Anyone from the Kentucky contingent going to be at the Central WMA in Madison County for the opening of dove season?

Due to the storm, I did not chance the WMA. However, the rain is light at the home, so I hit the family farm. 12 shots for 4 doves. I got one double. The first I have ever tried on the first group of doves I jumped. If the weather holds off, I will go back out in about 2 hours.

I was flushing them out of a standing hay field shooting them as they crossed out of flush. Sometimes the covey, for lack of a better term, would fly in a big semi circle back in front of me. And I had a few crossers flying in.

I have never really shot clays and have never hunted birds; except turkeys. What fun have I been missing walked forever. Got to shoot a lot. Even got a few. I was hunting alone would of loved to had someone if only to spot/mark down birds.

Load and gun was a 12 bore Francotte side by side barrels made in Brimingham via proof marks shooting Fedeeral 8 shot 1 1/8 oz 3 1/4 dram load. Never hunting anything but turkeys, I was skeptical of such a light load. Now I wish I would have stocked up on 8s instead of 7 1/2. The Gun is choked full and improved modified on my chocke gauge.

For every good shot there is a bad shot. A group of doves roasting in a tree. I worked around to the back to get perpendicular to them . All but one takes off flaying away. The one holds. I get right next to him. I can see his eye. I wait, whistle, even holler at him. He still does not fly. Ok, we stare at each other. Finally, with that noise he makes he flys up of the brench then out. I miss. The second barrrel, I see the wad about 3 inches behind his tail. The easiest bird of the day, and I miss.

The only thing I can say is with the early crossers I saw them and were flaying more like a clay, and could swing through, and I had more time.Just got back in from the afternoon march. I hunted up a drainage that had running water an jumped aground of about 7. I picked one out and brought him home. Then I jumped another group but they were right in line with a house so I let them go. There is a feed barn on the far edge of the property, so I headed out that way. Instead of dove I found pegion and lots of them. Sine, they are eating the same thing as the doves and we are rural I so no harm in bringing one of these plump breasted boys home.

A group of 4 came flying in straight at me on a line. I confess to not knowing how to handle this shot, but I know I hit two of them boys. I saw feathers fly and the went into a spinning dive only to right and fly off. Weather is getting worse, so the hunt was cut short.

Just got back from this morning. Nine more shots and three doves added to the brine. I was jumping them up out of a creek with flowing water.

That makes a total of 9 birds, 2 were not recoverd eating by the standing hay and iron weeds; and about 29 shots fired.

I will let these fields rest. The end of September I am going to an uncles family farm in Alabama. These are real soy bean ag fields we will be hunting. I intend to miss a lot.

Tonight I will toss the breast in olive oil and peeper, rap them two to a rap in sugar cured bacon, and roast them in an oven.

Good deal!


Had a buddy the went dove hunting for first time a couple years ago. He was 1 for 1! 1 dove and 1 BOX of shells!

I've only hunted doves once....couldn't remember my ratio..or don't want to remember! Lol.

Good hunting!