Begining dove hunting

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Michigan doesn't have a season, but Ohio does.....and I'm not that far from the border!;)

I'm thinking about going down next fall and taking a few days to hunt specifically doves, but maybe take advantage of the early teal season, or maybe some other hunting opportunities as well.

Being a rank novice, what is the best way for a beginner to go about dove hunting? I will do some 'cyberscouting', but I won't be able to physically check out any areas due to time/work constraints. I have also read a few books with chapters dedicated to dove hunting, and will reread them as well.

Any other advice would be appreciated as well....do decoys work? Best time of day? Best nonagricultural areas?
Thanks in advance for any "pearls of wisdom":)

[jplonghunter]

Mr 16 gauge

Take lots of shells.

jplonghunter

[popplecop]

Does Ohio have state areas managed for doves? If so there's a place to start, Wis. does but I avoid them opening day.

[fabsroman]

You need to look for areas that have cut corn, cut wheat, or cut sunflowers. The doves love those crops. Standing corn isn't a terrible field to hunt, but it isn't the best either. As it gets closer to the end of November, I look for fields with long grass where the grass is producing seeds.

Essentially, what I always look for is a food source, a water source (e.g., small pond, cattle prints with water pooled in them), some gravel for their gizzards, and then a perching place (e.g., wires). If you can find where they are roosting for the night, you will be in great shape. The best roosting place I ever found was a grove of pine trees at the end of a big grass field where there was a pond right next to the pine trees. The doves would come into those pine trees 5 and 10 at a time. There was also a set of telephone wires going across the grass field right before the pond. I really miss that farm.

Try to figure out how the birds are flying. They usually tend to come into fields in a particular manner, and if you can figure that out you can put yourself in the right spot.

We are only allowed to hunt them here in Maryland from noon to sundown. So, I have no idea what you can expect in the morning. What I have found is that the action really starts to get going around 3:30 to 4:00 if you are around food/water. During the heat of the day they tend to stay still or roost in the trees in the shade. If you can find where they are roosting, that starts to heat up around 6:30.

[skeet]

and then a perching place (e.g., wires). . There was also a set of telephone wires going across the grass field right before the pond. I really miss that farm..



HAHAHAHAHAHA
See Ol Fabs is teachin you bad stuff right from the start...Perching place, indeed.. If you ever saw Fabs shoot you'd understand why he misses that farm...Cause it's almost impossible to miss 'em when they are perched :eek:LOL:D:p;)

Actually Fabs shoots just fine.. I'm kinda teasing at his expence...But he is right. The conditions he states are really good for doves. However in a grain field environment I'd be in there by 1330 in a good sunflower patch we would usually be done in less than an hour. Shooting doves at a waterhole From 1600 hrs on would be good. In a field..take 2 boxes..in a waterhole situation bring 2 boxes..just in case. And at a roost...bring 2 boxes..just in case. First time at dovin I was 11. Took me 74 shells to kill 10.. I grew up from that point on.. Usually takes me about a box to get my limit now days. I shoot an old 1100 410 or an even much older Winchester M-42. Sometimes I use my ol M-12 in 28 ga...just for giggles. Love to shoot doves. Here in Wyoming we have some really large collared doves that have moved in..No limit and no season..Fly just like mourning or white winged doves....except almost as big as a pigeon. 410 ain't quite 'nuff for 'em. I use a 20 I take at least...2 boxes just in case

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Thanks for the replies so far......all help is welcome.

.bring 2 boxes..just in case.

How's about I bring a case, just in case...;):D

[fabsroman]

Thanks for the replies so far......all help is welcome.



How's about I bring a case, just in case...;):D

Yeah, I was going to tell you that Skeet was being really good about your shooting ability. The average number of shells shot per hunter per dove killed is just over 4 shells. So, if you are an average shot, you should be able to get the job done with a 12 bird limit in just over 2 boxes of shells. Me, I have seen some guys go through 4 and 5 boxes of shells and still not get their limit.

