GEESE AND DOVES

[Jerry Harlow]

Man I love the first Saturday in September! Geese in the morning and doves in the afternoon. Took my young hunter friend and the geese rolled in. I had an old NH and 1.5 ounces as they came in. Missed twice and I don't know how, but my partner got a triple from three shots! He could not believe it. As we were going to get those and out of position another hundred came in, about five gangs together as they do this time of year. I got one and that was it. All the shooting ran them to another field and it was over.

Shot my favorite dove killer, a VH 28" 16 IC and full. Had 8s right and 7.5s left. Shot great and then could not hit and finally at ten birds got to shooting good for the last five. My young hunting partner got eight plus.

My granddaughter wanted to go today for the first time in six years so I loaded the truck with plenty of 20s. Believe it or not, where I got my limit Saturday we did not shoot a single shot in five hours today. Saw no more than a dozen birds. It is hard to believe, but I wish someone could explain why they were there in a tropical storm but disappeared completely on a bluebird day!

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Doves are a funny bird.

The field I killed a limit in on Saturday (I was the only shooter in it) had maybe 1/16 of the birds I saw on Sunday when we had a few guns there.

Dad killed a couple, I killed five, and I think the other four guys had a dozen between them.

[Jerry Harlow]

Destry,

It does seem the more shooting the more they get confused and come to the shooting. Flying around like crazy. It seems opening day is always good and in a flash they are gone. The fewer the hunters, the fewer birds.