Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

From BullsandBeavers:

St. Johnsbury, Vt. (AP) - A 44-year-old Lyndon Center man is being charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of his son while the two hunted for turkeys earlier this month.

The Vermont State police say that Kevin Kadamus was processed Thursday at the state police barracks in St. Johnsbury. He was cited into court on July 6.

Police say 18-year-old Jacob Kadamus was hit with a shotgun on May 1 after Kevin Kadamus fired at what he believed was a turkey.

Police said at the time that Jacob Kadamus apparently left his original hunting area and crossed into his father’s area.

What a nightmare. SAFETY,SAFETY,SAFETY.

• Finding Good Dove Leases - Easier Said Than Done There are hundreds of dove leases advertised on the Internet and in newspapers. Just about everyone tells you that they have the best dove hunting in Texas. How do you know which ones actually have dove on them? IF you have a large bank account and can afford to hunt on......
• TPWD Offering 'Big Time' Hunts  In the mail yesterday I received Texas Parks & Wildlife Department's special drawings magazine. Right inside the front cover was an advertisement for 'BIG TIME Texas Hunts'. There are seven 'Big Time' hunts you can put in for. They all start with Texas, e.g. Texas Premium Buck Hunt, exotic safari,......
• Walking the field Perhaps my favorite way to hunt dove is to walk the field for those dove that  have lighted in the field. Of course, if you are in a big shoot with many other shotguns, you can't do this for obvious safety reasons.  However, later in the season this method can be......

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• May 1 | Labour Day, Golden Week This is the start of the Chinese Labour Day Golden Week ???. Macau will have an official Public Holiday on May 1, which is typically celebrated by a party hosted by The Macao Federation of Workers' Unions. As usual there also should be festivities around Macau Tower. Last year Macau......
• Open Season With fall coming, it is soon to be open season for many different animals for hunting. Seasoned and new amateur hunters will be out in force and will be scouring designated areas for live game in the hopes of a good kill that they will be able to bring home......

From The Greeley Tribune

A Loveland man suffered serious injuries when he was hit by lightning Monday afternoon while skeet shooting east of Lucerne.

Josh Renuch, 32, was one of two men injured in the incident shortly after 2 p.m. Monday, said Margie Martinez, spokeswoman for the Weld County Sheriff’s Office. She identified the other man as Brent Kuehne, 32, of Greeley.

Martinez said the two men were with a group of seven people shooting skeet at a farmhouse 2 to 3 miles east of Lucerne. She said the incident occurred just before a heavy thunderstorm moved through the Greeley area.

“There was no storm out there at the time, but obviously, there was lightning.

“Apparently, a skeet had just been launched, and the lightning may have hit the shotgun because it pretty much exploded in (Renuch’s) hands,” Martinez said.

She said Kuehne was knocked down by the lightning. A woman who was with them, along with a person from a nearby residence, gave first aid to the two men until emergency personnel arrived. The woman, Martinez said, was not injured, but she and the others at the site were taken to North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley.

Because of patient confidentiality, the hospital could not give the conditions of those injured.

Talk about an exciting round of skeet. They were probably both about to shoot a perfect score, sounds like my luck.

Read some good comments on the story here.

• Hunting South Texas I know we have a page to review hunting land, but I figured since this particular land is where we have our Top Gun competition every year, it deserved its very own post.     Since 2003 we've been hunting opening day of the south zone at the Las Palomas WMA in......
• How to pattern your shotgun Do you miss a lot? Have you ever wondered what the difference between a Modified cylinder and an Improved Cylinder is? What about the difference between a 7.5 or 8 shot load? All these questions can be answered with a couple of boxes of shells, some paper, and time. Patterning......
• Top 7 Things to do before Dove Season I can't believe it is already July 21st. In a little over a month I will be waiting for the sun to come up over a field in North Texas. As my plans get finalized, I thought I would put together a checklist to get you ahead of the pack......

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AUSTIN, Texas — Changes proposed for the 2009-2010 Texas dove season, including a 70-day season and 15-bird daily bag statewide, received approval from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

The season framework change is part of a new adaptive harvest management regulations package developed for the 14 states, including Texas, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Central Management Unit.

Additionally, the commission approved moving the South Zone dove season opening the Friday nearest Sept. 20, but no earlier than the 17th. This year the season will open Sept. 18 if approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in late June.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department received relatively little input, although overwhelmingly supportive of the changes, during the public comment phase. Less than 100 comments were received via email or through the agency’s online public comment survey and 32 comments during nearly two dozen public meetings around the state.