It also depends on how the doves are acting. If they are flying by you after being shot at in the field, they will be hauling, diving, and dodging already, which makes things a lot tougher. If you are the only one that will be hunting the field, which I prefer with a few exceptions (e.g., father, brothers, and a couple other guys I hunt with), then you will be in much better shape. What I really hate is when birds are heading right for me, they are within 20 yards of me, and some idiot 50+ yards away just has to shoot at them. The birds start their "dance" at that point, and the idiot rarely, if ever, hits the birds.

Me, I always bring 4 boxes of shells for me, take 2 out in the field with me, and leave the other 2 in the car just in case I have a senior moment a la Skeet LOL and cannot shoot all too well that day. The best I have ever done is 12 birds in 20 shells, but I almost always use a 12 gauge.

[skeet]

Nah..the game wardens will think you are a REAL poacher....Ya know I was at a skeet shoot one day and went to a shootoff with 10 boxes..Spooked my opponent big time..I had 2 other shootoffs to attend with the same gun..I needed ammo so went into the clubhouse and bought a 1/2 case.... cheaper that way..won all three shootoffs with no more than 4 shells each..Thought I may have gotten a good idea..

And as for Fabs..the best I ever did was 12 for 13..but I really did pick my shots all under 20 yds just a loafin along...20 ga gun. If you really watch what you are doing it isn't that hard I have a very good friend who although he usually shoots a 12 has shot a limit more'n once with 12 shells...and was quite often 3 geese for 3 shells. He actually shot 3 geese with one shot..flying..if you catch 'em right it is very possible. I've done 2 with one shot on purpose 3 times. But I shot an awful lot of Canadas and a fair amount of those blasted snows. That fellow is a very good friend and probably the best field shot I have ever seen. BTW..2nd best was a lady

[fabsroman]

Luckily, I don't care what the game warden thinks. It all comes down to what he/she can prove. We have been watched at fields before and the game wardens almost ALWAYS thought I was over the limit because of the way I was shooting. At one field, they thought my dad was taking my birds and keeping them in his limit, but they could never prove that was the case because they never saw him do it. They just thought there was no way my dad could have the number of birds he had based upon the way he was shooting. Of course, I don't have my dad take my birds from me. When I reach my limit I work on training Nitro. I have no desire whatsoever to get any hunting citations, or any other citations for that matter. It just isn't worth it to me, no matter how fun the shooting is.

[skeet]

Well what the game warden can or can't prove is a moot point. If they really want to get ya for something..migratory birds is the place to do it.. When you go to Fed court you have to prove you are innocent.. Fabs being an attorney may make ya feel different...but it's the truth. Luckily I never received any kind of citation..Could I have...oh yeah...many times but I tried to stay legal as much as possible..especially when I was guiding waterfowl hunters...and dove shooters too. We had approx 20 farms we planted sunflowers on all of us being farmers etc knowing lots of others. When we had parties we got a game warden out to check us before..sometimes during..sometimes after we were done..... enjoying a cold one...watermelon canteloupe or soft drink.We had one field were the doves were literally as thick as blackbirds flying in those big droves.. Federal GWs checked us..I was done..I gave him my gun and some shells and told him to have fun. He did. Ate watermelon and canteloupes with us down under the shade trees..in about 15 minutes. Feller could shoot. He shot my 28 ga M-12

[fabsroman]

Well what the game warden can or can't prove is a moot point. If they really want to get ya for something..migratory birds is the place to do it.. When you go to Fed court you have to prove you are innocent.. Fabs being an attorney may make ya feel different...but it's the truth. Luckily I never received any kind of citation..Could I have...oh yeah...many times but I tried to stay legal as much as possible..especially when I was guiding waterfowl hunters...and dove shooters too. We had approx 20 farms we planted sunflowers on all of us being farmers etc knowing lots of others. When we had parties we got a game warden out to check us before..sometimes during..sometimes after we were done..... enjoying a cold one...watermelon canteloupe or soft drink.We had one field were the doves were literally as thick as blackbirds flying in those big droves.. Federal GWs checked us..I was done..I gave him my gun and some shells and told him to have fun. He did. Ate watermelon and canteloupes with us down under the shade trees..in about 15 minutes. Feller could shoot. He shot my 28 ga M-12

