Dove opener: after action reports

lockedcj7 · September 2, 2007, 06:25 AM

Field type: public dove field
Forrage type: millet
Shots fired: 17
Birds taken: 4

Not a great day by any stretch of the imagination but the scenery was beautiful, the people were great and the weather was cooler than usual. It beat the best day at work by a long shot!

45reloader · September 2, 2007, 06:32 AM

I went out at 12:00 then back out at 4:30.

No birds flying at all. It was about 82 deg.

Maybe 8 dove I watched total, flying way out of range.Worst first day I can recall.

The one place was 488 acres and about 20 guys,no sounds of guns for 30 minutes at a time.Then maybe one or 2 shots,then back sitting around for another 30 minutes.

Next place was 2,300 acres of public land and no one even hung around to 4:30.Guess it was just as bad there at 12:00.

I had a young doe, still with spots,walk right up to me within I'd say 10 feet.That was pretty cool.

rantingredneck · September 2, 2007, 06:53 AM

Public dove field
Millet

We started off in a bad position. No birds flying at all over our end of the field. We moved closer to the action and got a few shots. Then the weather rolled in and the birds stopped flying and the hunters went home.

I fired 12 rounds and came home empty handed
My father in law fired four times and took one bird.
Our friend fired a box or so and took one.

fisherman66 · September 2, 2007, 10:41 AM

Tough day in N. Texas. Fired 10 shots over 10 hours, knocked down 3, recovered 1. I was surrounded by 10 tall brush and weeds with a tilled field in front of me. I hate wasting, but if they weren't dead in the air I was fighting a losing battle. Canada, send us a cold front!

FirstFreedom · September 2, 2007, 11:42 AM

We saw ONE dove while hunting. Friend took shot. Missed. I had ZERO doves come near me. That's WITH a mojo dove going. Dunno; guess the migration has not yet begun here.

When it was apparent there would be no doves, I did take 5 shots to make a hit on a dragonfly - man, you think doves are tough to hit!

Hedley · September 3, 2007, 08:51 PM

Dissapointing to say the least.

Sat out in front of my barn and waited. And waited some more...

Nothing but mourning dove flying. I just watched our covey of quail taunt me.

Fat White Boy · September 4, 2007, 12:03 AM

Colorado River, Arizona Side, C.R.I.T. Indian Reservation. I had a limit of 10 by 8:00AM. But it was slow going as compared to years past. Also- The birds stopped flying at 9:00AM. I think it may have sprinkled the night before and that may have moved the birds out overnight.

I had my first problem with other hunters. We got to our spot and were the only ones there. About 15 minutes before shooting time, 2 SUV's pulled up, parked right next to us then set up 50 yards directly in front of us! I mean there were literally miles of open area on either side of us and these idiots just set up tight in front of us! So much for courtesy and common sense....

dbgun · September 4, 2007, 10:40 AM

We did very well on Saturday & Sunday, hunting ENE of Houston, near Dayton TX. I had two limits (12 birds/limit) by Sunday. By Monday the birds were flying so high, one of the two birds I did bring down had an oxygen mask on. About 70% of the birds, were small young birds.

I used a new Mossberg Silver Reserve (Sunday) not knowing what to expect. I was really pleased with the Over&Under.

sargenv · September 4, 2007, 11:20 AM

Dad and I hunted NE of Willows California (2 hours N of Sacramento) on a combined irrigated/dry alfalfa field. There was a disced field that was sunflowers to the south and an orchard to the NE. There were more dove this year than I've seen in at least 10 years. I arrived on the field at 6:15 and was done by 7:15, Dad took a little longer and was done by 8. 20 between him and I. I shot a bit less than a box of shells.

Second day was a little tougher, it had cooled down a bit, and the birds had shifted. Dad managed to get his limit by 8:30a, I took a little longer and was done at 9:30a.

This was by far the best hunt we've had in years. The weather held out and it was in the 90's to low 100's and humid thus keeping the birds hanging around. In recent years it always snapped cold the day before sending the birds south. Unfortunately Dove hunting i all about location. If you can be on a cut grain field (sunflower, Safflower, etc) it tends to be pretty good. If you have trees and water, that will make things better in the afternoon. If you have access to all of this, that tends to make it a good hunt. if you don't have all that, it gets difficult to bring em in.

castnblast · September 4, 2007, 03:39 PM

My report is even worse...I'M STILL WAITING TILL THE 22ND!!!

FirstFreedom · September 4, 2007, 03:52 PM

So CNB, different dates for different parts of TX? (see dbgun's post above....)

dbgun · September 4, 2007, 04:47 PM

FF,

Here is a link that will show the different hunting zones in TX. North & Central opening day was 9/1. South zone will be 9/21 for dove.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild...ve_hunt_zones/

Hedley · September 5, 2007, 08:40 AM

Cool thing is that even though I'm in the South Zone, I also live in Special White Wing Zone. Didn't do much to put birds on the stove top though.

3 weelin geezer · September 9, 2007, 08:23 PM

I scored 19 doves and about 6 dragon flies with about 1 1/2 to 2 boxes. Having a single shot makes you really think about it.

September 2, 2007, 06:25 AM	#1
lockedcj7 Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2007 Posts: 1,215	Dove opener: after action reports Field type: public dove field Forrage type: millet Shots fired: 17 Birds taken: 4 Not a great day by any stretch of the imagination but the scenery was beautiful, the people were great and the weather was cooler than usual. It beat the best day at work by a long shot! __________________ To a much greater extent than most mechanical devices, firearms are terribly unforgiving of any overconfidence, complacency or negligence.

