Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

North Zone Dove: Drier conditions have helped dove hunters the past few days. Grain fields of milo and corn continue to produce in the Panhandle north of Amarillo. Mourning doves have been best in the afternoon on the edges of fields. Abilene hunters have had good shoots in sunflowers. Red River hunters near Paris have scored in milo, corn and soybeans between showers. The early week front and another forecasted to push through later in the week should deposit more northern birds to the state. The season runs through Oct. 25. Prospects are good.

Central Zone Dove: San Antonio, Uvalde, Del Rio and fields just south of Abilene have held the most consistent shoots recently. Better flights have occurred lately with the absence of showers over the weekend. Whitewings continue to dominate San Antonio fields of corn and milo. Afternoon hunters have shot near-limits around treelines. High-flyers have trickled from South Zone fields near Uvalde. Katy, Hockley and Brookshire fields have been fair at best, and hunter participation has been scarce. Still some good whitewing shoots around Sealy and Columbus. Dayton and Beaumont fields have given up half-limits. The season runs through Oct. 25. Prospects are fair to good.

South Zone Dove: Hunters along the northern boundaries of the South Zone reported losing most of their birds last week with the cool front. El Campo and Bay City fields have given up half-limits to near-limits of whitewings. Port Lavaca has been steady. Better hunts have come from South Texas where whitewings have been good in milo, corn and wild sunflowers. The Rio Grande Valley has given up best hunts in the afternoon around water. Lytle, Three Rivers, Fashing and George West have seen a mixed bag of mourners and whitewings. Rice fields near Winnie and Wharton have been good for half-limits of mourners. The forecasted front should push new birds to the region. The season runs through Nov. 3. Prospects are fair to good.

Waterfowl Migration: Teal season along the coastal marshes and prairies was arguably the best in years. Many hunters reported seeing more birds than ever throughout the entire 16-day season. A new wave of bluewings arrived last week which made the last weekend of the season just as fast as opening weekend. The largest concentration of birds were seen in Colorado, Wharton and Jackson counties. Higher tides in the marshes allowed for steady shoots, despite hypersaline water levels from the drought. The first trickles of specklebellies were seen on the coast last week. A bright moon coupled with a couple of cool fronts this week should deposit more birds to Texas. Large flights of pintails worked teal hunters over the weekend along the prairies. Some hunters reported flights of wigeons as well. Regular duck season is set to open Oct. 31.

Go to Mimosa Farms #2738!!

• Migratory Bird Report North Zone Dove: Rain showers last week put a damper on the flight, however, between showers doves were good in corn, milo and along treelines. Fields near Paris enjoyed good shoots in harvested corn and soybeans. Amarillo fields of corn and milo hosted steady shoots. Abilene saw half-limits to near-limits......
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The dove were plentiful again this weekend at Mimosa Fams, #2378. In two half day hunts five of us shot close to 100 dove. That’s pretty good considering two of the hunters were my sons. Both were on their first real dove hunts. It was pretty awesome having three generations of my family out in the field, not to mention the groups of ten dove that kept pouring in from the south.

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North Zone Dove: Best hunts have been in milo, corn and sunflowers around Abilene, Lubbock and Amarillo, though afternoon rains have limited the flight somewhat. The front forecasted for this week should deposit a new crop of mourning doves to Texas. Hunters around the Red River endured 10-12 inches of rain last week and the forecast calls for more this week. Lots of rain and muddy fields have limited hunter participation. Prospects are fair to good.

Central Zone Dove: Another shot of cool air this week should bring new migrants to the region. Fields close in proximity to the South Zone caught fire this week after days of rest. Whitewings near San Antonio, Castroville and Uvalde have been steady. Brownwood and Stephenville hunters have done well in the afternoon around grain fields and watering holes. Harrison and Panola county hunters have dodged afternoon storms but found best shoots around goatweed. Sealy and Columbus hunters saw better shoots this week since nearby South Zone fields were hunted. Prospects are fair to good.

South Zone Dove: The season opened with a bang, literally, across most of South Texas. Good shoots were posted in sunflowers around El Campo for whitewings. Wharton County rice fields held birds, but better flights were found in the afternoon around water. Limit hunts were registered for both mourners and whitewings around Port Lavaca. Galveston hunters saw steady flight over the weekend for mostly whitewings. Bay City hunters took limits around water and rice. Rio Grande Valley hunters enjoyed steady flights around milo and sunflowers. Hunts around Laredo and Freer were solid as well. Lytle was good over cut corn and sunflowers. The season runs through Nov.8. Prospects are good.

