Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

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 highly productive and allow you to bag many more dove.

In a perfect world, all you would have to do would be, pick a good spot and wait. Sometimes this works, but it is my experience, if you get off the chair and walk with a purpose, you will be much more successful.

A couple of years ago in Donna about the third weekend into the season  I implemented this strategy and had great success. We were hunting on about 200 acres and the dove were flying but I knew we were missing a lot of them.  With  so much area and only three hunters  the dove had too many places to escape. After watching the the patterns the dove were flying my brother and I went for a calculated walk. The field had goat weed and old corn stalks for food. There were cut-outs or strips mowed out about 20 yards wide the width of the field. We noticed that the dove were landing in these cut-outs. My brother started about 50 yards in and headed down the field and I did the same from the other side. This way we covered as much of the field with two shotguns as possible ( Dad was on the other end ready to take out all the dove we pushed his way). The results for all three of us were fabulous. Almost everytime I crossed from the taller brush into the cut-outs two to three white-wings flew from the ground up. For those that don’t know, a dove makes a distinct but short, low pitched, burst of whistles as they take flight (music to my ears). Sometimes this is  the  best  alarm to locate the dove, mount your shotgun and shoot a dove , who is rapidly approaching MACH 1.  As we crossed the field, the dove that we didn’t get a shot on were heading right into Dad’s Beretta. We effectively covered 200 acres with three shotguns, and everyone limited out. By getting up and walking, we kept the dove stirred up, had a blast, and got shots on dove that would have otherwise never been seen. It’s like a combination of quail and dove hunting. The main difference is dove will take flight earlier than quail but a little slower. However, once they get going, they are gone.  Let’s look at some things to remember before you take off walking for dove.

1. Observe and make a plan: Pick your initial spot to hunt and stay there until the morning flights begin to slow, Pay close attention (when not shooting) to where you see dove leaving flight to eat. Make sure you will not be walking into any one’s gun range, this is a common courtesy as well as a safety issue. Once you’ve observed these things, then establish where you will walk and how you can cover the area you will be walking most effectively. If I’m by myself, diagonals are my choice. If I have a partner, parallels are the way to go. Don’t detour from your path (unless looking for downed birds) , as you will feel better about covering the area if you are not walking randomly.
2. Load properly: For me there are two types of walks; test walks, and full blown walks. On a test walk, you are seeking to learn if it’s worth your while to go on a full blown walk. Usually a test walk is straight line out and back. On these walks there is no need to carry a lot of extra weight, just some shells in case you hit pay dirt. Full blown walks are when you’ve decided it is going to be productive, and will be gone awhile. These walks require almost a full load. Bring plenty of shells, it sucks to have to head back early for lack of shells. Also, bring your water bottle and your dog’s water bottle (if there is a difference between the two). In South Texas, lack of water can cripple a good hunt. Mosquito spray may also be a necessity, depending on your location.
3. Be ready: There is a big difference between walking, and hunting while walking. Dove will fly early and if you are not ready you won’t even get a shot worth taking. Keep you finger on the safety and off hand on the forearm of your shotgun. Stay focused and don’t let your dog get very far in front of you as she will spook the dove up out of your gun range. 

Even though sitting in the back of the truck is more comfortable, walking the field is more productive. If you get out in the field you will find a whole new aspect to dove hunting. Walking up dove presents a challenge to even the most expert shotgunner, but it can make for a better dove hunt, even on days when the  hunting is a little slow.

Time to RELOAD!

• Getting Started How to get started Dove Hunting A step by step guide to get you in the field! Dove Hunting is a great sport for all ages. Whether you are 12 or 50, it can be rewarding. I started at age 17 and haven't missed an opening day since. As the......
• Picking a spot in the field Who hasn't done it, shown up for a big dove hunt and put yourself in a bad spot. It is simply miserable to listen to all the blasting around you as you contemplate everything from moving spots to what you did to deserve this. The best bullets, most expensive shotgun,......
• Remington's New 1700 FPS Shotshell, 'Hypersonic'   1700 fps is pretty darn fast for a shotshell. Remington will introduce their new 'Hypersonic' high speed steel load later this year. I can only imagine the price. From Field and Stream: Later this year, Remington will offer the heaviest, fastest steel loads yet made. The new HyperSonics will......

• weekend roundup, odd sign edition It's hard to believe that there's no football this weekend, but it's all for the best - cries of "We stomp you out" are still ringing in my ears. The presidential race should provide enough sports-like excitement for a while. I got to vote and I am still somewhat......
• When Computers Were Neither Media Nor Social The cartoon that started the meme "on the internet, nobody knows you're a dog" was printed in 1993, but already this is no longer true. If you're online, you're probably on Facebook, Linkedin, and other real-life networking services. Everybody you meet online who could possibly know who you really are......
• How Do I Get My Ex Boyfriend Back? How do I get my ex boyfriend back, and how do I know if he still likes me at all? This is long but please help, anyway. My ex-boyfriend and I are in 8th grade. Back in October and November and December we dated, and it was a great relationship.......