Dove Hunt

[lightman]

Does anyone here Dove Hunt? I've been doing an old fashion Southern Style Dove Hunt for a few years now. A group of Friends show up Friday afternoon to shoot a few clay targets, share a drink or beer or two and cook burgers. The next morning we will have a good breakfast and head to the Dove field. We'll surround the field and shoot. Sometimes its really hot and heavy! This year it was slow. The guys on the Sunflower field limited out pretty quick but the wheat field was a bust. After the hunt it was back to my house for a fish fry. Fresh Crappy with all the trimmings! About 25 altogether, with several Wives, Daughters and Children. All in all, a great weekend with Family and Friends! And Arkansas even won, although they did not really play anybody!

Does anyone else do this? Lets hear about it!

[azrednek]

I haven't missed opening day in a decade or more. Been at since 63 and this year was the worse I've ever seen. Two shots, one bird and it was a Hail Mary shot with my full choke.

Farmers around the Phoenix area deliberately do not grow crops to attract Dove and Dove hunters. The so-called slob hunters leaving garbage, empty shells driving over cops caused it. The Rock Dove or more commonly called Morning Dove is all I see in my area. I could take a long drive into southern Arizona if I wanted White-Wings. Tried again yesterday, 5 hunters and only two birds. A dry year caused low numbers in central Az but quite the opposite in the southern part near the Mexican border.

[Beef15]

No luck, wet and foggy, WRC didn't do much if anything planting the fields this year. Saw two birds. Lots of shooting coming from nearby fields, heard from others it was sporatic elsewhere so I'm not sure what folks were shooting at.

[Hogtamer]

see thread in shotgun forum...

[Plate plinker]

Yep I've been known to hunt doves it's a good time.

[runfiverun]

we have had a few still hanging around even after the storms the last few days.
they hang out near the granary's and the farmers house since it's harvest time.
I did scratch out 2 today after scaring them off the pivot wheel, had better luck on the grey partridge I got three of them off of 2 flushes.
the grouse have been non-existent in most of my usual spots, but I have 3 more little hidey holes i'll have to get after in a couple of weeks when I get back home again.
I hope they turn up then cause it's deer season the next time home after that.

[lightman]

I usually have 25 or so friends and family show up. We usually account for a couple hundred birds with several hunters getting a limit. This year and last year were slow. Harvest started here several weeks ago and that hurt some. Enough grain blows out of the trucks that a Dove can make a pretty good living sitting on the power lines and watching the highway! If the weather will allow I plan to plant Sunflowers next spring. That and Millet seem to be favorites.

[rking22]

My place is covered in soybeans this year :( Corn next year :)

[Plate plinker]

When I hunt doves the rancher often accidentally spills grain near the tree belt and pond. Funny how the doves tend to flock to that area. [smilie=1:

[Teddy (punchie)]

NO DOVE HUNTING!!, but numbers are good, one hen is on the forth hatch. She is still on the nest on front porch.

Mom will shoot us if we shoot them on the farm, so that is off limits here.

[popper]

Went last weekend. Foggy, wet 100 yd walk to the treeline, saw 2 Fri morning. Different field Fri eve, late was a frenzy - opening day. Mostly W.W. Went through a box of SuperX, hit a few but between the rice paddy and a cotton field, hard to find. SIL and GKs went Sat ( I was tuckered out), nothing in the morning but GS got 5 before dusk - lots fewer birds I was told - second day. One of the kids could spot them @ 100 but these old eyes only saw them @ 20, then gone. This was ~ 70 SW of Houston. Friend has a place near Abilene, saw a lot before the season above his sunflower patch, not many opening day.

[captaint]

I remember dove hunting as one of the most relaxing, enjoyable hunts we can do. An old friend of mine, who is now gone, had a beautiful 28 ga Miroku Charles Daly O/U. He hit more than I did.