If authorized under federal guidelines, Texas dove season in the North and Central Dove Zones will run from Tuesday, Sept. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 25 and reopen Saturday, Dec. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 9, with a 15-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped doves.

The South Zone dove season will run Sept. 18-Nov. 3, reopening Dec. 26-Jan. 17 with a 15-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped doves. Possession limit is twice the daily bag for all migratory game birds except light geese, which currently does not have a possession limit.

The Special South Texas White-winged Dove Area will open to white-winged dove afternoon-only (noon to sunset) hunting the first two full weekends in September running from Sept. 5-6 and 12-13 and reopen when the regular South Zone season begins on Friday, Sept. 18 through Tuesday, Nov. 3 and again from Saturday, Dec. 26 through Wednesday, Jan. 13. The Special White-winged Dove Area season takes four of the allowable 70 days, so when the regular season opens, this area most close four days earlier than the rest of the South Zone. The daily bag limit is 15 birds, not more than four mourning doves during the first two weekend splits and 2 white-tipped doves. Once the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit will be 15.

The Service is also reviewing a proposal to give TPWD the option to adjust a portion of the boundary of the Special White-winged Dove Area. This change would remove portions of Jim Hogg and Starr counties and also received commission approval.

TPWD is making no changes to other early migratory game bird seasons other than to reflect calendar shifts.

If Texas gets a 16-day September teal season, the dates will be Sept. 12-27, while a nine-day season will run Sept. 19-27.

The season for rail and gallinule is Sept. 12-27 and Oct. 31-Dec. 23; for snipe, Oct. 31-Feb. 14; and for woodcock, Dec. 18-Jan. 31.

• Entries Available for Big Time Texas Hunts AUSTIN, Texas — The Lone Star State boasts some of the finest hunting anywhere in the country, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Big Time Texas Hunts offer hunters a chance to experience the best of the best. The Big Time Texas Hunts program offers the opportunity to win......
• TPWD Scoping Migratory Bird Issues at Public Hearings News Release Media Contact: Steve Lightfoot, 512-389-4701, steve.lightfoot@tpwd.state.tx.us April 28, 2009 AUSTIN, Texas — In addition to public comment on proposed fee increases and dove hunting seasons, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is inviting input on a series of scoping issues related to migratory game birds during public hearings......
• Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo in Austin Suspended TPWD to Instead Expand Presence at Similar Events Statewide AUSTIN, Texas — Because of a sponsorship revenue decline related to the economic recession, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is cancelling the Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo set for Oct. 3-4 in Austin. The agency will suspend the Austin event for......

• Hunting and Legislation - the Eternal Battle In Texas, it is the occurrence that is the bane of hunters that comes only once every other year. During the four month season, hunting and fishing finds itself in the Texas Capitol building in Austin. Many hunters are unaware of the impact of the legislature on their activities. There......
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Starting a youngster out with a shotgun can be a great experience for both of you. If you follow a few guidelines, you can help ensure that you pour a solid foundation. A foundation that will be the basis of a lifetime of hunting and shooting.

I’m not going to try to tell you what age to start kids out hunting or shotgunning. I feel that every kid is unique and only you can decide when your son or daughter is ready. Things like maturity, size, and desire are all things to consider before making the investment. My ten year old wanted to go hunting so bad this year, he was willing to do anything to get a shotgun.

Gun safety is the most important thing you can teach your kids. Kids see a lot of killing on TV and on the video games they play, yet they just don’t realize how dangerous a gun really is. We must instill in them safe practices until it becomes habit. Start with how to carry the shotgun with much focus on where the barrel is pointed at all times. Next move to how to work the safety on the shotgun. The only time the gun is taken off of safety is when the shotgun is mounted and ready to fire. After some practice with handling the shotgun, move on to loading instructions and firing. The key here is to let them know gun safety is no joke, and if they are unsafe, they will lose their privilege to have a gun. Remember, we as experienced hunters, must set the example when it comes to safety. For some more tips on safety, click here.

Also critical to success is the gauge of shotgun you buy your child. Specifically, how much recoil they can handle. Let’s face it, a kid is not going to want to do something if it hurts every time they do it. So buying a ten year old a cheap 12 gauge is probably a mistake.  I bought my 13 year old a youth model 20 gauge, and my 10 year old a youth model .410. Both of my sons are average height and weight and I have had no complaints from either one about recoil. My oldest is a couple of years away from moving up to a 12 gauge in my estimation, and then I’ll hand down his 20 ga. and the .410 to my now 6 year old. The idea here is to build confidence with a shotgun they can handle that won’t make them flinch every time they pull the trigger.