Teal Season: Coastal prairie and marsh hunters reported seeing more birds this week compared to the opener. Still mostly drake bluewings in the bag, giving rise to the notion there remains more birds to the north, specifically hens and their first-year-flying broods. Lights-out limits continue in Wharton County fields. Strong shoots were had near Chesterville, Eagle Lake, Lissie, El Campo and Port Lavaca. Marsh hunters near Collegeport and Palacios scored limits. Trinity Bay hunters took near limits in the marsh. TPWD wildlife management areas saw fair to good results. The Justin Hurst WMA near Freeport has averaged almost 3 birds per man. Mad Island WMA near Bay City has seen few hunters, but those hunters have averaged around 3.5 birds per man, excellent by any standard. Guadalupe Delta WMA near Port Lavaca has seen steady shoots for 2.5 birds per man. Panhandle hunters say teal have been steady on playas. The season ends at sunset Sept. 27. The forecasted front this week should push more birds to Texas, and push more to Mexico. Prospects are good.

The shoot was also good south of San Antonio.

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Located about 60 miles south of  San Antonio in Dilley, TX, Mimosa Farms public land is one of the best public dove leases I’ve been on. The property is about 1450 acres and was well maintained. The land consisted of about 900-950 acres of croton that had been shred into rows about 40 feet wide. The rest of the fields were plowed up and were mostly dirt. There was also 100 acres or so of goat weed that had been cut into rows. The property is surrounded by mesquite trees and brush.

We arrived late morning on the 19th. After seeing ten or fifteen dove fly ,we stopped and hunted for about an hour on the north end of the property. My dad and I shot four pretty quick and then loaded up and drove around to find our afternoon spot and then went in to town to eat and meet my brother.

About 1:30 we drove back in the lease, which was surprising already filling up with hunters. Most of the spots on the north end were already taken, so we headed around to the south end and hunted.

The dove were flying as soon as we unloaded. The pace was steady for a couple of hours and then there was a lull about 3:00 or so. Only about a fifteen minute one though, after that the pace kicked up and all three of us had our limit of 15 by 4:30. Mourning dove and the smaller Mexican dove were all that was on the property, I’m thinking the white-wings haven’t made it there, yet

The dove were seasoned from a lot of pressure and would take evasive maneuvers on the slightest movement. If the property lacks anything thing, it would be cover. Most of the trees were off the property and made for a hot afternoon, but 45 dove in a little over three hours made it tolerable.

There were plenty of hunters but it was by no means overcrowded.

All in all, I give #2378 an A+, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good public dove hunt.

Incidentally, at the hotel I was talking to some hunters that had a private lease in Dilley, they had a miserably slow day in the field. Looks like this in one of those times when it didn’t pay off to spend the big bucks.

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North Zone Dove: Rain showers last week put a damper on the flight, however, between showers doves were good in corn, milo and along treelines. Fields near Paris enjoyed good shoots in harvested corn and soybeans. Amarillo fields of corn and milo hosted steady shoots. Abilene saw half-limits to near-limits of mourning doves. Hunters should expect a new flurry of birds this week with sustained north wind forecasted. Prospects are fair to good.

Central Zone Dove: Whitewing action picked up where it left off the first week of the season in San Antonio. An influx of birds in harvested corn just outside the city limits made for easy limits. Uvalde, San Saba, Waco, Sabinal, Del Rio and Hondo were the other hotspots around the state. Hunters there said they saw a new wave of birds ride in on the recent north wind. Sealy hunters continue to see plenty of whitewings around oak trees and milo on the outskirts of town. Harrison County hunters have taken half-limits in the afternoon. Katy, Hockley, Brookshire and Waller hunters saw a new crop of birds, but not enough to garner steady limits. Rain around the Houston area has limited the flight. Prospects are fair to good.

South Zone Dove: The season opens Sept. 18. Best hunts during the Special White-winged Dove Area season occurred around Harlingen and Brownsville. Corn, milo and wild sunflowers have seen the largest concentrations of birds. Some fields near Laredo saw slow hunting. Prospects look solid in Lytle, Uvalde, Del Rio and the Rio Grande Valley. Doves that have been shot out of Central Zone fields in Uvalde and Del Rio are staging just over the zone boundary in corn, milo and sunflowers. North winds this week should prompt more migrants to move south. Prospects are good.

