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Tips For Better Dove Hunting
By Ray Sasser
© 2008, The Dallas Morning News
Hunting seasons kick off Sept. 1 with the beginning of dove season in most of Texas (as well as South Dakota). Don't expect to find dove seasons listed in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual this year. A late request for a South Zone season change led to delayed finalization of hunting dates. Dove seasons were not approved until after the hunting and fishing regulations booklet was printed.
TP&W printed a special supplement for doves, teal and other early season migrant gamebirds that should be available where licenses are sold. You may have to ask for the supplement. In the meantime, here's the scoop on dove hunting regulations, tactics and tips:
TIPS
— Stay safe. Even the small shot sizes used for dove hunting will pierce skin as far as 130 yards. Stay aware of where other hunters are located in the field and try to keep 150 yards apart. Avoid shots at birds flying between you and a nearby hunter. Unload your gun as soon as you've finished hunting and leave the shotgun's action open so everyone can see that the gun is safe.
— Stay mobile. Watch how doves enter and leave the area you are hunting and get into position to intercept them. Doves have distinct flight patterns. Take advantage of the flight patterns.
— Hide from doves. These birds have incredible eyesight and a lofty vantage point. Hundreds of times I've watched them fly directly toward me in a path that seemed as if it would offer a perfect shot, only to have the dove slide subtly to one side and pass just out of range. That's not an accident. It means the doves see hunters and recognize them as dangerous, then fly around the danger. Hiding means dressing in clothes that blend with the natural background. It also means using natural cover and remaining still as doves approach your position.
— Find fallen birds by walking directly to the spot where the bird went down without taking your eye off the spot. Hunters are notoriously bad at marking fallen birds and often lose downed game as a result. When you get to the spot where the bird went down, mark it with your cap or carry a handkerchief as a marker.
— Walk in an ever widening circle around the marker until you find the bird. Most hunters stop short of where the bird fell. If you're hunting on the edge of a sunflower field or other tall cover, try to position yourself so the birds fall in a place where you have a good chance of finding them.
TP&W printed a special supplement for doves, teal and other early season migrant gamebirds that should be available where licenses are sold. You may have to ask for the supplement. In the meantime, here's the scoop on dove hunting regulations, tactics and tips:
TIPS
— Stay safe. Even the small shot sizes used for dove hunting will pierce skin as far as 130 yards. Stay aware of where other hunters are located in the field and try to keep 150 yards apart. Avoid shots at birds flying between you and a nearby hunter. Unload your gun as soon as you've finished hunting and leave the shotgun's action open so everyone can see that the gun is safe.
— Stay mobile. Watch how doves enter and leave the area you are hunting and get into position to intercept them. Doves have distinct flight patterns. Take advantage of the flight patterns.
— Hide from doves. These birds have incredible eyesight and a lofty vantage point. Hundreds of times I've watched them fly directly toward me in a path that seemed as if it would offer a perfect shot, only to have the dove slide subtly to one side and pass just out of range. That's not an accident. It means the doves see hunters and recognize them as dangerous, then fly around the danger. Hiding means dressing in clothes that blend with the natural background. It also means using natural cover and remaining still as doves approach your position.
— Find fallen birds by walking directly to the spot where the bird went down without taking your eye off the spot. Hunters are notoriously bad at marking fallen birds and often lose downed game as a result. When you get to the spot where the bird went down, mark it with your cap or carry a handkerchief as a marker.
— Walk in an ever widening circle around the marker until you find the bird. Most hunters stop short of where the bird fell. If you're hunting on the edge of a sunflower field or other tall cover, try to position yourself so the birds fall in a place where you have a good chance of finding them.
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| On The Big Piney River, Hunters Get A Leg Up On The Frogs | Of the Outdoors – Jig Fishing: The Ultimate Catching Tool |
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