Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

Recently my brother did a little quail hunting courtesy of the folks at Upland Bird Country. He had a blast and I asked him to write up a review for all you bird hunters who live near Dallas, TX. Thanks bro.

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Upland Bird Country Review

Location: Corsicana, TX (~60 miles south of Dallas)

URL: www.uplandbird.com

Date: December ‘09

Game Hunted: Quail

Cost: $185/person for unguided quail hunt.  Different packages and birds are offered for varying prices. Guide and dog are also available for a per group rate.

The hunt: After looking at Upland Country’s website for awhile, I finally decided to give it a try. It was worth it. I chose the quail hunt package for $185. Upland Bird Country provides 18 birds in the package. 

Even though I was hunting alone, I was able to get a field to myself. The terrain was thick enough to allow good cover for the birds, but not so bad that you couldn’t get through it. The quail were good size and good, fast fliers. I noticed that right away as I missed the first couple of birds that were flushed.

All of the birds I shot were after they were flushed by my dog. I didn’t have any of the those birds that you have to kick to get to off the ground.

Upland Bird Country allows hunters to bring their own dogs, which was a definite plus. I was able to get my lab some good work flushing quail. She’s turned into a pretty good all around dog for both dove and quail.

Overall, it was good day. Upland Bird Country was definitely a good find, especially for those close to the Dallas area.

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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 for the past month. Hunter participation has been down due to the rain and the opening of white-tailed deer season for bowhunters. Best flights occurred around the Panhandle in sunflowers and milo around Amarillo, Dumas and Spearman. Good shoots were posted around Lubbock and north of Abilene, too. The good news is high pressure and blue skies are forecasted for the weekend after a cold front blows through the region. The cold air should push new mourners to Texas. Prospects are fair to good.

Central Zone Dove: An influx of birds hit this region of the state last week on the heels of the cold front, but few hunters noticed due to lack of participation. Dove hunting priorities have shifted to preparations for the upcoming deer and waterfowl seasons. Strong hunts were posted near Hankamer and Winnie along the Central and South zone borders. Good afternoon shoots were had around Uvalde and Hondo, while Del Rio and Waco hunters saw steady flights around milo and sunflowers. Clear, cool weather is forecasted for the weekend, which should encourage a steady flight. The season closes at sunset Oct. 25, but reopens Dec. 26-Jan. 9, 2010. Prospects are fair to good.

South Dove Dove: The South Zone finally dried out last week with high pressure building after the first significant cold front of the fall. Hunter success benefitted as fields dried and doves headed back to feeding fields. An influx of birds was noticed across the region, and limit shoots were posted across the Rio Grande Valley. Port Mansfield, Raymondville, Three Rivers and George West hunters saw steady flights as well. Bay City, El Campo and Port Lavaca shoots have been best in the afternoon. Heavy rains are forecasted this week as the remnants of a Pacific hurricane moves across Mexico and Texas. The season runs through Nov. 3, then runs Dec. 26-Jan. 17, 2010. Prospects are fair to good.

Waterfowl Migration: The High Plains Mallard Management Unit opens Oct. 24-25 and Oct. 30-Jan. 24, 2010. Panhandle prospects for this weekend’s opener look promising, with wet conditions and plenty of playa lakes brimming full of water. Along the coast, pintails, teal, gadwalls, wigeons and shovelers are using prairie ponds. Coastal marshes are holding teal, gadwalls, shovelers and wigeons. Redheads and bluebills are finding their way to the shoalgrass shorelines of the middle coast, but another round of cold air is needed before the Oct.31 opener to push new ducks to the coast. Specklebellies are arriving daily on the prairies, and expect more to show this weekend on the heels of the next cold front

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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 on higher ground. Last week’s front brought new migrants to the area but few hunters noticed due to the absence of participation. Another front forecasted for the end of the week should deposit northern birds in the region; however, more rain is forecasted as well. Corn, milo and sunflowers continue to produce in the High Plains. Afternoon watering holes have not been as hot as years past due to the wet conditions. The season runs through Oct. 25. Prospects are fair to good.

Central Zone Dove: Wet weather has plagued hunters, but most are not complaining due to the drought conditions the region has endured for the past two years. Between showers, doves have been best over corn and milo on higher ground. Doves have left low-lying areas due to the moisture. Grain fields with gravel nearby have been steady during the past few weeks. Fields around San Antonio, Castroville, Hondo, Uvalde and Del Rio have been best. An influx of birds arrived last week with the front, but heavy showers kept hunters out of the field. Another front forecasted for the end of the week should deposit new birds. Fields around Sealy, Columbus, Katy and Waller have been fair. The season runs through Oct. 25. Prospects are fair to good.

South Zone Dove: Hunters have had to dodge storms to find steady flights of doves. McMullen County hunters have enjoyed good shoots around goatweed and sunflowers. Harlingen, Brownsville and Laredo hunters have see mixed flights of whitewings and mourners. Milo and sunflowers near Raymondville and Port Mansfield have been good in the afternoon. Bay City and El Campo fields have been best in the afternoon, though the area has received lots of rain. More birds should arrive with the cool front forecasted for this week. The season runs through Nov. 3. Prospects are fair to good.

