can.

 

[wgp]

Kansas hunters, enjoy the doves because that may be about all we get this year. I drive Western Kansas about 500 to 800 miles a week and I think I have only seen 3 pheasants all summer. I fear a season as bad as last year, or worse, is coming up.