Next is practice, practice, practice. Unless you have acreage, you’ll need a place for them to shoot. I recommend starting them out shooting skeet. The controlled environment allows you to help them every step of the way their first round. Try to plan their first shoot for a time when the range isn’t too busy to help relieve some of their anxiety. Keep all of your instructions and pointers positive, making every effort to keep their confidence level high. I always reflect on how bad I was when I first started, to let my boys know that it’s okay to miss and  that’s why we practice. I encourage the two of them to only compete with themselves, trying to better their own scores each time, for now. Later we can get into the sport of competing against everyone. Fundamentals is what your are after here. Properly mounting the shotgun, following through the shot and seeing the target. Of course, on the very first round, you’ll be dealing with every aspect from handling the gun, to loading and unloading, and shooting. Not to mention, all of their nerves that come along with the first shoot.

After I took my ten year old out for his first round, in which he only hit a few, he told me that was one of the funnest things he had ever done. I made a big deal of the targets he hit and it inspired him to do better. Now just a few rounds later he consistently hits 10-13 clays with his single shot .410. Not too shabby.

Confidence is the key to any shotgunner, but especially with kids. If your kids are like mine and they have to be good at everything, keeping their dobber up is sometimes tough starting out. Concentrate on the good things they do, and reinforce, positively, the areas they need improvement in.

The average age of hunters in the US is 49 years old. We need all the young hunters we can get, so  they can pass the traditions on for generations to come. 

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Safeties On! "Safeties On!" That is what Dad says every time we get out into the field to go hunting. Leaving my gun on safety is a habit. It is part of my routine as I begin to take aim and fire, it's automatic. I've heard people saying safety causes them to......
• Dove Hunting - It's More Than a Sport On our first trip to South Texas dove hunting my dad, brother, and I had a hair-brained idea to head south at 8:00 P.M.. The plan was to make the six hour drive, get four or five hours of sleep and hit the field for the morning hunt. Let's just......
• TPWD offering chances to win lifetime hunting license AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is offering Texas hunters and anglers the chance to win a Lifetime Super Combo hunting and fishing license — an $1,800 value — for only $5. Entries for the Lifetime License Drawing can be purchased anywhere hunting and fishing licenses are......

• Hunting and Gun Safety Hunting is a fun and enjoyable sport, but it is also considered to be one of the most dangerous. It is absolutely imperative that you take safety precautions to make sure that you and those around you are kept safe during this exciting endeavor. Your life and the lives of......
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• Bundled Football Tickets, Video Game Systems, Music, and DVDs... Arrrg! Note To Businesses: Consumers Don't like Forced Bundling of Products With football season coming up, my thoughts have started to slowly turn to blocking, blind-side blitzes, and blackouts. Recently tickets for next seasons AFC Championship rematch, New England Patriots vs. San Deigo Chargers went on sale. Though it's a......

A city guy decided to take up quail hunting. He visited his cousin on the farm and asked to borrow a birddog. The cousin wanted to encourage his city relative so he loaned him the best English pointer in the kennel. The city guy and the fine dog spent the day afield. When they arrived back at the farm house the country cousin inquired how many birds were killed. “Got the limit” said the city boy proudly. “How did the dog perform?” asked country. The city guy replied “Well for the first half of the day the stupid SOB would run up to the covey and lock up with his tail straight out and one foot raised like a statue, but after kicking his ass for about an hour I broke him of that so now he will just jump right on into the birds”

• And the Season Begins Today, in central and north Texas, thousands of hopeful dove hunters seek to bag their 15 dove. Stores like Academy and Bass Pro have pallets of shells and dove decoys on the floor seeking to entice last minute buyers and me I'm stuck at work. A mild cool front set......
• Weekly Migratory Bird Hunting Report North Zone Dove: Dove hunters saw fair to good shoots around the Panhandle over cut corn and milo. The region has received rain during the summer so there are plenty of watering holes and playa lakes. Lubbock and fields north of Abilene were good for morning shoots of mourning doves.......
• The New A-10 American Shotgun Connecticut Shotgun Mfg. Company has introduced an awesome, high end over and under shotgun. Here is what their founder has to say: It is with great excitement that I am announcing our latest shotgun:  The A-10 American™, a full sidelock hand detachable, very low profile over and under shotgun for......

