Opening Day of Dove Season in GA

[SMSgt]

I was much better at hitting those little gray sky rockets than I was at hitting those phat pheasants.

 

[Papa32129]

This last year, last day of the season.
Cold and blowing 30mph.
Here is a picture of my 11 year old son.
His first bird shoot.
Mossberg 510 youth 20gauge

He got his bird before me.
I am very proud of him.

 

[Bald1]

Once again I find myself reading a post with green eyed jealousy. Because I'm in NY I can not hunt doves. They are not considered game birds so the DEC can not regulate them with a season. Every year there is talk of legalizing it. There are bills written and it never goes anywhere. I have hunted doves many times in West Virginia. On both private land and a hunting lodge/preserve. One of the funnest things I've ever done. Once again I can't wait to leave this state.

 

[Igiveup]

I miss the annual opening day, I think Sept.1 accross the country. I have a nephew down in Ca. that has said that the European collard dove is about a third larger than the mourning dove and actually taste a bit better. Here in Oregon we can shoot the European dove year round, no season, no limit. Considered an invasive specie. Although the weather has been good, not many doves around here to bother to hunt.

 

[boykinlp]

We plant sunflowers, then bush hog rows thru the field. Second and third seasons we continue to bush hog.
No shooting for me tomorrow, I'll park a big grill under a oak tree and grill chicken quarters for a late afternoon meal.
No food at Monday hunt, so me and little Boykin will get a mess of birds

I've been a part of this since I was 5 years old and serving as my dad's retriever. Can't imagine missing open day of dove season

Mike, please show me some pictures of your "little Boykin"! I really miss being able to hunt with my last Boykin, Marley. She was a ball of energy and would retrieve them all day.
Larry

 

[ZGrand]

My wife is such a bird lover, I think she would divorce me if I ever shot one.

That said, she does enjoy a good piece of fried chicken.......

 

[MRB1]

The native Dove population is very low here due to the summer drought, but in a few weeks the big boys will be migrating through, and the hunt begins. Doves are very safe with me in the field.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

It used to be if you mowed (harvested) it a minimum of 10 days prior to opening day. As I mentioned, the laws changed and they are stricter now. The end of great dove shoots.

Our laws in SC have gotten more lenient. Do anything you want to a crop as long as it doesn't leave the field. Top sow wheat on a good seed bed and never cover it up. Otc 1st through Nov.. All through the 3 seasons I mow/rake/burn/harrow different parts of the field. And grind/blow corn wityh my mulcher. And top sow wheat as mentioned above.

Today instead of being cloudy and rainy(as predicted) it was sunny and hot. Birds didn't fly as well as earlier in the week. After our feast we brought 55 birds to the table. At sundown we feasted again before breaking up. Judging from what I see with morning coffee on the porch seems most birds are feeding early in the morning more instead of afternoon....Looking forward to next Saturday!

 

[Retired W4]

The Worst Opening Day, Probably Ever

Looked like the local birds were napping and the Northern birds haven't showed up yet. We (9 of us) shot over a 13 ac. millet field with hay bales scattered around. Many of the guys are excellent dove hunters and only about 10 birds harvested all day and just one this morning. They just were not there. Hopefully the next couple weeks will see conditions improve. The invasive species here, they call ring necks, have no limit. Last year it sounded like WW III but very little shooting was heard yesterday or today.

My wife makes something like chicken salad, but with dove breast. It's great.