By the fourth day Doves have been educated somewhere. We had a decent shoot and I doubt the 20-30 birds they killed changed our shoot that much. They each got tickets plus they have the problem of hunting on posted land which makes it worse for them. I think the game warden knew several of them and was very, very happy to catch them. It did piss me off that they failed to pickup atleast half a dozen dead birds we found the next day. Shame the game warden didn't see it so he could add wanton waste to the tickets. Slobs and Aholes have no place hunting in my book or anywhere I hunt.
What I worry about is that the neighbor, the landowner and the farmer who tends the rest of the farm could have easily figured I was the idiot who was shooting too close to a house, left more than a trash bag full of trash where they parked and never bothered to pick up any shells they shot. That would cost me any chance for a next year and my name would be mud in that area.
When I leave a field it is as clean or cleaner than I found it. I don't like people who leave trash on my farms and won't allow it. Everyone gets two white trashy bags. One for birds and one for every empty shells and every peice I'd litter they find. In fact I tell them you are not six anymore if you see trash pick it up even if it's not yours. I've had more than one farmer remark that when I finished the lease it was cleaner than they'd ever seen it. Even empties from last season are to be picked up. Good manners are in short supply these days and your reputation once lost is never regained.
Jon, I hope they were cleared out early enough to limit impact on the birds. Hopefully you had a good shoot despite their earlier presence. That would burn me up. Folks pay big bucks in time and money to get a field right for dove. Those were some nervy jerks to do what they did. Gil