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On our first trip to South Texas dove hunting my dad, brother, and I had a hair-brained idea to head south at 8:00 P.M.. The plan was to make the six hour drive, get four or five hours of sleep and hit the field for the morning hunt. Let’s just say the ride was almost as spectacular as the hunt was.

We arrived in Donna, TX somewhere around two in the morning and that is where the fun began. We thought we would find the lease and get a nap in the truck. Finding the lease sounded easy enough, but turned out to be no small feat. We drove up and down the roads looking for an entrance to the Longoria Unit. We were suffering from sleep deprivation and the TPWD map just didn’t have enough details on it to navigate in the dark.

Meanwhile, there was another sub-plot going on that would turn out to be one of our fondest memories. As we drove up and down the streets in Donna there were several questionable activities going on in this not so good neighborhood. Dad was driving his truck and my brother and I were in mine. So, for the banditos (as they became known) having two vehicles passing back and forth seemed to bother them. They started changing their locations, which made us paranoid, thinking they were looking for us. At one point, Dad stopped and got his 12 gauge out and loaded it. I followed Dad’s lead and did the same.

By now a good hour and a half had gone by since we came into town. We were ready to give up and would have killed for some sleep. Alas, we found it, on the same dirt road we had been on twenty times and just didn’t go far enough. We pulled up, stretched our legs for a minute, and with the thought of the banditos fresh in our mind, laid back for a two hour nap.

As my brother and I drifted off into neverland, BOOM, BANG!! WERE UNDER ATTACK!!! I jumped up hit my head on the top of cab, tried to grab my gun, and almost messed in my pants all in a split second. Luckily my shotgun was on safety, because I would have blasted a hole right through my transmission. 

As for the attack, it was my dad dropping his tailgate and letting his dog out of the kennel. I just knew the banditos had found us and my adrenalin and lack of sleep caused a pretty serious over reaction.

Dad laughed so hard he almost fainted. I have to admit, it was pretty funny. Now every year there is at least some mention of the banditos on our dove hunting trips. A memory that will be with us long after we forget about all the good or bad shots we made. 

I think that anyone who is against hunting should try it. Whether it is dove hunting or any other type of hunting, the time spent hunting makes for some great times with friends and family. That’s what it is all about for me.

Sure, I’ll be the first to tell you how much I love the sport of dove hunting. But for me the sport is so intertwined with the times with Dad and my brother and now my two oldest sons. Three generations of my family will be in the field this year and for years to come. That is big.

The hunt is always fun, but remember the ride there, the hotel rooms and everything in between. It’s a package deal and it’s all worth it’s weight in gold.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Getting Started (part II) WHAT TO DO? Okay, you've acquired everything you need to begin dove hunting, NOW WHAT!?!? There isn't too much to it, but if you take a few steps prior to taking the field, you'll have a lot more fun and a lot less stress. Let's begin. Get familiar with your......
• Finding Good Dove Leases - Easier Said Than Done There are hundreds of dove leases advertised on the Internet and in newspapers. Just about everyone tells you that they have the best dove hunting in Texas. How do you know which ones actually have dove on them? IF you have a large bank account and can afford to hunt on......
• 6 New Texas Dove Leases If anyone has hunted these leases, feel free to leave a review on them. Thanks for posting them, and keep them coming. Below are the details: NAME OF LEASE: Carol Knutson EMAIL: info@muysecoranch.com CONTACT NAME: Carol CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: 830-363-4281 PREFERRED METHOD OF CONTACT: Either LOCATION INCLUDING CLOSEST CITY OR......

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Layla has rapidly became a part of our family. She is spoiled and loved by all four of my boys and my wife. My youngest son, who is 15 months, has a playmate. They fight and play just like siblings. Make no mistake about it though, she is my dog. No matter who throws the ball , she brings it to me.

She is sitting and comes when called (most of the time). I’m using treats to reward her for good behavior and it seems to be working great.

 Here is quick video of her learning to fetch:

Layla’s 1st Lesson

So she’s not perfect yet, but for seven weeks old I’m more than happy.