And there is the difference between you and I, I have been cited with hunting violtions 3 times. The first time, ironically, was my first week of law school and I skipped Crim Law class that day for opening day of dove hunting. We all got cited for hunting migratory birds over bait. It was in Howard County District Court and I just paid the fine because I had no clue was probation before judgment was and didn't feel like appearing in Court since the Game Warden had pics of the bait on the field. I wasn't too happy about that citation, but it is a strict liability offense (i.e., you do not have to have knowledge of the bait being on the ground to be found guilty). If I had known how the system works, I could have gone to Court and asked the Judge for probation before judgment. In a year or two, if I kept my nose clean, the probation would have come off my record and there would have been no evidence of the citation on my record. As it is, that is the only thing on my record.

I was also cited with discharging a shotgun within 150 yards of a dwelling by the Montgomery County Police Department. The guy really wanted to convict the 4 of us, but guess what, I was the one that went to Court with the pictures, maps, and measurements. I was the one that showed that there were actually 6 of us hunting and that the officer had no idea where each of us was specifically located on the field. I was the one that showed the officer merely "eyeballed" the measurements because the county actually didn't give him anything to measure the distance with. He admitted in Court that he eyeballed it.

I was also charged with having a loaded shotgun in a vehicle. Went to Court for that one and when I asked the game warden how she knew I had a loaded shotgun in the vehicle, she said it was because she didn't hear me "rack" a shell when I got out of the vehicle and I shot way too fast after I got out of the vehicle. She was surprised to find out that that day I was shooting an over/under, as other witnesses testified, and that I was pretty adept at loading my gun. She said I took 5 to 10 steps from the car before shooting the gun, which was way too quick for somebody to load a gun. I had witnesses testify that I shoot a lot and can pretty much load my gun with my eyes closed while walking. I testified to the same. At the end, the Judge said he could not believe that I or the witnesses would perjur ourselves over a $225 fine. He found me not guilty.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to who can prove what, and knowing how the system works.

Other than hunting doves over bait, I have never been guilty of anyting else, and as I said, I wish I had known to go to Court at that time in my life, plead guilty, and ask for probation before judgment. Water under the bridge since that was 15 years ago, but it still irks me to see it on my record.

In the end, being an attorney definitely makes me feel different about it because I know how the system works, but yes, you usually have to prove you a are innocent after the opposing side puts on enough evidence to meet all the elements of the crime. Once the prosecution proves all the elements of the crime, the defendant has to bring some doubt into play regarding those elements.

[FIJI]

1) take a case

2) doves are vile, nasty lil critters that taste AWFUL

3) due to #2 above, please give all such critters you manage to take to me - for proper disposal, of course :eek:

[dovehunter]

These guys have covered just about everything you will need to know. I don't recall anyone mentioning decoys, but they are a great asset. The new animated decoys - like the MOJO - are great. I have two and several other stationary ones that I usually stick in the top of fence posts. Be careful with the animated decoys though. Doves have a tendency to land right next to them and, at $50 a decoy, you don't want to accidentally shoot them. Dove calls work fairly good too at times, but generally not as well as decoys. Another item I find almost as indispensable as my gun, shells, and decoys is a good steady folding dove stool. It beats sitting on the ground or standing up. I have always found that more birds will fly by you when you are comfortably sitting absolutely still. Oh yeah, and full camo is a must, at least around here. I have seen many guys get out there wearing a white tee shirt and faded blue jeans and can't understand why they aren't getting a shot when everyone wearing camo and/or sitting so their silhouette is broken up are melting their gun barrels. Good luck!

