2024 Dove Season

[Toy4Rick]

Hey all,

Being new to Tennessee, I want to do more Dove hunting and looking for some decent places to go here about an hour north of Nashville

I found 2 WMA fields, Wilson County Bone Spring Creek Rd & Wilson County Bone Phillips Rd, actually drove to Bone Spring Creek and can't find a way to get from the street back to the field, it's posted private everywhere...

Anyone have any luck at Barton's  Creek?

Would like to move to Quail when that season opens up as well as Pheasant

Thanks, Rick

[Alleycat72]

Pheasant do not do well in Tennessee. 

[10-Ring]

Shy of having a bunch of money there isn't a good option for dove. The problem with public shoots is the public is there and early September is too damn hot to wear a ballistic vest, which is a necessity on a public shoot. I'm blessed to get invites to some private shoots and still typically pay between $100-200 to attend each one. As for quail and pheasant, outside of a private reserve you are going to be sol. Quail are near an endangered species around here. I've probably jumped a half dozen covey in 30+ years of stomping through the woods. Never seen a wild pheasant. 

[Toy4Rick]

Well darn... I was hoping the Quail situation wasn't as bad as I was reading   Pheasants, it was a long shot

As for dove, I'll keep looking

Thanks, Rick

[Will]

I am pretty sure the two fields in Wilson Co are TWRA leased on opening weekend only,private farms.  The best Dove hunting is the two later seasons,they are making their way South and are fat from corn and soybeans  on the way down,unlike local birds the first season and the weather is much nicer. I have found a lot of farmers will let you Dove hunt when they don't allow any other type of hunting,look for a field of fresh picked corn/soybeans and pond or creek nearby.  In hunting most of TN I never run across Quail. Pheasants are Central IL and modern farming practices have almost wiped them out,no cover and crops picked clean.  Fall Turkey hunting is good,you have to stalk them as they do not respond to call.

[Toy4Rick]

Hey all,

I went to Barton's Creek this morning, found a couple very nice wheat fields, however not quite ready for the dove, still a bit too green... Sat for over an hour, saw 10-12 birds, only 1 in range, missed him... had one on the run very early in the AM going between lines of trees but just out of range... all in all, a good 4 hours of scouting

[Toy4Rick]

So far, only got off 1 shot 2 weeks ago, haven't seen any Dove since