2010 Dove Report

[sully]

Well, the dove hunting has been pretty average at the lease so far, so I headed out west to Vernon for a hunt Saturday. Lytle and my old coach Blake went out with me to some land just north of the Pease River in good ole Wilbarger County, about 5 miles north of town.

We got there early, around 4:30 and they were already flying pretty thick. We knocked down a few right off the bat, then it slowed down for about an hour. We sat around a tank and enjoyed a few beers before it started to pick back up again at about 5:30. The whole time we could see huge flocks of 30-40 at a time flying high. So, I think they're finally making their way from up North. It should get real good over the next few weeks. After that first group, I had 3, Blake had 2 and Lytle had 1.

Next, it was fast and furious for about 30-45 minutes, and we all did pretty good. We spread out and kept them circling everytime they came in. Then it slowed again. Reed is getting better and better as we keep getting out there. He recovered several birds that dropped in some thick hairy stuff up to our waist. After the madness, you could smell gunpowder for miles, and I had 8 in the bag. Coach and Lytle got another 2 each, and both lost 2 birds that we were never able to recover. I got my first double of my life, killing 2 birds in back to back shots. Mixed bag of mourning and white wings. Lytle shot a pet eurasian collared (ring necked) dove. Sucker was a big as a pigeon.

We kept watching the flocks pour into the field to our South, and occassionally a group would bee-line to us and the Mojo decoys. After a quick 20 minute dive bombing session before dark, I had another 5 in the bag, Blake got 2 more and lost one, and Lytle got 2 more.

We unloaded and had a few more beers, and missed out on two more groups that we should have shot. I came 2 short of a limit at 13, Blake and Lytle each got 6, for 25 total. We lost 5-6 birds.

Here's pics of the 25 we had after we got back to town. We cleaned them at Lytles and fed Reed some heads as a reward.







Great time!

[The River Assassin]

Awesome report, Reed looks proud of his work.

[sully]

He was proud of the day's work. That dog would do anything to be out there.

[fischer]

Good report. I hope we get some of those fast action flurries this weekend.

[duckbutter]

Does your dog ever just try to sneak one of them birds off to eat?

I know my dog would.

[sully]

He used to. Last year I think I posted a couple of reports where he ate a couple dove. I think I broke him of that finally.

[sully]

More dove hunting action at the lease this past weekend. Here's all the birds we got, except for 2 that Fischer shot, and one I shot too close that completely disentigrated.




























Our lease sucks for dove.

[cowtownmike]

How was the beer drinkin and football watchin?

[fischer]

excellent.

[sully]

That part was good. Food was a highlight too, as always.

[sully]

Well, I went to Vernon this past weekend for one last dove hunt. Dove have been spotty all over the state all year. Most people have struggled, except those way down south, and those around Abilene and Lubbock. You have to find the right field at the right time, or it just flat out sucks. Luckily, I stumbled upon the right field at the right time this past weekend.

I got to Vernon about 3:30 Friday and had to wait about an hour for Lytle to get off work. We decided to get out to the field and watch the Rangers game using the 'build up' method with the DVR. Once he was finally ready, we picked up Coach on the way out of town and made it to the field at about 5:30.

Everyone around town has talked for weeks about the dove being gone. No one has had any luck, anywhere. We were hunting this 100 acre or so wheat stubble field that was never plowed over after cutting this summer. When we pulled up, there were no less than 500-600 birds on the power lines alone. You could see them jumping around the field in waves of 20 or more at a time. I've never seen anything like it.

Unfortunately, we got there a little late, and they've been hunted pretty hard, so it was tough to get them within range. We set up along an edge on the fenceline, and waited. Lytle knocked two down right off the bat, and Coach got about 5-6 in the first hour. Lytle then proceeded to miss his next 15 or so shots, and quit. While he sat at the truck drinking beers, I walked around a bit flushing them out of the field, and coach got 6 more. I ended up with only 8, but it was fun. We knew where they were, we just got there too late. No water to draw them to us, so it was tough hunting. 22 total downed in a little over an hour. Here's our haul.



That night we drank several cold ones and watched the Rangers give a game to the Yankees. Joe, my BIL, was going to go with us the next morning, and Coach had to go to his daughters softball tourney. I got up at 6 AM and called Lytle about 4-5 times, with no response. When Joe texted to see where we were at 6:45, we decided to take off with just the two of us. We got out there a little after 7, to only a few birds in the field. I told Joe it was covered up the day before, so I was a little pissed it wasn't the same the next day. We set up in the opposite corner, where we could see the Red River only a few hundred yards behind us. Then, they started pouring in. It was crazy, but again, I think they've been hunted hard, cause we couldn't get em within range. There was a power line running straight through the middle of the field so we each set up on a pole. This was the spot. They started flying over in waves, and trying to come in to land on the lines. We did good for the next hour or so and ended up with 12 each.



The next afternoon, we skipped the Rangers game and went back out for one last try. We got there at 4 this time, to try to catch them coming in. It was really windy. And they weren't flying like the day before, but we were still covered up occassionally. Joe and I set up on the power poles, and Coach set up in the corner across from us. This was a pretty good setup, cause it kept them circling. Joe limited out with 16 in the first 45 mins to an hour. I moved down to where he was and only ended up with 6. Coach got 12. I shot through 2 boxes of shells. I don't know what was wrong with my shooting, but I flat out sucked. I should have limited two times over that afternoon. Oh well, it was fun, and we brought home 34 birds.



Overall, it was a good way to end the season considering how it'd been so far. No limits this year for me. Reed did pretty dang good again too.

[fischer]

sounds like a good time.