[Boz330]

This was a hunt I use to go to. At 5 you had to go to the house for snacks and drinks. We were the blue collar contingent. This hunt was for the Lexington elite primarily. Normally it wasn't this good but always fun. There are 102 doves on that tailgate, everyone limited out.

Bob

[Tom W.]

It used to be that if I shot a flying dove is was just that birds day to die anyway. Quail, OTOH, were pretty easy for me to hit. I used to carry and old side by side 12 ga. with two triggers from Montgomery Wards that fit like a glove. I gave it to my oldest son when I got an 1100, still wish I had the sxs.

[azrednek]

It used to be that if I shot a flying dove is was just that birds day to die anyway. Quail, OTOH, were pretty easy for me to hit. I used to carry and old side by side 12 ga. with two triggers from Montgomery Wards that fit like a glove. I gave it to my oldest son when I got an 1100, still wish I had the sxs.

I used a Stevens SXS for Dove for nearly 20 years. I now use a Franchi O/U. Far as I'm concerned a double barrel is a must for Dove. Murphy rules with a single barrel. Without fail it will have the wrong choke tube. About the same time the tube is changed it will be time to change it back. The two seasons I hunted with a Remmy 870. I spent a lot of time changing choke tubes. Having instant selection of chokes helps keep the score high. Probably 80% of my Dove hunting is done with Improved/Full tubes.

[NavyVet1959]

I would just sit on my back patio around sunset with an air rifle, drink beer, and wait for a morning dove or grackle to land on the power lines behind my house. My dog that recently died would eat them as soon as they hit the ground. My other dog just runs around the yard with them -- occasionally bringing it back to me. :(

[azrednek]

I would just sit on my back patio around sunset with an air rifle, drink beer, and wait for a morning dove or grackle to land on the power lines behind my house. My dog that recently died would eat them as soon as they hit the ground. My other dog just runs around the yard with them -- occasionally bringing it back to me. :(

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/dnisbet/0f572020-6398-4710-b761-bef8051ac0a7_zpss5gmwpi6.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/dnisbet/media/0f572020-6398-4710-b761-bef8051ac0a7_zpss5gmwpi6.jpg.html)

These birds greeted me after I came home from a very dismal opening day. I used to pick them off the power lines with BB guns. It ended after I nailed one that had enough life left in him to make it to my neighbor's swimming pool. Bird loving neighbor called cops.

[Mauser48]

Yeah its fun. Probably one of the best tasting birds you can shoot. Those sandhill cranes are supposed to be good too though...

[pls1911]

25th year west texas trek.....
Yep, desert hunts are that good, made better by old friends.

[skeettx]

Yesssss
I dove hunt, so far about 200 doves this year.
I do take a different shotgun each outing
Makes it more difficult but I enjoy the difference
Mike

[pls1911]

On an annual dove hunt, I'll often use something different for the first few misses.... er..shots, anything from a Marlin Goose gun to a 18" riot gun.

Then I get serious, and pull out an old 870 which was well trained when eyes were young.
I'll wave the barrel towards the birds and they fall.
I tell you guys, old 870s are just magic, like my 1940's beater Marlin with epoxied sights... butt ugly, butt deadly.
Berettas and Brownings new in the box will never see the light of day... pretty boys stay home.

This old man is better served sharing a sunrise with an old friend painted with the patina of time and wrapped in the warmth of walnut.

[Hamish]

On an annual dove hunt, I'll often use something different for the first few misses.... er..shots, anything from a Marlin Goose gun to a 18" riot gun.

Then I get serious, and pull out an old 870 which was well trained when eyes were young.
I'll wave the barrel towards the birds and they fall.
I tell you guys, old 870s are just magic, like my 1940's beater Marlin with epoxied sights... butt ugly, butt deadly.
Berettas and Brownings new in the box will never see the light of day... pretty boys stay home.

This old man is better served sharing a sunrise with an old friend painted with the patina of time and wrapped in the warmth of walnut.

:goodpost:

While film dip and plastic make for "beatin' and bangin' ability", brown and blue will always be more lovely,,,,,,,,,