[skeet]

Decoys do work ok. Have no use for Mojos or regular decoys..unless hunting in a place by myself. In an open sunflower patch(mowed) I generally justcut some small sucker limbs off trees and then stick 'em in the ground around me an my bucket so the silhouette is broken..Don't need to wear camo but it might help..just sit still. Fun and games again..Yippee Waaayyy back yonder I even tried flagging doves and it even worked on them..Guess that's why they came out with the Mojo thing(Nah..Mo Money). Really have no use for them..just a way to get more of yer money in my opinion.. Flap a free flag..gray material..about like a pennant

[popplecop]

Fabs, that warden should have been severly reprimanded by her supervisor, never heard of such a dumb thing. Yet that brings up another question, how sharp is the DA, should never got by that office.

[dovehunter]

...Have no use for Mojos or regular decoys...

That's what I thought too until I tried them!

[skeet]

Maybe I should have made myself a bit more clear. I have never had a NEED for Dove decoys. I did have some dove decoys years ago made from paper mache that I painted up with whites and blues just to attract pigeons when we shot em as a business. We only hunted fields with plenty of doves. Very seldom we didn't shoot a limit or near one as we had plenty of birds. Course we grew the stuff for 'em. Scoutin out some places here for this September. Few Sunflowers planted this year...good deal. Sunflowers going in here next year..the Lord willing

[fabsroman]

Fabs, that warden should have been severly reprimanded by her supervisor, never heard of such a dumb thing. Yet that brings up another question, how sharp is the DA, should never got by that office.

I have gone to Court twice for hunting violations and the Assistant States Attorney would not know how to load a gun if he/she had to. I've even represented clients in these cases and the Assistant States Attorney has no clue what he/she is doing. Not this winter, but the winter before I represented a fellow CPA for shooting a deer with a shotgun when it was muzzleloader season. The game warden charged him with the wrong code section and the Assistant States Attorney had to drop the case. Sometimes, it just really, really pisses me off how incompetent these people are. Then again, sometimes I have to be careful what I say. If they were really competent they would probably be able to find some type of violation every time they checked us.

It just really bugs the heck out of me when I get charged with something that isn't even close to true. Both times that I was found not guilty on DNR violations, the charges weren't true. The officers charged me because they had a chip on their shoulders. I think it ended up being a little bit of a shock when they saw that I could handle myself in a courtroom.

By the way, the Assistant States Attorney tried to hammer in the fact that I had fired my gun after taking 5 to 10 steps from the vehicle. Obviously, she has no clue about how to load a gun and it would take her 5 to 10 steps from the vehicle to even get the shells out of her pocket.

[skeet]

PC..you don't understand how it is in Md.. Fabs is an attorney that hunts..Most don't in Md anyway.. When ya get in court there most of the time the person charged either doesn't have an attorney or one who doesn't have a clue either.. Fed Court is tough there.. I saw a group of guys get charged with hunting after sundown in Md by a Federal warden. They were standing there on a blue bird evening watching deer play in the field talkin..up near the barn..nothing flying... talkin to the Fed GW..guns laying on the ground..after the sun set..he asked to check their guns..charged 3 of the 5 with attempting to take waterfowl after legal shooting hours..And even though they went to court with an attorney..they were found guilty.. I was not one of those guys luckily...I was there and was talkin with 'em.... that was wrong..but it was the GREAT Willie Parker who done it.. Met him a few times..He was focused on only one thing..makin a case and he had the US Attorney in his pocket. All the Federal wardens enjoyed high conviction rates in Md at that time..Only one that I knew was fair and above board His name was D'Arcy Davenport. Nice guy. Most of the state wardens were pretty fair.One gave a friend of mine a pen..then a warning for not having his duck stamp signed. The Feds wouldn't do that.. I had a state guy help me find my license once after I had lost it chasin a crippled goose through some standing corn..After that I kept it in my coat pocket

[fabsroman]