September 2, 2007, 10:41 AM	#4
fisherman66 Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2005 Location: The Woodlands TX Posts: 4,679	Tough day in N. Texas. Fired 10 shots over 10 hours, knocked down 3, recovered 1. I was surrounded by 10 tall brush and weeds with a tilled field in front of me. I hate wasting, but if they weren't dead in the air I was fighting a losing battle. Canada, send us a cold front! __________________ la plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas!

September 2, 2007, 11:42 AM	#5
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	pathetic We saw ONE dove while hunting. Friend took shot. Missed. I had ZERO doves come near me. That's WITH a mojo dove going. Dunno; guess the migration has not yet begun here. When it was apparent there would be no doves, I did take 5 shots to make a hit on a dragonfly - man, you think doves are tough to hit!

September 3, 2007, 08:51 PM	#6
Hedley Senior Member Join Date: May 9, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 1,279	Dissapointing to say the least. Sat out in front of my barn and waited. And waited some more... Nothing but mourning dove flying. I just watched our covey of quail taunt me. __________________ It is imperative to strike down the rise of modernism which would lend itself to folly such as the use of billet components.

September 4, 2007, 10:40 AM	#8
dbgun Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 326	We did very well on Saturday & Sunday, hunting ENE of Houston, near Dayton TX. I had two limits (12 birds/limit) by Sunday. By Monday the birds were flying so high, one of the two birds I did bring down had an oxygen mask on. About 70% of the birds, were small young birds. I used a new Mossberg Silver Reserve (Sunday) not knowing what to expect. I was really pleased with the Over&Under. Last edited by dbgun; September 4, 2007 at 11:29 AM.

September 2, 2007, 06:32 AM	#2
45reloader Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2006 Location: PA Posts: 669	I went out at 12:00 then back out at 4:30. No birds flying at all. It was about 82 deg. Maybe 8 dove I watched total, flying way out of range.Worst first day I can recall. The one place was 488 acres and about 20 guys,no sounds of guns for 30 minutes at a time.Then maybe one or 2 shots,then back sitting around for another 30 minutes. Next place was 2,300 acres of public land and no one even hung around to 4:30.Guess it was just as bad there at 12:00. I had a young doe, still with spots,walk right up to me within I'd say 10 feet.That was pretty cool.

September 2, 2007, 06:53 AM	#3
rantingredneck Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,728	Public dove field Millet We started off in a bad position. No birds flying at all over our end of the field. We moved closer to the action and got a few shots. Then the weather rolled in and the birds stopped flying and the hunters went home. I fired 12 rounds and came home empty handed My father in law fired four times and took one bird. Our friend fired a box or so and took one.

September 4, 2007, 12:03 AM	#7
Fat White Boy Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2005 Posts: 1,276	Colorado River, Arizona Side, C.R.I.T. Indian Reservation. I had a limit of 10 by 8:00AM. But it was slow going as compared to years past. Also- The birds stopped flying at 9:00AM. I think it may have sprinkled the night before and that may have moved the birds out overnight. I had my first problem with other hunters. We got to our spot and were the only ones there. About 15 minutes before shooting time, 2 SUV's pulled up, parked right next to us then set up 50 yards directly in front of us! I mean there were literally miles of open area on either side of us and these idiots just set up tight in front of us! So much for courtesy and common sense....

September 4, 2007, 11:20 AM	#9
sargenv Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 72	Dad and I hunted NE of Willows California (2 hours N of Sacramento) on a combined irrigated/dry alfalfa field. There was a disced field that was sunflowers to the south and an orchard to the NE. There were more dove this year than I've seen in at least 10 years. I arrived on the field at 6:15 and was done by 7:15, Dad took a little longer and was done by 8. 20 between him and I. I shot a bit less than a box of shells. Second day was a little tougher, it had cooled down a bit, and the birds had shifted. Dad managed to get his limit by 8:30a, I took a little longer and was done at 9:30a. This was by far the best hunt we've had in years. The weather held out and it was in the 90's to low 100's and humid thus keeping the birds hanging around. In recent years it always snapped cold the day before sending the birds south. Unfortunately Dove hunting i all about location. If you can be on a cut grain field (sunflower, Safflower, etc) it tends to be pretty good. If you have trees and water, that will make things better in the afternoon. If you have access to all of this, that tends to make it a good hunt. if you don't have all that, it gets difficult to bring em in.

September 4, 2007, 03:39 PM	#10
castnblast Senior Member Join Date: July 2, 2006 Location: Corpus Christi TX Posts: 1,148	My report is even worse...I'M STILL WAITING TILL THE 22ND!!! __________________ VEGETARIAN...old indian word for bad hunter

September 4, 2007, 03:52 PM	#11
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	So CNB, different dates for different parts of TX? (see dbgun's post above....)

September 4, 2007, 04:47 PM	#12
dbgun Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 326	Different zones in TX FF, Here is a link that will show the different hunting zones in TX. North & Central opening day was 9/1. South zone will be 9/21 for dove. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild...ve_hunt_zones/

September 5, 2007, 08:40 AM	#13
Hedley Senior Member Join Date: May 9, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 1,279	Cool thing is that even though I'm in the South Zone, I also live in Special White Wing Zone. Didn't do much to put birds on the stove top though. __________________ It is imperative to strike down the rise of modernism which would lend itself to folly such as the use of billet components.

September 9, 2007, 08:23 PM	#14
3 weelin geezer Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2004 Posts: 438	I scored 19 doves and about 6 dragon flies with about 1 1/2 to 2 boxes. Having a single shot makes you really think about it.