Countdown to dove blasting

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I ran a bush hog over my small field last weekend and had sprayed weed killer the week before. Wheat went out yesterday and we got rain again last night.

Opening day is September 7th. I expect temps in the low 250 range and now that the seed is out we will enter a 100 year drought. I go to a big dog hunt on opening day and won't hunt my field until the middle of the next week. We usually hunt 5-8 and all get our limit on the first afternoon hunt. After that I will go out by myself or with one buddy every few days and take a couple or three. They could back up dove season by a month around here and I would be happy. I love it but the temps, humidity and bugs make it miserable to hunt even in shorts and a t-shirt.
 
This will be Molly dog's (black lab) first season. She's hell on wheels with a retrieval dummy, but she's got to figure out the bird is to be retrieved. That's sometimes a problem. She's a smart dog, though, and I've been using dove scent on the dummy. She does love to go out back with me to check the hog trap, camera, feeders, and such. She seems to know what's up when I come out the door with the shotgun. :D
 
MCgunner said:
Well, get a shotgun and go for it. Doves are a tough bird to start on, though. Don't expect to hit 'em all. LOL
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Actually I just picked up my first shotgun last month. Got me a Yildez over/under. I plan on starting with some skeet. I will have to figure out where to go and find someone to play with next.
 
She's hell on wheels with a retrieval dummy, but she's got to figure out the bird is to be retrieved. That's sometimes a problem. She's a smart dog, though, and I've been using dove scent on the dummy. She does love to go out back with me to check the hog trap, camera, feeders, and such. She seems to know what's up when I come out the door with the shotgun
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I have had dogs that started out this way and turned out to be useless and dogs that turned out to be great in every regard. The best bred lab I ever owned would dive to retrieve and could find a dummy no matter where you threw it but he would haul butt at the sight of a gun. A Boykin showed no signs whatever of any interest in anything besides splashing in the fountain and lounging on the bed but turned out to be the best I have ever had.
A little of everything in between has come and gone over the years. Watching the dogs grow up and learn what it is all about is great fun but watching the 10 year old that has seen it all is more enjoyable to me now. May be because I am the old guy that has seen it all myself and I enjoy watching the young guys make all the same mistakes I have made. I have to help the "old dog" get in the truck but it isn't as easy for me anymore either.
 
I cruised past my dove field this morning and about 200 birds got up. How many bets that someone harvests some peanuts in the next two weeks and draws most of them away?
 
The creek we usually hunt near is dry this year. We got a little rain 2 days ago. Maybe there are enough puddles to draw a few birds in. Keeping my fingers crossed.
 
I know the feeling well, MC. I am also pre- prepacking. Since we can't hunt until Sunday, Saturday will be a great day for socializing. I have 2 new-to-me shotguns that have to be patterned and a case of Tannerite that needs to be disposed of! If we are lucky, maybe a hog or 2 will wander by and we'll have BBQ ribs that night. Can't wait!!
 
Our season doesn't open till the 7th. Very disappointing; this is the first labor day I can remember that doesn't involve dove blasting. Labor day without dove hunting is a disgrace; it might as well be may day. :-(
 
Yeah, I'll get up to my buddy's house Saturday afternoon, about a 3 hour drive to Waco. We'll sit and visit and catch up, Saturday evening over a few beers.

I get 2 season openers, one up there (central zone) and one down here since I'm about 15 miles south if I10, the dividing line for south zone. I have permission to hunt a field, here, but I need to run down there and scout for birds. No grain around here, but there's a line of trees on a dry creek that might attract roosting birds late in the afternoon. There might be something natural for 'em to feed on out there, don't know. I have a few dove around my place I could chase, too, though, but not too many open spots in the trees.
 
If I do any bird hunting these days, I hunt quail wherever I can find any wild birds
left these days in my part of North Carolina. Dove season used to be big when I
was attending high school. September 1 was almost an unofficial holiday, even
though I never skipped school to go hunting (I'd meet up with my friends after class)
my friends would cut classes. This was back in the days where gun racks with guns
were in trucks and you could take your shotgun onto a school campus. I'd have my
single shot 20 gauge ready to go with a box or two of #6 shot and I would head
to the field where we would hunt.

It's good to see that some people still dove hunt and I wish y'all lots of luck this
year. Around here, there aren't too many people who dove hunt any more, the
kids these days are more interested in going home and hitting the social networks
or video games than getting outside, enjoying the outdoors and enhancing their
shooting skills.
 
Disappointing for volume. No limits, 6-9 birds a day per person combined morning and evening. I guess we didn't hit the migration right or something. Talked to some other folks, same story. I can say I do much prefer my 20 gauge SxS to my 12 gauge auto, for sure. I shot the 12 yesterday, the 20 this morning. It's just so much quicker, danged deadly. :D

Molly, my lab, did improve a lot. By the end of this morning, she would pick 'em up and retrieve. At first, she wouldn't pick 'em up. Don't think she liked the feathers or something. I pulled the heads off each kill and she got to looking forward to the treat. :D I think she'll work out fine, just a pup still, really. This was her very first hunt.
 
I had a good season opener on a buddies place near Converse,Tx.
We took limits on Sunday and Monday and were finished by 8:30 am on both days. I hope y'all all had as much fun as I did!
 

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Our season opens tomorrow. Y'all keep an eye out for snakes this weekend. I don't know what it is, but I've seen more snakes the past two weeks than I typically see in two summers.
 
The annual re-zombification of this thread. I get to go blast doves for the first time this year tomorrow. It will be a great time- taking my neighbor (and brewmaster) hunting for his first time. He has hunted the 2 legged vermin in Afganistan before- but never the elusive winged rat!
 
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