By spending a little time each day, Layla is going to be a great hunting dog. Not to mention, a lot of fun.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Training Time Since Layla came in my life, I've been told one hundred different ways to train her. I've read articles on positive reinforcement training, clicker training (which is positive reinforcement training with a clicker), negative reinforcement training and everything in between. Hell, last night I read an article that recommended putting your......
• When To Start Training I'd like to introduce you to Layla. She's six weeks old and I just brought her home two days ago. Soon she'll be retrieving my dove but for now I have to start the training process. Let's face it, at six weeks old her attention span is short and......
• Left-Handed Shotguns Left-Hand Shotguns are few and far between. Finding one that has any style can be hard and expensive. I'm in the market for an over-under 20 ga. or 28 ga. and am getting frustrated. I listen to my brother going over all his options and I'm stuck choosing between plain......

• Parenting Tips...Great finds from around the web! We're trying to get better at enforcing the "nobody gets down from the dinner table, nobody has dessert until everybody is finished with their dinner" rule in the house, which means attention must be paid to the three year-old girl. We all know how well this can go over....at times,......
• The Weakonomist Reads A Book: Predictably Irrational I love behavioral economics, the study of how thoughts and emotions influence our decisions.  My specific interest is in behavioral finance, which would be how those thoughts and emotions influence our relationship with money.  Months ago, I had run out of good behavioral economics books to read, so I......
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From Field & Stream:

Farmer vs. Lawyer joke. (Bird Hunting) 

A big city lawyer went duck hunting. He shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer’s field on the other side of a fence.

As the lawyer climbed over the fence, an elderly farmer drove up on his tractor and asked the lawyer what he was doing.

The lawyer responded, “I shot a duck and it fell into this field, and now I’m going to retrieve it.”

The old farmer replied. “This is my property, and your not coming over here.”

The indignant lawyer replied. “I’m one of the best trial lawyers around, and if you don’t let me get that duck, I’ll sue you and take everything that you own.

The old farmer smiled and said, “Apparently, you don’t know how we do things in these parts. We settle small disagreements like this, with the Three Kick Rule.”

The lawyer asked, “What is the Three Kick Rule?”

The farmer replied, “Well, first I kick you three times and then you kick me three times, and so on, back and forth until someone gives up.”

The lawyer quickly thought about the proposed contest and decided that he could easily take the old codger. He agreed to abide by the local custom.

The old farmer slowly gets down from the tractor and walked up to the city fella. His first kick planted the toe of his heavy work boot into the lawyer’s groin, which dropped him to his knees.

His second kick nearly ripped the nose off his face.

The lawyer was flat on his belly, when the farmer’s third kick to a kidney nearly causing him to give up, but didn’t.

The lawyer summoned every bit of his will and managed to get to his feet and said, “Okay, now it’s my turn.”

The old farmer smiled and said,

“Naw, I give up, You can keep the duck!”

God Bless the farmers, without them, we wouldn’t have a place to dove hunt!

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Remington's Great American Bird Hunt (Wii Game) November 12, 2009 - SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Mastiff, a leading publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced that Remington Great American Bird Hunt for Wii, the latest in its popular series of outdoor action games, is now available in retail stores throughout North America. With an arsenal of authentic Remington......
• 2009 Electric Collar Review An electric collar can be an effective tool when training your hunting dog. E-collars can be used to reinforce commands and keep your hunting dog from getting into a bad spot. Today's collars have many features and levels of stimulation to help control your dog in any situation. Remember, e-collars are only......
• 6 New Texas Dove Leases If anyone has hunted these leases, feel free to leave a review on them. Thanks for posting them, and keep them coming. Below are the details: NAME OF LEASE: Carol Knutson EMAIL: info@muysecoranch.com CONTACT NAME: Carol CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: 830-363-4281 PREFERRED METHOD OF CONTACT: Either LOCATION INCLUDING CLOSEST CITY OR......

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There are hundreds of dove leases advertised on the Internet and in newspapers. Just about everyone tells you that they have the best dove hunting in Texas. How do you know which ones actually have dove on them?

IF you have a large bank account and can afford to hunt on the premium leases that cost $200 per day and up then this is probably not a problem for you. However, if you are looking for a good season lease , or even a reasonably priced day lease then your challenge is great. The choices you have are to take the time to drive to the leases and scout them or take the landowner’s word for it. As far as having enough time, for most of us, time is a precious and driving countless hours is not realistic. I might add that driving to a dove lease in July will only tell you so much about the lease, wait too long to scout and they might not have any spots left, damned if you do and damned if you don’t.  The landowner or person leasing the land is not going to be completely honest, and I don’t fault them, they just want the money.

