My opener is September first, at noon. We wont be going out to the field until 3:00. Still seems like a long ways off but already getting things in order for it. I love the two month preparation because to me it is just like a long Christmas season.
Decoys all gathered. New dove decoy tree mast, three total are being extended from eight foot to 15 foot. On top of these I have two with Mojo spinning motor decoys and one with Luck duck flyer decoy which flaps intermediately. Also are about a dozen clip on decoys. I am trying to get dove to make a high pass instead of drawing them down to the ground. Those low flying dove are just not safe in a field of shooters. So I will place these decoy post at several high point trying to get dove to enter the field very high and not dove right down to the ground. I will be happy with high flying birds but suspect others might not be so happy. But it is my field so I get to try to set the targets as best as I can. High pass shooting instead of ground scraping birds which seem to fly two feet too low all across the field.
Guns have been chosen. Shells have started to be loaded. Clothes have been located and prepared. Shell bags found. All hunting licenses have been bought and HIPA surveys completed. First two days guest have been invited. First mowing of wheat strip was done yesterday. One mowing a week to build up and hold local birds. I even invited one of the local game wardens to hunt with us the second day. It was his natural day off he said. God, what a change that was for me. Inviting a game wardens to a dove shoot. I am truly getting old. Kind of like inviting a cop to a bank robbery because he can drive fast. I pray that on his shot to kill his 15-th bird he kill two. What irony that would be. A game warden over limit by accident.
Things left to do are simple. Buy a couple pork shoulders for the slow cooker for after the shoot feast. Several pounds of bacon to wrap the breast in for the grill. Stock the coolers and buy a little sun screen because it will be hot and sunny.
