I can’t shoot, but love chasing doves around around our farm. I was the only gun to march around with well over 100 birds in our cut hay field.

19 shots later from my Francotte 12 bore and I had three birds. I never shoot more than 6 or 8 just enough for one good mess of this field. So, the weekend still holds some fun the capes were field with grass seeds. The neighboring farm did not plant any sunflowers or corn this year.

I had two dead to Rights 15 yards out 12 feet off the ground and somehow whiffed with both barrels. Oh well, can win everything.

I turned 30 on the 29th of this month, so maybe the eyes are starting to go.

This evening and tomorrow will be fun.

When I get 6 or 8 of them, I will toss the breast skin on in olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Next, wrap in a good quality bacon pinned with a tooth pick. Then in a glass oven dish pour in some Amber hard cider and bake them on 375 until bacon is crisp. Side of wild rice and hard cider.

What about y’uns?

My boss has close to 50 hunters out here this weekend.

In visiting with some of them during the mid day break for lunch some had good success some not so good.

Just got in from showing a group of 8 a field that was hunted lightly this morning with decent success by another group.

We have some clouds moving in so there is a slight possibility of rain.

Our biggest problem out here is that we have not received rain so many of our ponds are dry or are drying up.

I have been advising our hunters to concentrate on any standing water late in the afternoon.

Some of the fields my boss has leased have really great sunflower stands and quite a few of his hunters did really good this morning.

I have been struggling for a couple of weeks to even find the birds.
then the usual end of august storm rolled through and I figured things were over before they even began.
things are looking a bit better and I think we got a new batch of birds from up nort.
got 4 this morning not counting the one the badger stole.

Until a person "learns the tricks" of shotgunning. Doves can be the hardest things in the world to hit. They die easy if you hit 'em though.
I had a hell of a time until another hunter gave me some tips after watching me miss a bunch of times.

George

if your gonna miss, miss out front.

this evening turned into a good hunt.
the morning thing was to straighten out a blind I have been slowly putting together to resemble a tangled wood pile.
the evening hunt put me at the limit easy enough and I let Littlegirl have a go on her own while I waited in the truck watching her.

good thing I only used one box of shells, because she was struggling and come to get my second one.
I didn't bring 2. just the one and a handful in my fanny pack from last year.
lucky for her I had a box stashed under the back seat from last years grouse hunting so she ended up shooting the poor things with an ounce of 6's doing about 1250fps.

Just got back from this morning shoot and treck. Our field had about 50 in it today, but they were in smaller groups. The rest are still in the area, but have figured out the neighbors don’t shoot. Or maybe they have better seed on the ground after the high bunch hit us. Had about 50 in our fields total. But only got two good passes.

Out of 10 shots, I got one more on a bird that got confused in the shooting and flew straight at me. I was on top of a Hill, and he was came flying at me from the bottom to the top. I swung from behind/under him and when the bid passed his beak. Bang! Hey, it worked for this time. One more to the brine. Just need two more.

The afternoon would be better as we have the fields with good water two stockpounds and a running stream.

I wish we could start hunting/shooting at 900 am instead of 1100 am. The birds are on the ground and they fly off when I get 80 yards from them. Then you are shooting ones and twos as they fly back. With two guns this would be alright bc you could block and turn them.

Shooting and missing is better than taking pictures. I am an ham and egger at this. And that is ok.

quote:

I wish we could start hunting/shooting at 900 am instead of 1100 am.

I can remember when here in Texas hunting did not start till Noon.

Truthfully, looking back on those days the hunting was actually better because with all the hunters out, the birds were kept moving pretty well till legal shooting time ended.

Our biggest problem this year is that it has been so dry that there was not as good a production of sunflowers and dove weed and many ponds have dried up.

In checking with some of ther groups that hunted the bosses properties, some had good shoots others were spotty.

tell them to hang in there.
I seen more doves last night than I have ever seen in one place in my entire life.
I made the girl quit shooting because the bird numbers were too high and I didn't want to blow them out.
I have all 3 water sources for a good 15 [or more] miles in any direction under watch, but the one we were on is their main spot for some reason.

