There's More to Dove Hunting...

[Double Lab]

Originally Posted by Stan Hillis

Nice looking field, Dave. The only thing I can see that might improve it is more cover non the edges for the shooters to hide in. I'm a nut for having a good camouflaged "hide".

True Stan. And finding a treeline to provide shade for me and the dogs. I always sit with my back towards the sun so incoming birds to the decoys have the sun in their eyes, not mine.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

True Stan. And to provide shade for me and the dogs. I always sit with my back towards the sun so incoming birds to the decoys have the sun in their eyes, not mine.

If you don’t hide well in our public dove fields, you’ll watch birds flare far out of range. Also, after the first day, I think motion decoys spook more birds than they draw.

…And, Daryl, I also put my vote in for the 28.

[Double Lab]

I only use the Robo decoys in the late season Gary, when we have big flocks of migratory birds in. I use pigeon decoys I cut out of 1/2" plywood and painted flat gray with splotches of black and white. Used to shoot loads of pigeons and found that they work well for doves, especially the young birds in the early season. I neglected to take a picture of the 28 with yesterdays birds. Forgot the camera. Yeah, 28's and birds(doves) go together like PBJ.

[Dean Weber]

Responses:
We use the wheat straw bales as our cover. They familiar to the doves. Sit on the shady side. Not many trees in SD
The crop is a cut wheat field.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Dean Weber

Responses:
We use the wheat straw bales as our cover. They familiar to the doves. Sit on the shady side. Not many trees in SD
The crop is a cut wheat field.

So is the wheat broadcast and not drilled? Just curious.

[Dean Weber]

It was drilled spring wheat. Swathed and baled.

[J. A. EARLY]

Virginia is always stuck in the past. While most states now allow hunting at daybreak for doves, we still must wait until 12 on the first day only. Must have been 100 in the sun so I left poor Mosby at home, who was begging to go. Got my limit with a Beretta o/u 20 shooting 7/8 oz of 9s after a bad sunburn of four hours. After my limit I brought my cousin's grandson to my spot to coach him, using the 12 Trojan I had given him. He couldn't hit a bull in the butt with a base fiddle as the saying goes, and after three boxes had only thirteen. I went Labor day morning at daybreak and got 10 with a 20 Parker VH shooting the same 9s. Birds after being shot Saturday were much farther away so I was undergunned.

Keeping with my rule of using a different gun each time I took my semi-custom Winchester 24 12 ga. Heavy as a log, stiff to open as if it just left the factory, but choked perfectly with IC and Full. Made the same year I was born. Shot 15/30 but changing guns, gauges, and shot sizes each time takes some getting used to. To show how people don't know much about dove hunting, my favorite pole which is usually covered with pokeberries which one can hide in, had all been cut down by the previous idiot hunters. Perfect camo was gone and I'll bet every dove saw the two guys that were setting there (one shooting a 20 and one a 12 by their hulls I had to clean up). So I used the cut down plants for a makeshift blind. Anyway, Mosby had fun and so did I.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Jerry Harlow

Virginia is always stuck in the past. While most states now allow hunting at daybreak for doves, we still must wait until 12 on the first day only. Must have been 100 in the sun so I left poor Mosby at home, who was begging to go. Got my limit with a Beretta o/u 20 shooting 7/8 oz of 9s after a bad sunburn of four hours. After my limit I brought my cousin's grandson to my spot to coach him, using the 12 Trojan I had given him. He couldn't hit a bull in the butt with a base fiddle as the saying goes, and after three boxes had only thirteen. I went Labor day morning at daybreak and got 10 with a 20 Parker VH shooting the same 9s. Birds after being shot Saturday were much farther away so I was undergunned.

Keeping with my rule of using a different gun each time I took my semi-custom Winchester 24 12 ga. Heavy as a log, stiff to open as if it just left the factory, but choked perfectly with IC and Full. Made the same year I was born. Shot 15/30 but changing guns, gauges, and shot sizes each time takes some getting used to. To show how people don't know much about dove hunting, my favorite pole which is usually covered with poke berries which one can hide in, had all been cut down by the previous idiot hunters. Perfect camo was gone and I'll bet every dove saw the two guys that were setting there (one shooting a 20 and one a 12 by their hulls I had to clean up). So I used them for a makeshift blind. Anyway, Mosby had fun and so did I.

Jerry, that’s great shooting. Glad Mosby got to go.

[Mills]

Back at it again today with a new to me VH 16. Got 12 which was the limit set by our host. That was fine with me and I got the 12th bird with the last shell I had. They flew steadily the whole hunt. The rain held off until we were leaving and then it poured. All in all a great day and one for the record books

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Mills Morrison

Back at it again today with a new to me VH 16. Got 12 which was the limit set by our host. That was fine with me and I got the 12th bird with the last shell I had. They flew steadily the whole hunt. The rain held off until we were leaving and then it poured. All in all a great day and one for the record books

You guys are having some great hunts — congratulations.