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Author Topic: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?  (Read 1488 times)

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Offline 38MAN

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Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« on: August 09, 2010, 02:19:10 PM »
I hunted dove for many years. Opening day was the doorway to cooler weather, football and all things fall.  Opening day was mostly a social event with good food, fun and lots of shooting. However, around 1998 I noticed the birds were fewer and fewer each year. My last opening day dove hunt was about 7 years ago and it ended like the previous 3 years. Load up, got to the field and went home. No need to clean your gun, a shot was never fired. I stopped at my local shop today to buy 3 boxes of steel shot shells so I can join some old freinds on opening day at the local WMA. The clerk asked me if that was all I needed. I told him unless the hunting is better than the last three times I went it was probabaly three boxes too many. How is the dove populations in other areas of the great USA? Should I just take the three boxes to the clays range? At least I could clean my gun on opening day.....

38Man
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Offline dukkillr

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2010, 02:47:09 PM »
Fantastic here in the Midwest.  We plant sunflowers and wheat and hunt cut corn fields as well.  I think you need quality habitat to have quality hunting these days, much like duck hunting.
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Offline jrnsuz

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2010, 04:13:35 PM »
I can't speak for the rest of the mid-west, I don't get around as much as I used to, but in this part of Missouri they're swarmin'
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Offline Wyo. Coyote Hunter

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2010, 04:17:15 PM »
 :)38, in my part of Wy. they are not thick, but we get a few..more later as northern birds drift down...but I have shot them in Az. in the second season and had excellent success...
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Offline mauser98us

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2010, 06:01:21 PM »
Come on down to AZ. They are as thick as a brick,both Whitewings and the inferior mourning doves
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Offline 38MAN

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2010, 01:56:17 AM »
Guys it must be like real estate. Location, location, location. I'm in East Tennessee. The last outing was to a WMA that was known for lots of birds in past years. I told my buddy's as we finished checking in that we could probably head on back home. They asked why and I pointed out that the TWRA agents didn't ask to see our hunting licenses, check to see if we had our WMA permits or inspect our shotguns to see that they were 3 shot plugged as required by the TWRA. We sat there for about six hours and worked on our tans. There was one shot fired in the field the whole time we were there. It was some sap that shot a crow. He apparently didn't know that crow shots better be fired Friday through Sunday only. He got his ticket then packed up and left. Tennessee dove hunting experience at it's finiest......

38Man
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Offline guzzijohn

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2010, 04:37:40 AM »
In central Kansas the dove population appears to be about like it has always been. We get some significant variations from year to year but generally pretty good. When we were in drought a few years ago many came to my pond that starts about 50 yds behind my house. I did most of my dove "hunting" off my deck that year. Made me feel kind of lazy.
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Offline S.S.

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2010, 02:40:00 PM »
Flush a half dozen or so every time I come in or leave my driveway.
They are all over NW Georgia area where I live.
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Offline PowPow

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2010, 02:56:04 PM »
Starting to see more and more doves in Alabama.
Looking forward to shoots on 9-16 and 9-24.
Pay hunts at Quail Valley in Faunsdale Al.
Haven't been to a bad shoot there yet.
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Offline Slowdow

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2011, 06:31:48 PM »
Here in northwest missouri, they are thicker now than i ever remember. Some look as large as pigeons, and stay in the area year round.
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Offline james

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2011, 06:44:00 PM »
I've seen several here in NE AR but unfortunately I'll be So Carolina opening weekend at a wedding and will miss the best days to get the most shooting.   Hope they don't turn any of those white doves loose at the wedding.
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Offline possume

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #11 on: August 21, 2011, 08:59:56 PM »
i got them in a pen in my field in middle tn until sept 1st at noon then i will open the cage and shoot and eat  ;D
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Offline dukkillr

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2011, 04:39:21 AM »
Quote from: Slowdow on August 21, 2011, 06:31:48 PM
Here in northwest missouri, they are thicker now than i ever remember. Some look as large as pigeons, and stay in the area year round.
Sounds like you've got the invasive dove...  They want you to kill the ones that look like pigeons.
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Offline hunt-m-up

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #13 on: August 22, 2011, 02:22:03 PM »
Funny how I never seemed to notice the numbers of them until they OK'd the new season here in IA this year.
Of course they've always been here, but now it seems like they're in bunches of 6-12 on the gravel and dirt roads vs. the 2-4 I used to see. I'm sure it's because I'm just wondering how to hunt them. We don't have the small grains to hunt them over that many places do, I'm told over water is a good choice as well? The DNR commission voted to limit us to non-toxic shot, the legislature promptly came back and overrode them. It was a pretty heated battle to get the season. At 40+ I now have a new season to start with my kids, maybe it will replace the pheasant hunting that is only a minor fraction of what it used to be here.
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Offline tacklebury

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #14 on: August 23, 2011, 06:05:04 PM »
Man, we have plenty, but we cannot get the stinkin DNR to start a season here in MI.  8(
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Offline Rock Home Isle

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Re: Dove Hunting; Where have they gone?
« Reply #15 on: August 24, 2011, 02:29:28 PM »
We do a family hunt each year out to eastern Colorado...and my cousins tell me that the Dove Hunt this year will be out-standing. My son cannot wait to head to the hunting grounds.  8)
 
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