Teal Season: Opening day of teal season on the coast was fair at best – not for lack of birds, though. Steady rains the week prior to the opener seemed to scatter birds. As is normally the case with puddle ducks like teal, many birds left the marshes when the heavy downpours occurred, heading to high ground. That made for slow hunts opening morning; however, by Sunday, birds began trickling back to the coastal marshes and hunters enjoyed better shoots. Good hunters were posted in Wharton County rice fields and leveed ponds. Eagle Lake hunters said they had to hunt later on opening day to get their birds, but Sunday shoots were much faster. Garwood hunters reported average hunting at best. Collegeport hunters said Sunday hunts were much better than opening day. Playa lakes in the Panhandle gave up good shoots. Water supplies there are in good shape from summer rains and recent rains have recharged playas. Hunters say the country is green from all the water. Prospects are good.

Here comes the SOUTH ZONE, HOOH RAH!

• Texas Weekly Migratory Bird Report Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February. North Zone Dove: The North Zone season closes at sunset Oct. 25, but reopens Dec. 26-Jan. 9, 2010. Generally, the season has been fair at best, but not for lack of birds. Rains hampered most flight patterns......
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• Texas Migratory Bird Report Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February. North Zone Dove: Wet weather continues to plague the dove flight, making access to fields tough. Muddy roads and soggy fields have not been conducive to hunting. Most of the birds have left the bottoms and staged......

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My dad, boys, and I hunted the Pattison road unit this drizzling Saturday morning. All I can say is get on the north end. There was a lot of shooting there, but also a lot of hunters too. So go early, if you go. We were out of position to start, but managed a decent shoot. For a lease two weeks into the Central Zone season, it was a good lease. The fact that upwards of 40 huntes came out tells me the pasture holds dove. We’ve hunted on this land before it was public and there were plenty of dove back then. Below is what a review will look like when you send me your reviews of other leases. Click on the link below to see a map of the property.

 NAME_OF_LEASE: Waller County Complex, Herbert  Preserve, #2438

DATE_HUNTED: 9/12/09

NUMBER_OF_DOVE_HARVESTED: 8

FOOD_SOURCES: Corn

ANY_TANKS_OR_PONDS: No

HOW_MANY_ACRES: 700

NUMBER_OF_HUNTERS: 30-40 on the pasture

THE_LAND_WAS: easy to hunt

TOO_MANY_HUNTERS: Yes

COMMENTS: We hunted the Waller public land today. If you go, get on the North end. The shooting was fabulous on that end. It was crowded, though. My sons had a blast and even with the inclement weather, it was a good time. The state should look at making this a quail pasture, I saw more quail than dove today.

• 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......
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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 sold, as well as on the TPWD Web site. Two drawings will be held, the first on Dec. 30, 2009 and the second on June 30, 2010. Anyone who registers by Dec. 27 will be eligible for both drawings. Entries for the June 30 drawing must be purchased by June 27, 2010. Each drawing will select one winner. Participants can purchase as many entries as they like, and winners are allowed to give the license as a gift to family or friends who are Texas residents.

Proceeds from the drawing will help fund the Parks and Wildlife Department’s conservation efforts.

Winners will be exempted from purchasing state hunting and fishing stamps, although they will not be exempted from the Federal Duck Stamp Requirement. On Aug. 31, the price of a lifetime hunting and fishing license increased from $1,000 to $1,800.

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• Migratory Bird Report North Zone Dove: Rain showers last week put a damper on the flight, however, between showers doves were good in corn, milo and along treelines. Fields near Paris enjoyed good shoots in harvested corn and soybeans. Amarillo fields of corn and milo hosted steady shoots. Abilene saw half-limits to near-limits......

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Sept. 9th

Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.

North Zone Dove: Plowed corn fields along the Red River in Lamar County held limits of mourning doves. Birds are coming into soybeans as well. Clay County hunters set up along treelines in the morning and afternoon for near-limits. Best hunts in the High Plains have been in harvested corn and milo fields in the morning. Playa lakes adjacent to agriculture fields have been best in the afternoon. Sunflowers have held most of the doves in the Abilene area. The season runs through Oct. 25. Prospects are fair to good.

Central Zone Dove: Shooting slowed in and around San Antonio as the week progressed. Resident whitewings have become educated to the plight of hunters in corn fields outside of Loop 1604. Hunters there have taken limits in fields with watering sources nearby. Limit hunts were posted near Lytle in corn and milo. Uvalde, Sabinal, Hondo and Del Rio hunters saw half-limits — again, resident birds have become wise. The region needs another cool front to push birds to the area. Hunters have taken half-limits at best around Beaumont, Dayton, Liberty, Nome and Winnie. Brookshire, Hockley and Katy hunters continue to see few birds. Better shoots have come from Sealy and Columbus. Afternoon showers have hurt the flight somewhat, but have been welcomed by Texans. Prospects are fair until another cool front prompts new migrants to head south.