This very problem is the main drive for Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns. If you notice up top there is a form to submit a dove lease and also a form to submit a review of a dove lease. The idea is for landowners to have a place to list their lease and a place for hunters to place reviews of these leases. The reviews are simple, and hopefully, once the site gets going. will become a place for dove hunters to check before making a commitment to purchase a dove lease. Let us do the scouting for you, so all you need to worry about is dove hunting.

It is free to post a review, free to post a lease, and free to view all of the above. All that it will cost you is a little time to send us the reviews and leases to make this site a one stop shop for dove hunting.

Tell all your fellow dove hunters and landowners to go to www.dovehunting101.com and submit reviews and leases.

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Dove Hunting - It's More Than a Sport On our first trip to South Texas dove hunting my dad, brother, and I had a hair-brained idea to head south at 8:00 P.M.. The plan was to make the six hour drive, get four or five hours of sleep and hit the field for the morning hunt. Let's just......
• Clay Sports Online As of late, I've been running into some fabulous sites about dove hunting and shotgunning on twitter. Today I found ClaySportsOnline. The site is a forum about everything that has to do with shooting clays. Sporting clays, trap, skeet, and much more are all topics you can talk shop about.......
• Wearing Earplugs - Just Do It Do you wear earplugs while dove hunting or shooting a shotgun? if you are like me, the answer is no. I've made every excuse in the book for not wearing them. From, it messes up my shot, to, they are not comfortable. I think after you read the following report,......

• Cash Building Strategies Series: Busting Out the Myths    Since we’re talking about earning a living online; it’s important that the issues of internet fraud be addressed. You want to be aware, but there’s no reason to let doubt get in your way when deciding the online business path you should take.    Scams, spam and fraud seem......
• 7 low-cost and quick meals Photo by: Zesmerelda Each Monday here on Gather Little by Little I write about topics and techniques for saving money. This article is part of that ongoing series called Money Saving Monday Tips. With 6 children in our house, it seems like we're always on the run. Whether it......
• 3 Great Sermon Preparation Tips If you've never written a sermon before it can be a tall order, daunting task and difficult to start. I guess you call it writer's block, coupled with the nerves of standing in front of a large, expecting congregation. Where do you start, what do you talk about and which......

Every year I see hunters placing decoys around the dove fields. I’ve always wondered if they were worth their salt. Let’s find out…

Ducks, Geese, Turkeys are all susceptible to decoys. With ducks being the most social of the game birds. These flock oriented birds find safety when they spot others of their own kind. But are these things true when comes to dove?

Dove do respond to decoys. They just respond in a little different manner. Unlike ducks and geese, decoys don’t cause dove to come out of flight, but they can make them alter their flight pattern. When they see the decoy, they typically make a fly-by to check them out. Dove see the decoys as a safe zone, and if you put yourself in a good position you can be there to spoil that thought.

The decoys will not eliminate your need to pick a good spot. A decoy will not change a major flight path for dove. They can alter it enough to bring more dove in range. Do your homework and pick the right spot before placing the decoys.

Place your decoys in pairs on the ground. Dove usually fly in pairs and by placing the decoys in pairs, you make them look more natural. Don’t go overboard though, a dozen decoys is plenty.  The decoys should be 20 to 30 yards out from your spot.

Another good strategy with decoys is to place them in elevated position, e.g. tree limbs or fence lines. This also makes the use of decoys appear more natural. Avoid putting the elevated decoys too close to your position. Keep them in range(20-30 yards) but away from your immediate position, by doing this you will keep the attention away from you and avoid spooking the dove.

If you are hunting by a body of water there are a few different techniques. Dove usually land in an elevated position before going to drink. Therefore, the key is to have more decoys elevated than not. Put a single pair on the ground and several elevated. When placing the decoys on the ground place them in at a spot on the bank with little to no vegetation. Position yourself in shotgun range from the decoys and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Decoys are not essential when dove hunting, but by using them wisely, they can bring more dove into your sights than there would have been otherwise.

Decoys can be extremely helpful later in the season when the shooting is a little slower.

Time to RELOAD! 

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Remington - An American Legend [caption id="attachment_141" align="alignright" width="336" caption="Remington latest, Model 887"][/caption] Remington is one of the greatest companies in America. Since 1816, Remington has been a leader in firearms, ammunition, targets, and many, many more industries. The legend is that Remington's founder, Eliphalet Remington II, believed he could build a better gun than......
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• Safeties On! "Safeties On!" That is what Dad says every time we get out into the field to go hunting. Leaving my gun on safety is a habit. It is part of my routine as I begin to take aim and fire, it's automatic. I've heard people saying safety causes them to......

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