Ever notice if you have a good Dove field you will have more opening day friends, wanting to share your field, than you could fit in but then after the first week it seems like 95% of them are done hunting for the year? I called seven hunters to go hunting last Saturday just to get two that would and could come. Even when I assured them I still had birds they just didn't seem that much interested in going. We limited out after ninety minutes. Sunday I went alone and had more birds than five people could shoot. Now it's getting cold and they might be gone any day. (:

Don't know if its college football, wives telling them once a year should be enough for them or whatever reason. Sucks to loose my best hunting companions, my sons, when they return to college and med school. I don't think I ever turned down a chance to Dove hunt in my life. For some things you just make time.

not everybody is that into hunting.....when I was young I got excited about duck/goose , pheasant , grouse , deer hunting....I don't deer hunt at all anymore.....waterfowl, upland I still do but not like I used too....more of a once and a while hobby than an obsession....

u must not have called Rees at A&M in Lex. he will shoot all of them u send his way..................

I called people I knew paid a local hunt club to shoot opening day. All but one had been someone I hunted with in the past. I just think people are interested in opening day or opening weekend and after that their interest drops off almost to zero. This weekend I have three young shooters coming. I think their interest will still be high and they have fewer honey do's to worry about. In fact two of them will be shooting guns I am loaning them and shells I loaded which were going to be unshot. A real shame.

I think instead of doing five small fields next year I'll just do three. It's a shame to have a field which has birds in it and they don't get harvested.

Jon,
Tell them they can listen to the game on a portable radio. When I was still able to go, there were several radios on the field, sometimes more than one game.
Mike

All I can say is that it's a damn shame you and I don't live closer together. But yes, I've noticed the same thing. Those aren't the kind of diehards I normally shoot with, tho'.

SRH

Folks I know want to shoot doves and won't miss a chance. Gil

I'd really think about just going alone, their loss. Every once in a while it's pure bliss. But, bring a good pup along, they won't lose any excitement for the hunt.

I see this happen with other species around here. Some guys can only get up their enthusiasm for the opening day/weekend "outing" and then they quit. The magic of the opener is all they have holding them up. I've spent many lonely last days of the season chasing birds, or at least chasing the Hunt.

I wish I lived closer. I'd come hunt doves with you.

I've seen that phenomenon as well. First day of dove season, then back to the golf course. Same with the deer opener; once and done. I don't get it...Geo

Man I wish Michigan was closer, as I would jump at a chance to go dove hunting (Can't hunt them in MI, we just raise them for you Southern Boys ! ) I try and get out bird hunting whenever I can but have cut back on deer hunting love going to camp but doesn't matter to me if I get a deer or not.

Read this thread one morning earlier this week , prior to leaving for the Dove Field.....Thinking of people I know , (shooters with varying levels of enthusiasm) I conclude most Dove Hunters/Shooters of my acquaintance are opening weekend types.... It is a social event for most .

Me....I really admire them as a target..... I live , by choice, where large populations occur, and like Jon, put considerable effort into making shooting opportunities more certain....
That said, I am by nature a solitary shooter on most outings.
Have enjoyed getting some young men I am quite fond of into the Field , and their enthusiasm is strong....If distance and careers did not interfere they would certainly be here much more often....
I think there is indeed slight interest by the average Outdoorsman in Dove shooting as a Season long pursuit ....

Me, I am going to a top notch field this afternoon, I have open invitations out to a FEW friends who share my interest in the shooting.....Whether they join me or not I'll have a fine outing ....Thinking about taking the .410 , but those gusty winds tell me it could be quite frustrating.....

I hope everyone's early season outings have been successful.....It is the BEST time of the year....and only going to get better as other seasons open.

I fixed my hinting problem. I took three younger hunters. Two had hunted with me and my sons and one who never hunted dove before. It was a great day. Wait until they find out you don't get limits every time out. Polite, safe and enjoyable company there were. When finished one said he never knew hunting was this much action. I did explain to him that most times it is not. More like a lot of waiting then frantic action.

One hunter asked me if I was going hunting Sunday. Then he and two others convinced me that I should go, and take them for good luck. Took a lot of effort. We went to another field today and had steady shooting for two and a half hours. Another great day.

Best lesson they learned beyond gun safety at all times is to find birds. Put two shooters on a peg and had one spot for the one who was retrieving. They found everything they shot. It did take a few minutes in a couple cases. But when I explained that I don't shoot more birds if I have one lost they understand the rules. You shoot it, you need to find it. My fields are fairly clean and easy to find birds in. Plus I always figure if you learn to do it right the first time you can do it right every time.

So next week we all will shoot again and even one of the fathers is going to come with us. He better not shoot poorly or fail to find a bird because his son knows what is expected. I did warn the youngsters that weather could send the birds out of here any day. We have food, water and even a couple good roost but mother nature decides where the birds will be.

Me too, Eric- we almost had us a dove season in The Great Lake State, but the "antis" prevailed. I go down to Southern Indiana in late Sept. with a hunting pal who grew up in that area-- about every other year. So far, this Sept has been dry and exceptionally warm in Central MI--do see a few doves on area farms I hunt for off-season barn pigeons and the Sept early Goose seasons- sure wish they were a legal game bird here.

Love deer hunting, now I share a blind with a son-in-law (also my Summertime woodchucking partner)-- but don't really care if I ever shoot another white-tail here in MI--Like the late Gene Hill once wrote:"Sometimes you come to discover the great joy of owning a good gun is the greater pleasure that comes from not having to shoot it."

I wish I lived closer. Vt considers dove to be song birds and as such there is no open season.

Mergus

Tasty song birds for certain.

Reminds me of the old joke about a man caught ahooting a Hawk. In court he claimed he only killed it was because he was starving. The judge said if he was starving, eating a hawk was not a real crime and dismissed the case. Then told the game warden to show a little compassion to a starving fellow. As the fellow was leaving the court the Judge asked him what hawk tasted like. Not as dry as a snowy owl but more than a falcon was the reply. Case closed.