Dove Hunting

[Hoser]

Headed out before daybreak and got a few by 7:00. Use my little Browning 28 gauge. The heat and water kept them around. Seems like the past few years they have been scarce after mid to late August.

[JohnTRourke]

Used my AyA 28 bore. quite deadly. I'm more and more impressed with the 28.

OH there were plenty. On the sides of the roads, on private land, etc

but where we were????

just a few.

but whatever, it was still fun.

[Geology Rocks]

where did you guys go?

private?

joe

[JohnTRourke]

we went on public land.
I think in the 5 hours we were there, we saw 2 cars drive by.

[sniper7]

went up to banner lakes SWA. seems like there was a hunter about ever 50 yards in the trees, some in the fields, some walking.

me and my buddy had our dogs, we walked a bit, then sat in the trees. got a few but it didn't seem like that many were flying.

Watched a guy catch a 20+" pike which was cool.

we heard plenty of shooting but talking to everyone people were only getting a couple birds. we watched several people unload their guns and the bird keep flying. made me laugh a bit.

I haven't done much dove hunting, but I was pretty annoyed that in a SWA there isn't some kind of requirement for at least a orange cap. I just think with that amount of people in such a small area all blasting at every winged creature there should at least be a bit or orange on each hunter. I talked to 2 different guys who got peppered (not by us). I could have easily peppered a couple people but let the bird fly instead.
I also watched one guy shoot at a swallow (not even a dove), and shot directly at the guy who was in bright blue fishing. saw a small spray of dust just beyond and behind the guy. we left after that.

[02ducky]

I had a limit by 930, I have access to private property and the intenational bird of peace (Doves) where fly into our area very steady until about 1100am. I was hunting with 4 other guys and 3 out the 4 had limits by 1030. It was a really good day, going again on Sunday, hopefully this cold snap doesnt push them out of our area.

Pics to come!

[Larry Ashcraft]

About a dozen of us got somewhere around 50 doves. They weren't flying well at all. Maybe it was the heat.

Of course we took the hot middle part of the day off and shot some toys others had brought. A friend of my son's brought about five submachine guns, and H&H brought his .470NE again. So we visited in the shade, then played in the back yard, then had a nice light lunch and then visited some more.

About 4:00 we went back out and hunted until 7:30, then came up to the house and had an excellent dinner of BBQed doves (from the morning) wrapped in Pueblo chiles and bacon , smoked Alaskan Salmon, Gazpacho, and fresh tomatoes from my garden, followed by lemon pie and blueberry cream cheese pie.

A memorable day indeed.