Opening of Dove Season

[Alex Martinez]

Was wondering how many did well with yesterday’s opening of Dove Season, was there much movement and bird size. Winston County here, slow start, limit after a couple of hours. Not a good start of the season, some smaller birds it seamed too.

 

[Herman48]

Down here the season opens on the 14th. No doves anywhere. I'll probably stay home.

 

[FatDog]

A slow start is better than no start, Alex. Hope y'all had fun. How did you cook your doves? I like to wrap them in bacon and grill them over a low fire -- yum.

 

[Alex Martinez]

Always wrap them in bacon, that’s the only way for fresh dove!, Course that’s after you pick out all the number 8 shot..

 

[dc2010]

DOwn south alabama well I say south. Dallas county was good. Went to a private hunt. Doves everywhere. I didnt shoot many because i was on the wrong end of the field, with the wrong choice gun. Next year will be better prepared. And i guess the rest of the season i will hunt WMA Public land. Went out on our local WMA thursday to do a pre-scout for doves, seen 5 on 1 field. The rest of the WMA i rode around on I saw nothing. And Bacon, cream cheese, and jalepeno on the grill....only way to eat them. Unless you fry them of course. I have never had them fried. I prefer the grill.

 

[FatDog]

Think of all the broken molars, if they ever mandate steel shot for upland birds

 

[Herman48]

Think of all the broken molars, if they ever mandate steel shot for upland birds

Actually, I never had any problems when I hunted for ducks in Kodiak, Alaska, from 1997 to 2012, because I did not use steel pellets but "Hevi-Shot," even harder than iron ("steel" is a minsnomer), because the density and specific weight of that alloy of iron, nickel and tungsten was such that hardly any pellets remained in the birds. They only stopped against the heavy bones, but usually went through the whole bird and came out of the other side. But, yes, dove hunting with Hevi-Shot would be a sport for the very rich, for those little winged devils must have been created by shotshell manufacturers. I used to hunt for snipe (not with a lantern and a bag!) both in Italy and in the U.S., and I believed they were the hardest birds to hit... And then I encountered the mourning dove here in the Land of Dixie. As soon as the first shots ring out they begin not just to zig-zag, but to change altitude lickety-split as they zig-zag. So you shoot in the zig when they are in the zag, and you shoot high as they plummet in a nanosecond and low as they climb laser-fast. I thought I was a good wing shot. They taught me humility..

 

[Alex Martinez]

Actually, I never had any problems when I hunted for ducks in Kodiak, Alaska, from 1997 to 2012, because I did not use steel pellets but "Hevi-Shot," even harder than iron ("steel" is a minsnomer), because the density and specific weight of that alloy of iron, nickel and tungsten was such that hardly any pellets remained in the birds. They only stopped against the heavy bones, but usually went through the whole bird and came out of the other side. But, yes, dove hunting with Hevi-Shot would be a sport for the very rich, for those little winged devils must have been created by shotshell manufacturers. I used to hunt for snipe (not with a lantern and a bag!) both in Italy and in the U.S., and I believed they were the hardest birds to hit... And then I encountered the mourning dove here in the Land of Dixie. As soon as the first shots ring out they begin not just to zig-zag, but to change altitude lickety-split as they zig-zag. So you shoot in the zig when they are in the zag, and you shoot high as they plummet in a nanosecond and low as they climb laser-fast. I thought I was a good wing shot. They taught me humility..

Yes Sir those dove will put the moves on you, a different kind of shooting for sure!

 

[Wooddux1]

Think of all the broken molars, if they ever mandate steel shot for upland birds

I don't have to think or imagine.....cracked a molar. So much fun....

 

[dc2010]

Think of all the broken molars, if they ever mandate steel shot for upland birds

I used to shoot steel shot. Federal upland. Number 6 in my 20 ga. Wasnt any worse than a 12.

 

[dc2010]

Yes Sir those dove will put the moves on you, a different kind of shooting for sure!

Yes sir, cant hit a dove 6 foot higher than my head at 20 yards but blow them high flyers right out of the sky at 45-50.