Waterfowl Migration: Most of Texas received more rain this week, which should help habitat across the state. The Panhandle has good numbers of playa lakes brimming with water, most East Texas reservoirs and rivers are at pool and prairie ponds and marshes have received soaking rains the entire month of October. Pintails, shovelers, teal, gadwalls, wigeons and redheads are showing on the coast. Specklebellies are arriving daily, with a few snows mixed in with the darks. The Panhandle is loading up with teal, pintails, wood ducks, gadwalls and wigeons. The High Plains Mallard Management Unit opens Oct. 24-25 and reopens Oct. 30-Jan.24, 2010. The North and South zones commence Oct. 31.

I’m thinking one more trip is on the books this year!!

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

North Zone Dove: The High Plains are wet from recent rains. An abundance of water in playa lakes has doves scattered around watering sources. Corn, milo and sunflowers continue to produce near Amarillo and Dumas. Abilene and Lubbock hunters have seen the same results. Red River hunters continue to be plagued by rain showers and muddy fields. The region received another three inches over the weekend. This week’s mild forecast should do nothing to prompt new migrants to head to Texas, however, the bright moon might. The season runs through Oct. 25. Prospects are fair to good.

Central Zone Dove: Showers across Central Texas hurt the dove flight over the weekend. Rains moved across the state from the west and brought much needed rain to San Antonio and Austin. Whitewings continue to find corn and milo fields in and around San Antonio. Much of the rain has moved birds to the high ground and gravel roads. New birds showed last week around Katy, Brookshire and Columbus. Beaumont and Dayton fields saw an influx of mourning doves. Heavy downpours along zone lines near IH-10 east of Houston hurt the flight over the weekend. Stephenville, Brownwood and Waco fields have been good for near-limits. The season runs through Oct. 25. Prospects are fair to good.

South Zone Dove: Those who dodged rain showers over the weekend saw better shoots in South Texas over milo, corn and goatweed. Rio Grande Valley hunters have shot limits of whitewings in sunflowers. After rains, doves have headed to high ground where they have hung out around trees and gravel. El Campo, Bay City and Port Lavaca have seen steady flights and an influx of birds, however, weekend rains scattered concentrations and changed flight patterns. Stiff southerly winds forecasted for the coast this week could disperse birds even more. Another round of cooler air is not expected until next week. The season runs through Nov. 3. Prospects are fair to good.

Waterfowl Migration: The first real sign of specklebellies showed on the heels of last week’s cool front. Specks hit rice fields on the prairie and have been grubbing on waste grain. Another influx of blue-winged teal was noticed on ponds as well. Some outfitters have said they have never seen so many bluewings at this point in the season. Redheads and pintails continue to find the shoalgrass shorelines around Port O’Connor and Rockport. Pintails, shovelers and wigeons have been seen on prairie ponds as well. The coast received lots of rain over the past two weeks which has already helped habitat. Playa lakes in the Panhandle are abundant, too. Northeast Texas lakes, reservoirs and rivers have plenty of water as well. The High Plains Mallard Management Unit duck season runs Oct.24–25 and Oct.30, 2009–Jan. 24, 2010. The North and South zones run Oct.31–Nov.29 and Dec.12–Jan. 24, 2010

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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!!

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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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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.

• 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.......
• 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......
• 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......

• Self Reliance Is A Lost Art I recently read an article on the Legends of Appalachia: The Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center. The Foxfire Museum is located in Mountain City, GA, and is home to most of the history collected as part of the Foxfire project conducted back in the 1960's. As a fan of the......
• Locating the Deer A lot of hunters that are unsuccessful are in such a position because they set up anywhere they can in the woods and simply hope that a deer is going to go by. Other people may set up near a rub, simply hoping that a monster buck is going to......
• Is this a Good Time for Baby Boomers to Downsize? Many baby boomers have downsizing on their mind.  Mrs. GoTo and I do.  Some of that downsize thinking may have been interrupted by all of the bad news about the stock market and the economy.  But has all of this bad economic news created favorable conditions for downsizing to a smaller, less expensive......

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.

• Save the Bob Whites   Texas' wild quail numbers continue to decline     Its sound is distant as it whistles out its name: Bob-White. but the sound is becoming increasingly muted as the quail population across the state decline.  "The landscape for quail has changed very significantly over the last 40 years," said Dale......
• 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......
• TPWD Sets Hearings on Lastest Proposals In a news release from Steve Lightfoot with Texas Parks and Wildlife, he announced the the department would conduct 21 public hearings. The hearing would cover the topics of increasing fees and yhe new dove season propsals. Changes proposed for the 2009-10 Texas dove season include a 70 day season......

• Blog Spotlight: Everyday Simplicity This is a new frugal living blog with about two dozen posts so far. Rebecca of San Antonio, TX, writes on Everyday Simplicity, a blog that gets into "[o]rganizing and consolidating information dealing with simplifying life, to help those considering a lifestyle change as well as those expert at living......
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