Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

Early July, probably the most boring time for a sports fan and hunter like myself. No football, basketball, dove hunting, or anything else to entertain me on the weekends. I’ve even caught myself trying to get in to soccer, but it’s not working. The best sport on right now is politics, and I can only stand so much of that before I wanna puke. So what’s a person supposed to do? Here are a few tips to help make for a better opening day.

1. Get your dog in shape. Dogs are just like people, if they lay around for a few months, it’s difficult for them to get out and hunt all day. If you’ve ever had your dog lay down on you in the middle of a shoot, it can be frustrating to say the least. Break out the decoy and scent, and get to training. The small investment of time will pay great dividends come opening day.
2. Get yourself in shape. Whatever this means for you. It could mean shooting shape or physical shape, or both. Join a league, shoot, shoot, shoot. This way your dog is not the only one ready to hunt come September.
3. Get your gun in shape. Clean it, if it’s gas operated, soak it the gas cylinder in mineral spirits for 12 hours. Doing this will dramatically decrease the amount of problems you will have in the field.
4. Get your accessories in shape. Things get old,  wear out, or just need to be replenished. Go out and get that new chair, or camo you’ve been needing. Things like bug spray, flashlights, batteries, shells, and other accessories can be purchased ahead of time. By shopping early, you will be more thorough and you will spread the cost out over a period of time instead of one lump sum.
5. Scout. Early season scouting can pay off big time. It may save you some money by stopping you from buying the lease, save you time by not wasting it on opening day false alarming on dragonflies, or make you look like the hero to your hunting buddies.

Off season sucks, make it suck less by preparing for the on season.

• 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......
• 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......
• Weekly Migratory Bird Hunting Report 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......

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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 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.......
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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

• Dove, Teal Seasons Set BIg News for Texas Dove Hunters AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service SRC (Service Regulation Committee) has approved the 2009-2010 Texas dove season, including a 70-day season and 15-bird daily bag statewide, and a 16-day early teal season. Additionally, the SRC approved moving the Texas South Zone......
• 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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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......
• 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 Migratory Bird Report 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......

• Going Hunting for Mourning Doves Dove hunting is actually a really exciting sport. You can gather together a couple of hunters in a single field that happens to be an active ground for feeding and you are likely to have a really eventful hunt with lots of good results. In some states, you should recognize......
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If you have ever thought of traveling south of the border to dove hunt, this year might be the one. Dr. Ignacio Cinta, a wildlife biologist from Mexico City, says that hunters are in for a fiesta this year.

Cinta says that the prime whtewing hunting is about 160 miles south of Harligen, and this area has had great weather.

“We have received 10 inches of rain so far, and the whitewings are having a very good nesting season,” Cinta says.

Cinta bases his forecast after studying a 20,000 acre area of prime whitewing country. Located within the 20,000 acres is a 2,000 acre whitewing sanctuary. The sanctuary is said to be home to more than 4 million dove, the largest concentration in the world.

Cinta goes on to explain, that when conditions are favorable dove will nest up to three times in a season, increasing the population dramatically, and this is one of those years.

Three factors have come together this year: a good carryover from last year, favorable nesting conditions, and an anticipated lack of hunting pressure. All these together makes a Benelli owner’s dreams come true.

An interesting fact about Mexico’s whitewings is that most of the birds travel from south to north, coming from Central and South America.

If anyone knows of a good spot south of the border feel free to leave a comment with the info and I’ll get it posted for everyone.

• 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......
• 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.......
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Blistering heat, dead or failing crops, dead lawns, and burn bans pretty much describe this summer here in Texas. Most say this year’s almost fourteen inch shortfall of rain is a curse, but I say it’s great news for dove hunting. Before you call me crazy, let me explain.

“In my opinion for doves and most avian species, the drought doesn’t affect them,” said Jeff Makemson, a state biologist.

Makemson goes on to say that drought doesn’t necessarily help dove as much as rainy, stormy weather hurts them.

“A dove will typically build a nest in a pine tree about 12 feet off the ground,” Makemson said. “It is a fragile nest that will blow down easily. Storms, heavy rain and wind will affect their nesting success.”

Nesting is critical to hunting success. Especially early in the season, when the population of dove is local birds. Heavy rain and storms limits a dove’s ability to nest and reproduce, therefore populations decline. The later migration of northern dove happens later in the season as cooler northern air forces them south in search of food and shelter.

In short, a good opening day is dependent on local dove populations ability to nest and reproduce. In a drought the mortality rates in nesting dove goes down and the reproduction rates go up. Therefore, populations are higher in a dry season. All this leads to great dove hunting during these years, and this year has all the conditions in place and should be phenomenal.

Another note worthy point about the effect of drought is that the hunting around good watering holes is better. In a wet year the dove can water at any puddle around and will not be found concentrated around large bodies of water. When you take the puddles away it forces them to head to the stock tanks and ponds, playing right into a smart hunter’s sights.

Dove don’t like watering where there is a lot of brush or high grass. They prefer sandy, flat shores with shallow water. In a drought, water levels drop creating perfect watering holes, and perfect hunting spots. Set up a few decoys and have plenty of shells, because you will need them.

My dad loves to get out early in the afternoon hunts, but with record temperatures, you might want to take a little longer nap. Dove will typically enter a field to feed in the afternoon between 3:30 and 4:00 P.M., but when it’s extraordinarily hot they will wait until closer to 5:00 P.M..

Just another way that an effective hunter can maximize his time in the field, spending more time reloading instead of false alarming on dragonflies.

Here’s to good hunting this season!

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

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