Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

With 84 days until the 2010 dove season, it’s time to inspect your geat and begin to make any purchases needed before the season. So I thought I’d make a blog post of my findings.

First up for me is a shell/field bag. Currently, I’m using a 3 pouched belt that has done it’s purpose over the years. The problems I have with it is the pouches are too long and they make walking cumbersome to say the least. Also, keeping track of flashlights, bug spray, water, etc. is a pain in the as$.

I’ve done a little online searching an found what looks like the perfect fit. I just wish it was camo.
Check it out, and if anyone has already purchased it, let me know what you think about it.

Upland Gear Quail and Dove Caddy

• The Benelli Vinci vs. Argentina The lucky bastards from Shooting Times got to be the first to test Benelli's new Vinci model out in Argentina. The folks from Benelli allowed them to abuse the latest member of the Benelli family, in an effort to establish the Vinci as one of Benelli's premier shotguns. Argentina boasts the largest......
• 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.......
• 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......

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Or else you might have a little surprise….

They have done a really good job in making the lighter really look like a shell.

From everydaynodaysoff.com

It retails for about ten bucks. There is a link to buy it off Amazon over at everydaynodaysoff.com if you wish.

• 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......
• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-06-14 Here is a good public land spot for hunting dove in south Texas http://bit.ly/OHTTY # It's almost time to start dove hunting, stock up on shells now! http://bit.ly/162Bx9 # A good place to buy guns online http://bit.ly/9bQBm # RT @DoveHunting101: New blog post: Man Fined Over Migratory Bird Treaty......
• Getting Started (part II) WHAT TO DO? Okay, you've acquired everything you need to begin dove hunting, NOW WHAT!?!? There isn't too much to it, but if you take a few steps prior to taking the field, you'll have a lot more fun and a lot less stress. Let's begin. Get familiar with your......

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The folks at Timney Manufacturing have solved one of the few problems with the world’s best selling shotgun.

From Shooting Illustrated:

(Click on the picture to visit Timney’s website)

Price: $89.00

Here is an excert from the Shooting Illustrated article.

  The 870 shotgun has many applications for hunters, sport shooters and as a defensive weapon. It can be an upland bird, duck or turkey shotgun, it can be a slug gun for deer and with interchangeable choke tubes it can be all the above. Similarly, the 870 platform is just as versatile for law enforcement, those interested in home defense and three-gun competitors. Whether you employ your 870 for one or all these tasks, and no matter how your 870 is configured, Timney’s new drop-in unit will fit and eliminate the weak link of an otherwise exceptional firearm.

Read their full article

• Who Makes the Best Shotgun? Let's take a vote, who makes the best shotgun? My vote is Remington. I think that Remington is a great company that has introduced two models of shotguns that have stood the test of time, the 870 and 1100. What is your preference, fill out the quick survey below and......
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• 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......

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The Dove Duster is a new choke made br Brilley. It is in between improved and modified. The thought being to give you a little tighter pattern for long shots yet one that is open enough to hit the close shots. It’s about time someone thought of us dove hunters

• 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......
• Another Great Dove Hunt in Dilley 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......
• Shotgunning Tips I was looking through some past articles on Field & Stream's website site and came across an article with some very good tips on five tough shots for dove hunters. It covers: The Incomer You See Forever The Dove With Its Jets On The Long Crosser The Dove That Comes......

The lucky bastards from Shooting Times got to be the first to test Benelli’s new Vinci model out in Argentina. The folks from Benelli allowed them to abuse the latest member of the Benelli family, in an effort to establish the Vinci as one of Benelli’s premier shotguns.

Argentina boasts the largest population of mourning dove in the world. The dove there never migrate and the mild climate allows for 4 to 5 nestings in a single year. Dove are so thick that the farmers call them pests. When you throw in the fact that there are no bag or day limits in Argentina, one begins to see the potential for a sore shoulder. These conditions make a shoot in Argentina like nothing else.

Benelli took the guys from Shooting Times to Cordoba. Home to 30 or 40 million doves on a land mass one-third the size of California. We are talking 1,000 birds per in acre in some areas. A good test area I’d say.

It is standard after a day’s shoot for your shotgun to get a thorough cleaning, but for the test, there would be as much torture as possible, no cleaning or lubricating.

The shoot consisted of three six hour days. They shot 6,375 rounds in 18 hours, more than 25 cases of shells, more than most shoot in an entire dove season.

On the first day the Vinci fired 2,200 shells without one mis-fire. About two hours into the second day, the shotgun failed to eject twice. Keep in mind, we are talking 3,000 rounds with no oil or cleaning. Two drops of oil were applied to the rotating, locking lugs of the bolt and another to the locking lug recesses of the barrel. This was repeated every 50 boxes of shells, or 2500 rounds. After that, not a single malfunction, and if the three drops of oil had been applied after the first 50 boxes there would have been no malfunctions in 6,375 rounds.

