doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com So how did the season start out for you?

I know many of you were out banging away at doves, grouse or something else. It was blue grouse for me. They are tough on our front range but the population seems to be on an upswing. I bagged 2 of the 3 I shot at today and flushed a total of 4 birds. I ran into another couple guys in the same draw I hunted this morning and they put 7 birds up about 5 minutes before I bumped into them. I had out the brace of Springers this morning and shot my EC Ogden sidelock 12 bore. All in all I had a great day. How was yours?
Steve

Pretty darn good! Walked up to the corner, where I had put out some dove decoys. Shot 11 birds before I was summoned by the ranch foreman to do horse chores. Six were taken with the Lefever "E"grade 10 bore, the others with my resident 28. Picked up one Prairie rattler on the walk back. Wind has blown over 30mph all day. Great day,as are all days spent in the field with a good double!!!

I am torn.
I don't feel like shooting geese when it's 85 degrees. Yet the season opened today. I could have brought out any one of my toys, and shot some. There are 50-75 in my yard right now.
But I just don't feel like it.
I think I may have come apon some of Lowell's unlucky cartridges, and they have cast a spell on me. Destined to rattle their desolate lives in the dusty pocket of my hunting coat. How could their lonely rattle have so stolen my zeal?
I hear their honk as they circle the house, and my ears perk up, my dogs look at me longingly, they hear them too, but I just don't feel like walking across the yard and out into the stubbles. Even the scared young, having lost their parents in the pre-dawn barrage, honk and squeal as they circle my drive. I cannot bring myself to set even a single decoy.
It's even worse when I know some of them are banded. I can see their anklets when I get out my spotter.
Maybe I'm dying.

Today it was cloudy and we were getting a good breeze from Gustav. Otherwise it would have been a bit warm for my taste. As of right now (7:30 pm) it is still 85 degrees. It's a good thing we wear shorts everywhere, even hunting. On the plus side, I saw more gators today than I have ever seen while hunting at that lake before. Only one or two would have been big enough to be a threat to a person but a number of them could have easily taken a dog, especially in the water. Our season opened for rails and moorhens. I know that isn't too exciting for most of you but when you are a marsh hawk like I am any hunting season is good. Three weeks and things get rolling with our early wood duck/teal season. From that point on it will be steady hunting until mid February.

Skip

A great day on the dove field in NC. My 5 month old Lab, Larry had his first day in the field. My 30 year old former Yuppie type daughter experienced her first dove hunt and got 3. My wife got 6. One son in law got 12 while another who arrived late got 7. I sat on a stool beside my 6 year old grandson and my 5 month old dog. Larry worked great for his age. My wife shot her 1912 Fox 20 and I my 1917 Fox 16 gauge.

After the dove hunt we had a cookout at my house. Not a bad day. I thank my Maker for the life he lets me lead. I'm going in the house now for a cup of coffee and a peice of peach cobbler. I wish such a day for all my friends on this board.

It's the best time of the year, let's enjoy it.

Dick Jones

Nice day in eastern NC. A shady spot and a cool breeze made for perfect conditions. Temp about 84 and low humidity (for a change). The doves were flying, but a poor corn harvest didn't leave much for them to eat. There were more birds landing in an adjacent tobacco field that in the cut corn. But to see old friends, swap hunting stories during the lulls, and catch up on family news made for a great time, even though I didn't shoot very well. A limit isn't the goal. A southern cornfield dove hunt is a social event more than anything else.

It was pretty hot and really windy here...it was nice to shoot at something besides clay targets for a change.

I first shot my 1871 Scott 12 ga. hammer gun I was really having trouble connecting with it because the birds were really high...(it has no choke and I was shooting black powder).
I went to the truck and got my 1881 Scott 10ga. with 12ga. Gauge Mates it's choked full and full.
Loaded with Remington Gun Clubs the limit was piece of cake even in the high winds.

A whole bunch of rain and low temps in the evenings sent many doves south a week and a half or so. At least that’s the party line around Denver. Spent the morning sitting in a very primo spot under some dead cottonwoods with a small pond. Birds few and far between. My friend and got twelve or thirteen between us before we bagged it. Packed up the decoys, had a nice lunch under the trees and was home by 1:30. Would have liked to have seen more birds, but all and all a pleasant morning. It was my friend’s first time dove shooting, so I’m glad we had some shooting. I may head south next weekend.

Good hunt with mixed emotions. My father did not make the trip out this year and has told me he has shot his last bird. 85 years old and he did get a limit two years ago shooting a Fox I lent him. 15 bird in 23 shots. I was very proud of him. Still am.

Today it was hot a H--- here and the boys paid for their dove hunting with a mild case of over heating. Hard to drink enough to keep up with the heat and bright sun. Stopped the hunt after four hours. We had 33 dove in the bag at that point. Last 12 would have taklen only maybe a half hour more as they were starting to fly well but enough was enough. Boys were happy but tired and still willing to go. Told them we left a few for Saturday. Hope it cools off a little by then. This weather today would have killed a dog in just a few hours. Glad we left ours home.

I am very proud to report that here in the Okla. Panhandle the doves are thick. I killed my limit of 15 this evening. I hunted on the prairie by a windmill with a pond and a few trees. My wife joined me and we had a great time. We had three boys with 410's join the hunt and I really enjoyed watching them, as it was there first hunt.

Regards
M.L. Hipp