[TxHuntermn]

Year over year, I average taking, and cooking, 150 to 200 doves. Cook them lots of different ways, but the advice not to overcook is paramount.

Growing up, my Dad insisted that each bird be plucked “neck to toes”, carefully gutted, retaining liver gizzards and hearts, snipping only the feet and head from the carcass. All the gizzards were split and skinned, then fried in bacon fat with the rest of the giblets, with flour tossed in to make a roo for giblet cream gravy. The birds were dredged in buttermilk, seasoned cracker crumbs, and pan fried. Served with “grandad’s bisquits”, turnip or collard greens, that meal was my absolute favorite growing up!

I will never forget the first time , after college, that I took my Dad dove hunting at “my” lease, and proceeded to breast out my birds in his presence!! I thought he was going to disown me!!

A couple of times each season, I’ll get the urge to do the birds “my Dad’s way”. I never could shoot them his way though. His butt never left the overturned, extra tall galvanized, bucket that he used for a seat, and transport device. Dad was a lefty, but shot a right handed A5- 16, until he bought a brand spanking new right handed 1100 12 in Gibsons discount store when I was 8, trading in his old Browning for it. He did not care what ammo he used for doves, as long as they were AA 9’s. I truly do not think I can remember a time that he opened a second box of shells on a shoot in order to get a limit, nor do I ever remember him keeping count of how many birds he shot!! He would shoot a box, and it might mean 12 birds in the bucket, or 20. How he shot that well, sitting on that damn bucket i’ll never know!