Opening Day Dove Shoot

Its getting close to that time......Every year we have a big dove shoot, we meet at 0400 (yes 4am) have a big breakfast at my house and move out to the dove fields afterward, set up decoys, talk big trash and have an absolute blast. Anyone interested, you are more than welcome and we always have a great time. Dove shoots are a social event.....

Usually I go and set up on the a couple of fields to get a good idea of flights......its on public ground but its never been a issue any of the years we do this......early is the key. Sept 1st is on a Saturday this year. Bag limit is 15 morning doves.

Just send me a PM if interested

This should at least tempt you:

Home made biscuits
Sausage gravy
Farm fresh eggs
tators
Pancakes

Sounds like fun. Where do you have this event?

Thanks for the invite.I love to dove hunt!Usually go to my in-laws 15 min. from my house.However,haven't been on a good hunt in several years!

is it safe for teenage kids? and where do you have it? sounds fun

Sounds like fun. Something like that down here would cost you a hundred bucks.:eek:

Years ago we use to go out every openning day..
All my hunting spots now have houses and / or in the city limits.
Wonder how the lack of rain and high temps have affected the doves this year?

Fairly hard to find a place to hunt close to home any more.
And..Find birds there.

Good luck / have fun / be safe

Rick

I am located on west side of milford lake....where all the dove fields are at. If you look up KWPD website they have a map of the area...I think this year there is 97 ac of sun flowers planted spread over 8 fields. Some are better than others which is why I go and sit the fields in the mornings before going to work to get an idea which of them is better. Need some cold temps up north to start driving them south.

Kids are welcome but be aware the humor can be a little crude at times, I think its safe if everyone just uses some barrel awareness but anyone thats ever been a big dove shoot knows there is LOTS of shooting....the limit is 15 but 3 boxes is what most shoot, but I only bring 15 shells..

its also too early in the morning for alcohol

I send the details via pm and you can google map it.....easy to find

Sounds like a good time! I will be at one of my normal spots and plan on a day-long celebration.

KAG, 15 shells huh? I can appreciate that Thumbs Up I "used" to be a shooter myself, I quit hunting when I started going 1 for 3. My right eye is "smoked" now. I can watch my graph and rod tip at the same time now :bash Breakfast menu looks awesome :yikes Good luck guys, dove hunts were always fun for me. Be careful

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Originally Posted by crappiedoc

KAG, 15 shells huh? I can appreciate that Thumbs Up I "used" to be a shooter myself, I quit hunting when I started going 1 for 3. My right eye is "smoked" now. I can watch my graph and rod tip at the same time now :bash Breakfast menu looks awesome :yikes Good luck guys, dove hunts were always fun for me. Be careful

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Ok, maybe 1 or 2 more than 15......

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Originally Posted by KAG

Ok, maybe 1 or 2 more than 15......

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Hey, sounds good to me. :cool: I've hunted with guys who took 5-6 boxes and still didn't get a limit. It really depends on "how" you shoot. I mean if you take your time and pop 'em when your patterns right, your avg goes up. If your practicing those shots that plague you, ploop, you avg drops. What shells you shoot seem to make the biggest difference I've found. Them cheap light loads just aren't worth it to me. Those Double AA's or Nitro Clays were actually cheaper and way more efficient for me. They cost more/box, but I didn't need as many shots. I loved opening day of doves, in highschool my football coach was infuriated with me because come 9-1 ole fatboy wasn't on the field. But, I still lettered 3 yrs in football. Black 'em out and bag 'em up. Good luck Thumbs Up

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Originally Posted by crappiedoc

Hey, sounds good to me. :cool: I've hunted with guys who took 5-6 boxes and still didn't get a limit. It really depends on "how" you shoot. I mean if you take your time and pop 'em when your patterns right, your avg goes up. If your practicing those shots that plague you, ploop, you avg drops. What shells you shoot seem to make the biggest difference I've found. Them cheap light loads just aren't worth it to me. Those Double AA's or Nitro Clays were actually cheaper and way more efficient for me. They cost more/box, but I didn't need as many shots. I loved opening day of doves, in highschool my football coach was infuriated with me because come 9-1 ole fatboy wasn't on the field. But, I still lettered 3 yrs in football. Black 'em out and bag 'em up. Good luck Thumbs Up

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I have found that a lot of it depends on where you are hunting them. In Western Kansas where a average wind is 20+mph, I can burn up a whole lot of ammo sitting over a pond. Here in Eastern Kansas, my shot to kill ratio is much better cause they aint flying near so fast! When you have 4 or 5 of them coming in at a time with a 20 or 30 mph tailwind, those buggers are flat crankin when they come over the pond!! :crazy:

Still isnt much better than going out opening day and shooting several boxes of shells. Woke up many mornings after opening day with a black and blue shoulder! :biggrin

Wish I lived closer.

