Could someone explain to me about dove shooting the the USA, I see you guys posting about dove season each year and I am just curious what its all about.
In what scenario do you typically shoot doves?
We pass shoot them, we shoot them where they congregate to feed in harvested corn and peanut fields, we shoot them over fields of sunflower or millet specifically planted for them, and we shoot them coming in to watering holes.Do you decoy them?
Yes, at times they decoy very well. Other times they seem to totally ignore the dekes. Rotating-wing dove decoys work well if placed high on places where they like to alight to survey the feeding area before lighting on the ground. Center pivot irrigation systems are among the best places to do this. Stationary decoys sometimes work very well placed atop large sunflower stalks, where they light to peck out seeds.Are they shot as a pest species or as a game species?
As said above, mourning doves and whitewings are game birds, while Eurasian ringnecked doves are considered an invasive species and do not count against your limit.What are the traditions and conventions?
Great family affairs with meals before or afterwards, or last minute scampering to get up enough guns to cover a field efficiently. This last minute scampering usually occurs in the later part of the season when the big droves of migratory doves come South for the winter, and build up in numbers quickly, but just as quickly may vanish. Scouting is very important for late season success hosting a shoot. I spend many hours shooting doves each year, but many MORE scouting them.Feel free to respond in a private message if you don't want to derail the thread.
Would love to come and try some sport in the USA if I'm ever lucky enough to travel, dove shooting and quail seem like they could be good sport.
Contact me if you ever get this side of the pond and we'll see what we can do about that. My best, SRH
