Dove hunting in the West, D-light or delight

RD Nelle

Active member
I hit the opener for doves. Kind of like the opener for ducks, just a little less worried anticipation since I didn't have to ready the boat. Let's see, decoys and dove tree ready, gun cleaned, shells (maybe a few extras) water, license, snack, car gassed up, dog - well that?s another story. Had a great day out. Good weather and enough action to burn a box of shells. A great primer for the next D season in October. View attachment IMG_0699.JPG
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That looks pretty great to me. I haven?t shot nearly enough doves in my life as I need to.
 
Tod,
yes great fun and tasty. My wife said they are some of best tasting wild game I have brought home. Of course that time I deep fried them whole.
 
They won't let us shoot the pretty birds here. Too many tree huggers. Got my frustrations out by going to Argentina. It was what they advertised. Would like to go again and do dove and ducks. For ducks I would go to another area for ducks.
 
I thought about doing a coast to coast dove hunt, hitting every state on the way east. End up maybe attending the Tuckerton show. I figured I could easily do WA then ID (I have lifetime hunting lis) then WY..... Just for fun when I looked into it, I was surprised that many of the New England states don't have a season including MI and NJ.
 
Our season opens the 15th, I hope to get out this year.

Does the Eurasian Collared dove count towards your limit?
Here in AL, they do not, considered a non-native invasive.
Only white-winged and mourning doves count.
 
View attachment IMG_0697.JPGCollared doves don't count to the limit but they eat just fine. I had an interesting "retrieve". I was sitting at this time and a pair came in carrying the mail directly at me. I pulled up and shot, the bird folded but kept following through. I just took my right hand off the gun and caught it. First time for that. I ended up loosing one in the briars behind me. So I count that.
 
From the early 60's until 2009, I looked forward to, and enjoyed Dove season (early & late) in PA. Have cooked them every way I could think of, and they make very good soup. Eileen Clarke and Sil Strung - The art of Wild Game Cooking, has a good Lime Doves recipe with Jalapeno Sauce.

As I have already stated in other dove posts. If the Almighty came down and told me. "You may have only one migratory bird to hunt." DOVES would be my answer.

Over the years I've carved and made many dove decoys, silhouette & full body rigs.

2010, I moved to western NY. Now my rig sits idle unless I go to a Dove Hunter friendly state, which NY sure as hell ain't.


I wish you well on your Dove hunting journey, as it sounds like a wish come true. Not much gear to tote, just flats of "Shoot Gun" shells.[smile] Your 1100 will get a good workout.

I have met hunters that followed waterfowl during migration. Others that followed the Pheasant seasons from north to south. Why not Doves?












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Vince
sorry about the NY issue, it sounds like it won't be resolved (at least in our minds) anytime soon. Dove hunting is an itch that does needs scratching, at least once a year. I may get a shoot in Illinois in mid/late Sept if I can get Dad motivated. Great decoys. Only been using the cheap plastics a few years. It does make a difference. The collared doves can't resist.
 
Dang, a beautiful day here. I better pack my gear and head out for an evening shoot. I'll knock one down for you NYers. Of course after a few honey dos.
 
RD

Life is full of trade offs. I gave up very good Dove hunting for very good dry fly fishing. Yet when Sept. 1st comes around, the "itch" is still there. Old habits are tough to give up. When the oats are harvested in August I still go scouting. Though I can't hunt the birds, they still taunt me. Then when the corn gets cut it gets real interesting...

Hope you can get your Dad motivated for more hunts. Two man/gun hunts are my favorite, especially later in the season.

Thanks for the photo's and planting the idea of multiple state Dove hunts. Should be much more Geezer friendly than the long distance, hectic waterfowl & upland bird journeys that I loved and endured for so many years. All I need now is a willing partner and a good plan. Would be nice to add White-winged, and collard doves to my life list.


Thanks for the kind words, but I doubt that the birds can tell the difference between wood or plastic decoys in the correct place. Carving and making them just makes me feel better. Been using the old Black Duck Game Calls DOVE D400 call.


Do the collared doves Zig-Zag like crazed bullets when they come to decoys, like Mourning Doves? If so that is the toughest shot there is in my book. I prefer the fly by look see much better.


Best regards
Vince
 
I was able to get out for a short evening hunt, only really hunted 2 hours, got home a little late at 9:30. Shot 6, had 2 doubles. I let a pair pass that were headed east as an offering up for the NYers (and NJ, MI and most of NE) who don't have a season, or was it that they caught me looking the other way. I'll stick with the first thought. The best part was upon my return, I had found my lovely wife had prepared the previous hunts doves, so that was thoughtful treat to come home to. It was a dang good thing I didn't stop for the 2 for $5 at the local fast food joint on the way home and ruin it. Maybe one more time this weekend?

Prime areas to hunt here are around wheat and sunflowers fields. Probably split 50/50 for what was in the birds that were brought to creel for me this year.

I did the dove wing survey the last 2 years. That was fun.

My experience with the collared doves is they don't do the aerial gymnastics the morning doves do. They just fly in a lot slower. But I have only shot a few collared doves over decoys.

If I ever do the coast to coast dove hunt, I will be sure to give a report. Thanks for the inspiration.
 
Sunflowers and wheat are sure draws. Usually by the time we went out west to ND,SD,etc., most of the doves had already gone south.

I do recall one time in ND on the west side of J Clark Salyer NWR. There were huge fields of Sunflowers. At dawn a piper cub began to fly over the fields for hours. After our hunt we went and talked to the farmer. He told us it was the only way he could keep the Blackbirds, etc. from stealing his crop. The airplane would go one way, the large flocks of birds would go the other. It was quite the sight to witness.

When in PA, an area that was once know as the Buckwheat Capital was not far away. Had many fine dove hunts there and the birds were Deeeelicious. There were also many reclaimed strip mines, with Foxtail, grit ,and many ponds, that were open to hunting. Doves came in by the hundreds. Cover was sparse and we baked while waiting, but man was it worth it. Plus there was always water for the dogs to cool off. My partner and I missed very few days of Dove season.


Ya can't beat coming home to a dove dinner after early season dove huntin', and a ice cold beer to toast the cook and the day. That's what makes September something to always look forward to.


Appreciate the offering, but don't pass up those eastern fliers. We raise plenty of Mourning doves here so they can migrate for other hunters, just like Wood Ducks...

Thank you for the inspiration.
 
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