If you are not impressed, you don’t know much about shotguns. The volume we are talking in three days rivals what most shotguns see in a lifetime, with virtually no hang-ups. Simply amazing, Benelli has done it again.

The winner is BENELLI VINCI, hands down, it took what Argentina had and came out on top.

Shooting Times goes on to explain all the awesome features of the Vinci, you can read their entire article here.

Let me just say, that if anyone would like for me to test any shotguns in Argentina, I’ll be glad to take one for the team. I know it will be a great sacrifice, but I’ll do it. That’s how I roll, I’m a team player.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Skeet Shooting is Best Practice for Dove Hunters According to Phil Bourjaily of Field & Stream. Phil is a well known writer/gun expert and has some really good points on improving your kill ratio. I've always felt that skeet was a great warm up for dove season. I always start with my shotgun a little lower than most shooters to......
• 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......
• 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......

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An electric collar can be an effective tool when training your hunting dog. E-collars can be used to reinforce commands and keep your hunting dog from getting into a bad spot. Today’s collars have many features and levels of stimulation to help control your dog in any situation. Remember, e-collars are only a tool, not the only way to train your dog. Your dog should have a basic grasp of the simplest commands before introducing them to the collar. After introducing the collar , use it to aid in training, not hurt your dog. The combination collars that have both stimulation and beep, are extremely helpful with training. Select a model that fits your dog and is easy to use and you’ll have much less stress on your next dove hunt. Your hunting dog will be right beside you, doing what the both of you love, looking for dove.

There are several new models from various manufacturers. Let’s look at the top picks for 2009.

• The Remington Sidekick Training Collar takes top new collar in the bang for the buck category. This is a new product in Remington’s arsenal. The sidekick retails for about $190 and features nine levels of push button stimulation and patented “Consistent Reliable Stimulation” technology. This feature gives the ability to apply steady stimulation, which could save fido from getting in a lot of trouble. The sidekick does give up a little range at only 400 yards. I’m a big Remingotn fan, so I give it a thumbs up.
• The Dogtra 2500/2502 T Series Electronic Dog Training Collars take the award for best all around collars. Dogtra has become one of the top manufacturers of e-collars. All Dogtra collars come standard with durable, lightweight, easy to activate collar receivers and hand-held transmitters with simple controls. The 2500 model offers 127 levels of nick and constant stimulation. The beeper activates up to 400 yards out and the stimulation has a range of 1 mile. The price range is around $380 for one dog and $540 for two dog collars.
• D.T. Systems SPT 2400 Series Electronic Dog Training Collars have the best new feature. They come with a ‘Jump’ button that automatically increases stimulation as long as you hold the button. This feature allows you to quickly get your hunting dog under control. D.T. offers the best warranty of all manufacturers of e-collars, lifetime warranty on parts and one year on labor. The collars of 50 levels of stimulation with three beeper modes and a 1.3 mile range. Prices range from $380-$600.
• Tri-Tronics has three new models out. The Classic 70G3EXP, Field 90G3EXP, and the Upland G3EXP. These are probably the simplest e-collars to use . The old style tube transmitter with single push button controls take all the confusion out of training. The ‘EXP’ models allow the use of multiple collars. The Classic EXP can control up to six collars and the Field and Upland EXP control up to three. All three models have a one mile range and can be fully recharged in two hours. There prices are roughly $320, $360, and $520 respectively.

In an article in Wildfowl Magazine, they listed the top ten guidelines from professional trainers for choosing and using e-collars. These were a consensus of advice given by several experts.

1. Use an e-collar to gently, not painfully reinforce lessons in canine obedience as taught by traditional hands-on methods.
2. Calibrate e-collar stimulation power at the lowest level that is effective.
3. Set e-collar stimulation to higher levels to stop your dog from committing dangerous or self-destructive acts.
4. Know how to use the e-collar before putting on your hunting dog.
5. Use your e-collar while training and hunting, i.e, be consistent.
6. Choose an e-collar that is easy to use, because the timing of stimulation is key.
7. Pick an e-collar to fit your dog’s temperament and hunting style, e.g., a running dog will need a collar with longer range and higher stimulation levels.
8. Determine your need for an e-collar by counting the number of times you give your dog commands for basic obedience. Sometimes it helps to have a friend count, as you are not as aware of how much repetition you have with your dog.
9. When shopping for e-collars pay close attention to warranties, expected lifetimes, and how quickly they can be repaired.
10. Learn to love your e-collar because they are one of the most effective way to training your hunting dog.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Top 7 Things to do before Dove Season I can't believe it is already July 21st. In a little over a month I will be waiting for the sun to come up over a field in North Texas. As my plans get finalized, I thought I would put together a checklist to get you ahead of the pack......
• TPWD Offering 'Big Time' Hunts  In the mail yesterday I received Texas Parks & Wildlife Department's special drawings magazine. Right inside the front cover was an advertisement for 'BIG TIME Texas Hunts'. There are seven 'Big Time' hunts you can put in for. They all start with Texas, e.g. Texas Premium Buck Hunt, exotic safari,......
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