Outdoor living
As September nears, it's time to get ready for dove hunting. Usually, cool nights prevail on the last few days before the opening of dove season on Sept. 1, which cause the birds to head south. However, with all the hot weather recently, the birds should stick around for the opener. In Missouri, as with the entire country, dove hunting accounts for nearly half of all migratory bird hunting. This popular target is often the first game young hunters attempt. There are several reasons the dove draws so many hunters. One is the fact that dove hunting doesn't require much gear, unlike waterfowl hunting. The weather is usually warm enough for a hunter to wear a T-shirt and shorts along with a cap. Hunting permits, shells and a shotgun are about all a hunter needs. It is also a good idea to bring along an ice chest with something cool to drink, because dove hunting can make you thirsty. And you'll need to keep the birds you bag from spoiling. The erratic flight of the dove provides a real challenge and helps hunters hone their shooting habits for other game later. It takes some practice to hit a bird and not shoot where it was. Ron Tucker of Bolivar, Mo., found a perfect spot to hunt dove several years ago, a place where there was plenty of weed seeds, dusting spots, dead trees and a watering hole. Tucker said, "It was a great place to hunt, there were lots of birds around and they didn't want to leave. I stood by a big tree near the pond and had some very good pass shooting. If I could have hit those tricky flying birds, I would have had my limit of 12 birds in a few minutes. However, I spent most of the morning before I finally filled out the limit." I use a 28-gauge shotgun for dove and it seems to work out great. It doesn't take much to drop a bird and the lighter-weight gun makes it much easier to draw down on a fast-flying bird. Almost any shotgun can be used successfully for hunting dove. Safety is a prime consideration in dove hunting. Before the first shot is fired, there are major challenges. Since shots can be taken from any angle and when there are several hunters at a good hunting spot, many problems can be averted if a hunter refuses to take a shot at low-flying birds. Gun handling is always important when hunting any game. It's not necessary to carry a loaded gun when going to a dove hunting spot since most hunting is done in a location where the hunter doesn't have to walk up the game. Although some hunters use a .410- or 28-gauge shotgun, most hunters will use a 12- or 20-gauge and that combination can lead to disaster. Several years ago, I was hunting dove near Jefferson City when a dove sailed over and a hunter fired, only to have the gun explode. A quick trip to the hospital ended the hunt. The hunter was using a 12-gauge in this first hunt of the year. He had last hunted quail with a 20-gauge and still had some 20-gauge shells in his hunting vest. He had loaded the gun with some of these shells resulting in the accident. Recently, Jim Clark of Columbia, Mo., counted more than a hundred doves in a stubble field near his farm and he knows just where he will be on opening day. "I haven't seen so many birds in one spot before," he said. "When I drove by they only flew a few feet away and kept on feeding. If they are still there on opening day, it shouldn't be very hard to get a limit for me and my two sons." Don Gordon of Lamar, Mo., found a spot in Vernon County where he plans on opening the dove and also the teal season the following weekend. "There are a couple of ponds and dead trees where the dove hang around on opening day," said Gordon, "and I recently saw several teal using the ponds, so I plan on hunting there both weekends. I think anywhere there's water, there will be birds this year." The traditional Sept. 1 opening day of dove season signals the opening of hunting season and there should be plenty of birds for the growing number of dove hunters this year.