I went out a bit late this morning and picked off the singles and doubles for a few hours and then made it back home by noon.
I think I will lay off this hole [and hope someone else doesn't jump in it] tonight and hunt the secondary spot.
I hate to let the shooting opportunity's pass since our season is like 3 day's long but I think it's the best plan.

anyway all of those birds have to be heading South pretty soon.

quote:

I hate to let the shooting opportunity's pass since our season is like 3 day's long but I think it's the best plan.

Wow, that is rough.

Here in the Texas North Zone we have a split season that has expanded this year.

It started on September 1 and goes until Nov. 4 and then reopens on Dec. 21 and goes till Jan. 14.

Go 90 or 100 miles west of Olney where doves are usually excellent on the Texas Rolling Plains and you'll find hardly anything to shoot at this year. The first weekend of the season depends on birds hatched locally and there were next to none. This is the first year in my adult lifetime that I haven't bother to break out a shotgun for the opening weekend. We might get some Kansas and Nebraska birds with a cold front in mid-October, but I don't think there's be a very good hatch there, either.

That's too bad since dove hunting is one of the most enjoyable of the shooting sports.

Believe it or not during my rounds today, around 4:30 or so as rain was moving into this area, I went thru a hundred yard or so stretch of the highway and there were easily 75 to 100 White wing doves on the high lines.

Not sure what had caused them to be flocked up like that, but when I first saw all the birds on the wires, I thought it was a flock of black birds.

It wasn't until I got into the flock that I realised what they were and there were no Mourning or Ring neck doves in the flock.

We were at our place outside Seymour TX his weekend. Doves were very scattered. If I would have shot at and killed every one that passed within shotgun range, I would not have limited in two days. Killed 5 birds and shot 9 shells. However, it is tough to beat being outside on a beautiful day with a nice gun in your hands!

Safe shooting......LL

I agree. I will never begrudge a missed dove. However, that was some fine shooting. Our fields were empty today. I think they just got smart. I ended the weekend with 4birds for 29shots. I will go tomorrow after work for that elusive 5th bird.

If he does not come, I will just have to eat more rice.

the season is longer than 3 days but the birds rarely stay around even that long.
usually they are long gone before Sept. is even close.

I don't know what's keeping them here this year but I'm not gonna complain even a little bit, and I'm gonna get out every chance I get until it's milked out to the very end.

I know a bunch left last night because of the cold [30-F] night time temps, so it won't be long.

quote:

We were at our place outside Seymour TX his weekend.

You were about 30 maybe 40 miles west of my bosses properties. The rains moved into the area yesterday and today and will either bring birds in or run those here out.

Birds have pretty much disappeared from three week ago, but still I had a ball being afield this opening weekend of Texas central zone dove season.










A CZ Ringneck SxS. Full choke and 6 shot on the right, modified and 7-1/2 shot on the left. Left before right!


I've mentioned before, my dad was not a hunter. I was born in 1951, he passed in October 2009. He never owned a rifle or pistol to my knowledge. I went with him in 1958 to pick up this shotgun.



Browning sweet sixteen, vent rib and "gold" trigger. I grew up shooting it. I can't begin to count the number of blackbirds, robins, dove, woodcock, bats, crows, ducks, geese, squirrels and and clay pigeons I've busted with this shotgun.




Got my kix with it this weekend!


A line from Tenesse Ernie Ford singing "16 tons"........... If the right one don't a-get you, then the left one will!







I had it made in the shade!


Left: Beretta Silver Pigeon, King Ranch edition, 20 ga.

Right: Remington 11-87, 12 Ga. Special Purpose Mag, Parkerized and stock refinshed by mo1!


Along with 7 hoglets perforated, I had a ball!

ya!


GWB

I am just happy we are getting some rain. Conditions up here are almost as they were in 2011/2012 ponds going dry, grazing disappearing and folks selling off a lot of their stock trying to hang on.

I have my gun and shells in the pickup but just haven't got that interested in trying to shoot anything.

I never fired a shot at a dove last year.

My opening day is tomorrow out near Rule, TX.
With a dozen guys that hunted this place for several years.
Shooting birds is fun, but the company, tales, food, scotch and cigars make for a complete package.
Back in a few days, rain or no.

Went out on Labor Day with my 3 sons and had a great day.Ended up with 12 birds between us and a bunch of shots fired. The best part was getting to meet up with my boys and spending time together,bullshitting,and having a good time.Looking forward to it again.
Scott

I think we are done.
I really had to stretch things out tonight.

