Texas "National" Holiday - Opening Day of Dove Season
 

Had my 12ga DH out this morning for a great time. Birds weren't super plentiful, but I had plenty of shooting. Should have had my 15 bird limit, but I started the day 0/9. Got the kinks worked out and started hitting. Got a few doubles. Ended the shoot with 11 mourning dove (no whitewings this morning) and 1 pigeon, just for good measure, before heading in to the office for a while.

My son has a 5-mo old Pudelpointer. We're about to head out for an afternoon hunt with the pup. I'll leave my gun in the truck and just be along for the ride and for dog training tips this evening.

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Great pictures!!






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Nice job Shane! I'm jealous, I work till Friday. Too hot in the afternoons in AZ. We'll head out early Saturday for sure!

Chris, AZ

You guys started today we have to wait until Saturday :rolleyes:

We have to wait 'til Saturday in Georgia, too. But............ it's closer than it once was !!!!!

Saturday for us and probably a good thing

It was 102 this afternoon in Abilene when we went back out. I went back out this afternoon without my gun. I took my son, Zach, and his 5 month old Pudelpointer pup, Millie. About 30 seconds after we got sat down under a mesquite, a dove flew in to the decoys. Zach killed it. He took Millie out, and she found it and picked it up and brought it back to the chairs. Birds were slow this evening. He killed 5. Millie went and got all of them and brought them back, and then just sat or laid down waiting on the next one. Every time she heard a gunshot in the distance, she'd jump up and start to go toward the sound. She seemed to know that a gunshot = a bird. I think she's gonna make a great bird dog. You can train obedience and various commands and skills, but you can't teach instinct. She seems to have it.

Millie's first bird.

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Zach is a proud dad. :)

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Nice pictures Shane,
Our opening day was rained out, planning to go after them this afternoon.
Stan Hoover

I'm in the same boat as Stan. We got reeeeally rained out yesterday but today is going to be 72* , sunny and tolerable conditions for the dogs. Can't leave the pups home you know.

Waiting for the south zone opening. Birds around Katy are few and far between. 25 years of great hunts and then no mas.

Birds around Abilene were few and far between this weekend. Numbers were pretty decent on Wednesday. They are apparently headed south though, so be looking for them soon, Greg.

Greg, I live in the Houston area and have hunted the Katy area for many years, doves and water fowl. I think the lack of agriculture has destroyed what was an excellent hunting area. Those vast subdivisions are a poor substitute for rice and milo fields. Lots of fields I guided hunts in 35 years ago are gone to development.

I totally agree. Pine monoculture has done it to a lot of formerly good places around here.

Keith: Some call it progress and $$$$. I call it terrible.... I hunted "Blue Goose" years ago. What a hoot.....

You'd be sad. Marvin's is totally gone. Altair and Marvin's Blue Goose were the center of the goose hunting prairie back in the day. I go thru there on my way to Garwood once or twice a year if coming from the west, the corner is bare, trailers gone. Somebody in East Bernard told me a gas-n go type place was going to be built there

I am not big on "progress" either.