You guys are doing it all wrong. If they're bunched up on the ground or lined up on the phone line, your average gets MUCH BETTER! ;)

Dave sounds great and hopefully we can make it happen in 2013 but I will be sitting out another season over here in Afghanistan. I hope you all have a good safe hunt and it was great getting together to fish with you back in April.

Take Care
Tom

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Originally Posted by Ranger6

Dave sounds great and hopefully we can make it happen in 2013 but I will be sitting out another season over here in Afghanistan. I hope you all have a good safe hunt and it was great getting together to fish with you back in April.

Take Care
Tom

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Tracking....it is what it is

we will see you when you return....maybe chase some spots in the spring if you re-de early enough in the spring. We will save you spot for next Dove season.

Getting closer........think its going to be good as the weather up north is cooling dramatically and should start driving quite a few birds south

6 days......

Are you starting to see good numbers of birds doesn't seem like they are here thick yet?

If you are seeing birds up there maybe I need to come out for opening day, I only saw 7 yesterday, with my brother and 3 of my kids i don't think the 7 birds go far enough, I like to shoot at least 3 boxes of shells to get my 15

I start sitting the field tomorrow @ daybreak before heading to work, I will let you know........This is going to be a congested season as opening day falls on a Saturday and a holiday weekend. Picking the right field is going to be important.

2 days.....judging by what I am seeing sitting on the various fields I have one picked out that looks to have heavy flights but actual numbers compared to last several years does not seems as large. Plus lots of truck traffic milling around also.....

We are going to start eating at 0345 and OTD @ 0430 to get to the field and Mojos / decoys set up and beat the crush that will show up... of course after its already shooting light....never fails

Can you shoot at daylight? Can't shoot in SC until noon the first couple of weeks of the season, then it is daylight to dusk.
SeaRay

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Originally Posted by SeaRay

Can you shoot at daylight? Can't shoot in SC until noon the first couple of weeks of the season, then it is daylight to dusk.
SeaRay

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First light opening day here

Can't shoot till noon? Now that's strange, even though I know lots of hunters and fisherman that practice that year round......

Rain or shine in the morning.....set up on the field a couple of mornings and there are definately specific flight patterns going on

Good luck and be safe Dave!! I will be doing some "hunting" myself for the wild sac-a-lait!!!

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Originally Posted by DroptineJoe

Good luck and be safe Dave!! I will be doing some "hunting" myself for the wild sac-a-lait!!!

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LOL.......

Guns cleaned, buckets packed, mojo's have fresh batteries and the ever important hunting lic's double checked. My son, his girlfriend and her dad and I shot skeet off the deck most of the evening tonight and the trash talking is already starting....mainly from my college smart @ss son that broke 24 of 25 clays tonight. Sausage pepper bourbon gravy is in the crock simmering over night, farm fresh eggs are mixed up ready to cook, and the coffee pot is set.....now just need a little rack time

Post Hunt

One for the ages.....

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/hunti...ve-season.html

WOW!! Unbelievable shooting safety! Damn glad I was not there to get shot too!!!

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Originally Posted by crappieslinger

WOW!! Unbelievable shooting safety! Damn glad I was not there to get shot too!!!

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In my days I've seen many guys get peppered. It seems the more people, the easier it is. Private ground hunts in small groups it, I honestly can't say I've seen it. However, public ground is a whole other story, as well as big group pheasant hunts. I was at McPherson Valley with my son and there was one other vehicle w/ 2 guys on our pool. Mid morning the mallards came back in smaller groups to where we were set-up. These 2 other guys were out of the shooting and decided to come our way. They were driving the coots and popping them all the way towards us. They got about 60yds from us and started sneaking our dekes, we had a bunch of coots they had driven in our dekes and all around us. These SOB's started shooting them and in the process shot me once and I stood up from the blind to hollar at them, and this one a-hole shot me again. Screaming and a couple shots into the air they realized Oops, we're a couple idots and went back to their own spot. We finished shortly after, and left. I found their vehicle and left them a nice note. I also wrote their tag down and posted a nice letter at every Iron Ranger there, warning others and hoping it would get back to them. Then there's The Bottoms,......