I pulled out some 1225 fps #7 shot and used everything they would give me in the full choke barrel of the SKB O/U to scratch down 5 birds.

one of them my SIL put the range finder on me as I was picking it up and he said it read 63 yards, another one was a few steps further in almost the same spot.
I don't know why he brought a rangefinder on a Dove hunt but you'd have to know him to understand [shaking my head]

maybe one of these days he will learn how to hunt something... or shoot.
he went 0-fer everything, which wasn't much.

Today we were full birds. More than the first day, but they are very jumpy. I got two good chances.

There is a creek running between two fields. There is a dip were the creek steps down. There were 6 in that dip. I saw one running as I walked into it. Then up they came. I swing on a bird that had risen on a right hand crossing shot. I did not swing through, but got the barrels in front of him and keep them moving. My first shot of the day brought him down.

Birds went every where. I had one crossing and tried to swing thru, but I know I stopped the gun. Miss.

Two more shots later left my with one bird to add to the brine. Oh well, 1 out of four shots felt like an improvement.

I will cook them up these evening. It is always fun. If not hot.

I've always enjoyed hunting doves, but never classified them as Big Game.

It has been raining here off and on all week.

Only heard one group or person shooting this afternoon, I have not fired a shot yet.

I do not either could not find the shotgun sub forum looked half a dozen times gave up posted here.

My wife and I just finished them. They were delicious. I will not kill any more until next year.

Recipe:
sea salt water brine breast skin on, pat dry carefully with palate towls,
Toss with olive water and black pepper,
Place two breast halve together and wrap in good quality bacon,
Pin them with word tooth pick,
Place in oven safe glass dish neatly and pour in half a bottle of semi sweat hard cider I give a little splash to the top of each,
Bake in oven on 350 or 375 until bacon crisp serve with wild rice and hard cider.

A good night too few and far between.

In a nutshell, our hunts were rained out and when it was not raining, there were almost no birds. It had been too wet north of Abilene.

quote:

I do not either could not find the shotgun sub forum looked half a dozen times gave up posted here.

Nothing wrong with where you posted your hunt, you at least posted something and that is what matters.

I know the sub forum was here, but after you spend a day a mean a full work day doing nothing but typing a memorandum on issues of law, sometimes the lower card sub forums are hard to find.

If someone with the power wants to move the thread to that forum, I am all for it.

It is fine where it is, as it is about American Hunting!!!!

I'm fine with it here too.

I think I might give it one more go just to make sure they are gone and no new birds have moved in.

the Grouse are still on the small side and just hang out looking at you as you walk up on them.

some of the areas I hunt the birds are just starting to make a comeback and I'd rather pass up some shots this fall to see a few more birds in some of my hidey holes in the next couple of years.
if the wife wants some for some special dinner I can get them easy enough, I'm just gonna be a bit more selective.

My father in law and his old hunting partner tell me that in the 70s and 80s they would hunt his open pit mine sites before and after reclaim. What they described was dove shooting that sound like Argentina for doves, grear quail, and solid grouse hunting.

Fast forward to my turn I have seen two grouse hunting. Did not shoot them. One year my brother did stumble upon some good grouse. He put up four and shot two. Every year we here and see one or two quail. Dove is the only thing left that is truly viable (locally).But the best days are not what they saw.

If I did not love to eat them I would leave them alone. But I made the deal with myself 6-8 for one meal then the gun goes up. This year I called it at 5.

I hope you birds do well Lamar p, and good hunting even if condensed is there for you for many years.

like everywhere we have good years and bad years.

you know.
I think over the years you learn to enjoy the good ones and try to do something to foster them along a bit more to help out the bad ones if possible.
most everywhere I hunt is public land, which means I can find a spot with a lot of work and travel and time..

I can try to help things along sometimes but that just means someone else can find my spot and take advantage of what I worked for.
like that time I opened a weeping spring about 6 miles up a canyon.
I damned it off and piped it to a cut off barrel to provide the only water for a good 40 miles in any direction.
only to come back a year later to find a tree stand set up over it.
[I later found out I was followed by a couple of out of state hunters when I carried the pipe and barrel back in there]

nothing I can do about it.