Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

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.

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