Dove Season opener!

[Dusty_Traveler]

This morning, in my southwest Arkansas neck of the woods, dove season opens. Oh how I wish I could be sitting on a 5 gallon bucket in some tall weeds at the edge of a pond. Alas, I can only listen to the others' shotgun reports while I stretch and clip an 1/8 mile of 5 strand wire fence. I wish I was out there with the 12 gauge trade gun slinging some 7.5 shot, but CRANBERRY JAMMIT.

Comment with your dove opener pics!! Everyone who missed a shot today still had a better time than I.

 

[BillyC]

I tried a brand new location and it was packed with hu gets. I’ll bet I saw 50 whirling decoys!! I hiked to the very top and found some open space. I only shot at 4 but managed to hit two. I haven’t hunted doves in over 30 years but was scouting for a place to take my grandson so I figured why not take the shotgun along and see if I could still do it.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Yep, with Dusty. For different reasons, will not be in the field after the little birds. Sad, I have seen a lot of them this year.

 

[mushka]

The dove opener used to be a big deal for myself and my hunting bud til three years ago when physical trouble landed on me. This year I've only been able to listen to others banging away from my patio so far but I think I'm going to try in a day or two when the winds and rain settle down a little. Got to call my bud and see if he will try also as he's pretty much in the same shape as me.

 

[ppg1949]

Ditto what mushka said. Except my hunting buddy and I will not even think of going afield. He uses a walker and I can barely make it to the mailbox across the road. Blazing away over a downed field of maze was a much anticipated annual event for us. Those little bullets are a most difficult target, If they would have just flown in a straight line but then that is what made it fun. As decrepit as I am, I still hear the call of the wild this time of year but I settle for a day at the range.

 

[Nuthatch]

I took my boys out last weekend. But I left the trade gun home this time & we all took cartridge guns. I almost got a limit in the 1-2 hours we were out. But my shooting was piss poor as it probably took me 40 shots to get those 7 birds. Makes me wish I would have taken the trade gun after all. At least then I'd have a better excuse. I made some poppers when we got back to seal the memories. They were better than I remembered.

 

[Blackpowderart]

I posted this pic elsewhere so some may have seen it. Again I will say, I hadnt been dove hunting since I was a kid some 22 years ago. There wasn't many birds out here in NC. This year was also the first time I have ever tried dove hunting with a muzzleloader. This was the first black powder long gun I had ever bought, 3 or so years ago The Pedersoli 10ga sxs. This is a photo of my first bird. I wasn't able to get any on opening day but after a little more time on the pattern board and my first attempt at the VM STARR loading method I got an incredible pattern. The next time I went out I was to the moon with excitement when I took my first dove.

 

[2 shots]

billy c what are those green things in a box?????

 

[BillyC]

I know, should have cropped the photo. I haven’t got a smoothbore flintlock, yet. LOL

 

[Britsmoothy]

I haven’t got a smoothbore flintlock, yet. LOL

Disgusting! Disgraceful and frankly shocking!
Now go and put it right!

 

[BillyC]

I’m waiting for Kiblers to come out with theirs, then I will seriously consider it. Seems like a lot more is involved and I’m not sure I want to get into it. To me it’s kind of like fly fishing, it makes something that should be relaxing too complicated and too much work, but the grandson has expressed an interest so it will probably happen.

 

[SOLANCO]

I was reading this thread when all of a sudden I got a taste for dove breasts braised in milk and Tabasco.