Being a New Yorker, I wasn’t a dove hunter. Doves are considered song birds there. But when I moved to Maryland about 25 years ago I decided I wanted to try it. Not having any contacts for private land yet, I went to McKee-Beshers WMA on opening day. I had trepidations. I had never before hunted public land and had heard horror stories from those who did. But I decided to grab a 12 bore DHE with 28” modified and full tubes and give it a try. It was worse than I expected. It was a real carnival atmosphere. Yelling and screaming from one end of the field to the other. Every bird that was hit, elicited loud hurrah’s from the clowns in the carnival. I had my setter with me to retrieve my birds and he seemed confused by all the shooting and hollering. The third bird I shot, a yahoo ran out and grabbed the bird before my dog could get to it. He set up way to close to me. He pocketed the bird. I told him exactly what I thought of him and left the field, vowing never to hunt doves again.
But I later met a guy who had access to great private land in Virginia and I shot doves with him there for a few years. I enjoyed it but never fully got into it. I guess my sub-conscious New England upbringing still considered them song birds. But I can fully understand why folks like it so much.
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