First Dove Hunt

[ExMachina]

Tomorrow's the day!

It's gonna be HOT!!

Going to a pubic field so I'm sure there's a lot of etiquette and little rules I don't know. I'm going with an experienced guy, but there's a chance that we wont be together.

Any tips for a first-timer?

And one question I have: is it legal to field dress doves as I shoot them?

Thanks for any advice

[quietguy]

Biggest no-no in the dove field - don't shoot at low birds.

IIRC, you have to keep the head or wing attached if you dress them in the field. There really isn't any need to dress them in the field. Just keep them out or the sun, and they will be fine.

[DMark]

Biggest no-no in the dove field - don't shoot at low birds.....

Agree!

Also, don't wear any bright or light colors - - - unless you want to spook the birds away from you.

[DRM]

I'm hoping our private field has birds - but it's not looking good so far. Yanalhi's public field hasn't had anything but crows on it for weeks.

[Westwindmike]

A friend scouted our field this morning. No birds! Some folks say they are getting there early(like 0900) for the noon start. If any birds show up it won't be till late afternoon, so they may sit there for 6+ hours waiting on the birds! I'm going to arrive about 2pm and take my chances. Beats sitting in the sun all day!

[Will Carry]

You cannot have more fun with a shotgun than dove hunting. When I was a kid I would pretend I was at Pearl Harbor and the dove were the Japs.

[TLRMADE]

My buddy said we have 200+ birds in our field haha.

[DRM]

My buddy said we have 200+ birds in our field haha.

So what time do I need to be there tomorrow? I'll even bring lunch

[whiskey]

My buddy said we have 200+ birds in our field haha.

Resend the directions, I must have deleted them...

[whiskey]

I went and scouted the field we are hunting tomorrow. There were a few birds, but it was late when I was there, so who knows what tomorrow holds.

[TLRMADE]

I wish I was hunting Tomo! Were not hunting till sat!

[Fourtyfive]

I sure do miss opening day , it was always the 1st then they made it the first Sat. for a while then went back to the 1st. Work always seems to ruin it.

[TLRMADE]

[ExMachina]

Well, it was fun. And as planned, it was HOT.

There weren't that many birds (this according to the experienced hunters there)--fired a total of only 19 shells (!). I hit 5 birds and got to keep 2 of em (the guy next to me took the others--maybe he hit them first, i dunno...)

Want to go again and hope to see more birds

[Westwindmike]

Opening day was a bust in Cannon County. Not many birds flying and the ones that did couldn't get through the barrage of fire from the other side of the field. Poor birds never had a chance on that end of the field. They would have had a much better survival rate at my end of the field. LOL.

[DMark]

We lucked out here on one of our family farms in east Wilson County. Around 4 o'clock the birds came in waves and it was steady until offical sunset. Several hunters got their limits.

[whiskey]

We lucked out here on one of our family farms in east Wilson County. Around 4 o'clock the birds came in waves and it was steady until offical sunset. Several hunters got their limits.

Only good report I have heard. Congrats.

[TLRMADE]

I'm headed out in the morning. I'm taking my GoPro and will hopefully get some good video!

[partypilot1]

Good hunt in Hohenwald along buffalo river thanks to the 3 guys who own and groomed the field. Great steady flow of doves