South Zone Dove: Season opens Friday, Sept. 18.

Special White-Winged Dove Area: Shooting was fast and limits were quick around Harlingen, Brownsville and Edinburg. Best shoots were had over corn, milo and wild sunflowers. Port Mansfield hunters enjoyed good shoots as well. Del Rio hunters saw steady shoots in agricultural fields as well. The season opens again Sept. 12 and 13, with afternoon-only hunting. Prospects are good.

Teal Forecast: The 16-day season runs Sept. 12–27 and prospects look excellent for those areas holding water. The upper coast has endured decent rain during the summer which has habitat in good shape; however, the middle coast extending to the border has been severely dry. Some established ponds on TPWD wildlife management areas like Mad Island near Bay City, Justin Hurst near Freeport and Guadalupe Delta near Port Lavaca, have limited ponds available due to the drought. Second-cropped rice fields in Garwood, El Campo, Eagle Lake, East Bernard, Wharton and Collegeport are holding impressive numbers of bluewings. Fields near Port Lavaca and Seadrift are reported good numbers as well. Lakes and reservoirs in north and east Texas are in good shape and holding birds in shallow coves. Playa lakes in the Panhandle have received summer rains and are holding water and teal. The bag limit is four (4) birds per hunter, per day. Prospects are good.

Send in your reviews.

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After a long week of waiting, I finally got to load up Layla and my 11-87 and head to Dallas to meet up with my brother and go hunting on DJ Farms leases in North Texas.

The preliminary scouting reports were very encouraging, plowed corn, lots of dove in the area as late as August 28th. My brother hunted on the 1st with moderate success but noticed a decline in the dove population.

The folks from DJ Farms, who are farmers by trade, were plowing new fields and doing all they could to hold the local birds, but a early cool front on the 30th of August, I think, drove most local birds south ahead of this weekend. That, accompanied with a plentiful supply of food, I mean thousands of acres of plowed corn had what dove remained spread so thin it was like hitting the lottery to have a lonesome dove fly over.

My official review of DJ Farms is not as bad as you would think after getting skunked this weekend. The owners did their job, they have well manged fields with plenty of food on them. I would not recommend planning a hunt on their pastures now, but I think as more northern birds head south the fields will attract more dove. There will be some good shoots later in the season, so if you are a local hunter, have a little patience. All the ingredients are there, except dove.

DJ Farms website.

I’m San Antonio bound this weekend, I’ll let everyone know how that goes.

Layla after her first hunt, and honestly she looked like this alot during the hunt. It was a tough start to dove season, but she got to taste a few dove. I think she understands her job now, and for five months old she did great.

• Migratory Bird Report North Zone Dove: Best hunts have been in milo, corn and sunflowers around Abilene, Lubbock and Amarillo, though afternoon rains have limited the flight somewhat. The front forecasted for this week should deposit a new crop of mourning doves to Texas. Hunters around the Red River endured 10-12 inches of......
• Farmer vs. Lawyer 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......
• Texas Migratory Bird Report North Zone Dove: Drier conditions have helped dove hunters the past few days. Grain fields of milo and corn continue to produce in the Panhandle north of Amarillo. Mourning doves have been best in the afternoon on the edges of fields. Abilene hunters have had good shoots in sunflowers. Red......

• Housing Tracker Just found this great website called Housing Tracker.It lists some of the larger cities and shows the pricing/inventory trends for the past 6 months.I'm glad to know that inventory at my favorite city Salt Lake City, is down to 2,116 from 5,308 in 6 months. for a city with 900,000......
• Intriguing BCS matchups add sizzle to uninspiring college bowl season [/caption] by: Stewart Mandel>INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL> Sport Illustrated Welcome to my seventh annual ranking of this year's bowl games, No. 1 through 34, in order of anticipated entertainment value. Much like the bowl business itself, these rankings are based only marginally on the teams' actual merits. They also take into......
• Texas Tech fires football coach Leach [/caption] LUBBOCK, Texas (AP)—Texas Tech fired coach Mike Leach on Wednesday, two days after he was suspended by the school as it investigated his treatment of a player with a concussion. The school handed a termination letter to Leach’s attorney, Ted Liggett, minutes before the two sides were to appear......