PC..you don't understand how it is in Md.. Fabs is an attorney that hunts..Most don't in Md anyway.. When ya get in court there most of the time the person charged either doesn't have an attorney or one who doesn't have a clue either.. Fed Court is tough there.. I saw a group of guys get charged with hunting after sundown in Md by a Federal warden. They were standing there on a blue bird evening watching deer play in the field talkin..up near the barn..nothing flying... talkin to the Fed GW..guns laying on the ground..after the sun set..he asked to check their guns..charged 3 of the 5 with attempting to take waterfowl after legal shooting hours..And even though they went to court with an attorney..they were found guilty.. I was not one of those guys luckily...I was there and was talkin with 'em.... that was wrong..but it was the GREAT Willie Parker who done it.. Met him a few times..He was focused on only one thing..makin a case and he had the US Attorney in his pocket. All the Federal wardens enjoyed high conviction rates in Md at that time..Only one that I knew was fair and above board His name was D'Arcy Davenport. Nice guy. Most of the state wardens were pretty fair.One gave a friend of mine a pen..then a warning for not having his duck stamp signed. The Feds wouldn't do that.. I had a state guy help me find my license once after I had lost it chasin a crippled goose through some standing corn..After that I kept it in my coat pocket

Skeet,

I agree with you completely. From what I have heard from other hunters, the federal game wardens are a POS. Now, those have been old stories and I have not heard anything recent about them. I am hoping that they aren't writing stupid violations like that anymore, but who knows.

[popplecop]

Skeet, well aware of Fabs occupation and hunting locale, over the years we have had a number of exchanges. What Fabs really needs is an Oct. trip to Wisconsin and hunt woodcock and grouse.

[skeet]

I know what ya mean about getting him out in the grouse woods.. Love to hunt grouse. Never got to do too much of it. Shot lots a quail in the woods though.

On another note..when I was a kid..the state hired the best poachers(if ya want to call 'em that) as game wardens. Couldn't catch 'em so they hired 'em away from the business at hand. Most made very good game wardens...One or 2 just couldn't leave the life. One of the ones that turned into a pretty good warden..stopped me every morning he saw me during squirrel season(Oct 5-31). He just couldn't understand how I had a limit of skwerls or close every day before I went to school. It was simple and it was legal too. But I never told him.. We ate a lot of skwerl..and duck...and wabbits..some wascally wabbits Hunting wabbits was vewy vewy stwenuous. But not for a kid. BTW..I sometimes did exceed the limit..but understand..nothing went to waste.. Different time and place

[fabsroman]

I know what ya mean about getting him out in the grouse woods.. Love to hunt grouse. Never got to do too much of it. Shot lots a quail in the woods though.

On another note..when I was a kid..the state hired the best poachers(if ya want to call 'em that) as game wardens. Couldn't catch 'em so they hired 'em away from the business at hand. Most made very good game wardens...One or 2 just couldn't leave the life. One of the ones that turned into a pretty good warden..stopped me every morning he saw me during squirrel season(Oct 5-31). He just couldn't understand how I had a limit of skwerls or close every day before I went to school. It was simple and it was legal too. But I never told him.. We ate a lot of skwerl..and duck...and wabbits..some wascally wabbits Hunting wabbits was vewy vewy stwenuous. But not for a kid. BTW..I sometimes did exceed the limit..but understand..nothing went to waste.. Different time and place

After only hunting one single day last year because of my illness, I'll be happy just to get out there this year and hunt. That one day last year was terrible, and it was the opening day of dove season. I think I saw all of 4 doves and not a single one was close enough to shoot at. Such is life.

I've never been grouse or woodcock hunting, but I have seen a woodcock here and there. As far as squirrels go, I have only hunted them once and that was an impromptu hunt after we got skunked in the morning on geese. Funny how you can see tons of them while hunting deer in a stand, but trying to find a squirrel while hunting for them and they are nowhere to be found.

Was that your secret Skeet. Going squirrel hunting as if you were going deer hunting. Mind over matter? LOL

[skeet]

Was that your secret Skeet. Going squirrel hunting as if you were going deer hunting. Mind over matter? LOL

Nah..the secret was much simpler than all that psycho-babble stuff... I had an 8 ft 2x4 with a buncha nails through it..Stuck a bunch of ears of corn on it..set it in the woods...put a bit of ol blackstrap molasses on them...skwerls loved it