Denizens of dark and dreary skies

[Stan Hillis]

There is no wing shooting that draws me like doves. I have enjoyed many other types of bird hunting but these great speedsters haunt my dreams like no other. Late season doves are a special breed ......... wary, fast, tough and capable of changing direction at speed in ways that will leave the most adept gunner scratching his head. I have often tipped my hat when I missed one due to an aerobatic "shuck and jive". Yesterday afternoon was a typical late season day in the peanut field ....... cold, windy and drizzly. But they came, as the elements that try men seem to give them impetus and "drive".

I used Susie, the LC Smith 16 ga. FWE Field Grade. It's 32" barrels are choked .025" and .026". It is an ejector gun (obviously), and it has a HOT: a most unusual set of options for a Field Grade gun. But it is ultimately suited for late season doves. I used Fiocchi Dove Loads, 1 oz. at 1165 fps mostly, but employed a couple of ancient Western Xpert vintage papers for fun. Missed with one of them, but connected squarely with the other and a big old mature dove became tablefare with a shell that is likely as old as me. Not a limit, but a hard earned "mess" of ten. Fifteen would have been no more satisfying.