Just a line before turning in to wish everyone a Grand Opening Day, if your season of Sport afield begins tomorrow......

Looking forward to it with relish, they get more important when you know it is ultimately winding down for you.....

Sympathy for all of my Friends and shooting companions in those areas ravaged by Harvey, Godspeed in your recovery.

I'm going to rumble around in the safe and find a gun with Briley thin wall chokes to open the season with, in honor of my old friend of many years Jesse Allen Briley, who passed peacefully at home in Houston..... Jess was a real innovator, and a fine Man.....
May He Rest In Peace......Amen

May you have a glorious 1st, Paul. We will open it here Saturday, the 2nd. Two of my grandsons will be in the sunflowers with me, they with their 20s, me with my little S X S .410. Weather is supposed to be nothing less than a gift for the opener in GA ............... highs in the upper 80s, and partly cloudy with a chance of showers.

They remind me that I have lived the dream, growing up on my Grandaddy's farm, shooting birds and fishing with him. I was indeed the subject of Whittier's poem that begins ........... "Blessings on thee little man, barefoot boy with cheek of tan".

My best to you and all the residents of Texas, SRH

I drove 300 miles from Los Angeles to Yuma Arizona this afternoon. Highs reaching to 111.
We scouted about two hours in the late afternoon and found several promising dove flyways. Birds are everywhere and in great numbers.
At about 5 PM we witnessed flight after flight of dove in waves returning to the roost.
We are going to hunt this hillside reminiscent of a moonscape, doves flying adjacent to freshly cut hay fields.
We will be just below the hills crest with great visibility to oncoming dove.

Who can sleep, it's like the night before Christmas.
A safe hunt to all.

It's 4 AM and I've been awake for over an hour. Drove 300 miles yesterday from New York to Maryland's Eastern Shore to get here for the dove opener. Checked the field we will be shooting today, birds look better than last year but not a bumper crop. Still have not decided on what gun to shoot. I think I will start with my Bernardelli Brescia hammer gun then switch to a Browning Mod. 42. I still don't have enough confidence in the bird numbers to think I can get it done with the .410.

Well another 2 1/2 hours and the hotel will get breakfast out.

Dennis

Nice to have a place to converse with others who have "the grey sickness".

SRH

We are just loading up to head to a Native Sunflower field 3 miles south of the Headquarters here.....I'm going to shoot my 30" .410 at them this morning..... Shooting is not difficult in the early days of the season, only as difficult as you choose to make it....

Should make short work of limits, and I'll set on Brunch while the younger set see to the cleaning chores....
Looming fuel shortages look to curtail Outings for many in the Lone Star State.....

Several neighbors and friends inform me that many of their regular party are unable to secure fuel for the trip out here and back....Could get worse....

It'll be the Sweltering Second for us in S. Ga. We won't shoot the "club" field until Thursday as there is a loose swapping of openers to insure that all affiliated fields aren't shot the same day and the "staggered" opening day shoots are spread out during the first week.

I've decided to use my little 28" S x S .410, tomorrow. I had toyed with the idea of using the 30" O/U .410, but I honestly just don't shoot it as well as I do the little "cheap gun" Yildiz. It's hell to have some fairly expensive guns and shoot the cheapest ones the best.

The O/U .410 patterns great, shoots to POA, and fits me great. I just can't hit with it as well, yet. Maybe I'll try it Labor day.

Sorry to hear about the fuel shortages, Paul. Hopefully they will be short lived. The Texas Railroad Commissioner thinks it will only be a few days, and that it is caused by panic buying.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/harvey/2...tage-calls-calm

All my best, SRH

My blue Grouse honey hole was empty this morning. Nice to get the new pup out though. He worked close and was very well behaved, at least that is something.

One of these days, I would love to come shoot doves in the desert Southwest setting you describe, Bob. Sounds absolutely wonderful.
JR

Maybe one day I'll come to Buck's Bottom, pick you up and we'll go together. We could hunt some desert quail on the same trip.

SRH

Ain't that the truth, Stan. My absolute favorite quail gun is a Lefever 16 DS all beat up with a 100 years of use and abuse. But the sucker just nails the birds almost automatically. Be embarassed to say what I paid for it while all my pretty guns sit in the safe.

My first day was as good as I could want. Boys home and hunting with me. Limits for all and no birds lost which is something I glad to say. I hate watching people shoot over the limit bag limits because they are too lazy or inept to find all their birds. If you can't recover the bird don't take the shot. Knock a bird down then go get him is our method. By having two or more mark the bird it is almost impossible to loose one. Feathers help.

I used my late Uncles old Crescent .410 which may be the least valuable gun I own, which is almost priceless to me. With that gun he killed quail in quantities I could never kill in three lifetimes. Those days are gone. He even killed more than a few ducks with it and enough rabbits and squirrels to feed a small army. For reasons he never explained he had one barrel choked I/C and the other XXXF. I watched him drop two birds out a covey many a time and never saw him crush one with the tight barrel. Must have shot their eye out as they use to say.

It was my first time hunting Yuma and it was absolutely unbelievable.
More dove than I've ever seen and flying faster than I thought any dove could.
Semi mountainous terrain with doves divided between high flyers and those hugging the lunar-like deck.
Limits reached late with extra freebie Eurasians throw in.
It was really quite a humbling shooting event, wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Thirteen birds opener and eleven today, I only was out for a couple of hours each day. Wanted to mention, that about half of them were Eurasian collareds. For a good while they seemed to hang in town around the elevators, now everywhere...stay well all!

Fifteen bird limit this afternoon with the Yildiz, Elegante 4, S x S .410. Didn't shoot great, but managed 46%. When you're sitting out in a sunflower field you usually have birds coming from all sides, which makes for tougher shooting, they surprise you so often.

That's my story and I'm st-t-t-t-t-ticking to it.

SRH

Are those flowers picked?

Stan, if I shot 46% with a .410 at doves, I'd organize a parade. Gil

Sounds like a great start to another season Stan.....

I shot poorly with an extra full choked gun. Geo did not. He let me fetch the birds though so I didn't feel completely useless

Yessirree bobcat, Stan.
JR

Second day was nicer weather wise with just clouds but not opening day's constant rain. Limits took a lot longer to reach. Today I took my "new" Winchester 42 and started off six for six. Then I returned to much more normal shooting. Ended up using almost two boxes to get 15 birds. Boys earned their limits but needed a few more shells shooting 28's. Complained I forgot to put all the shot in their shells. Told them it was the Indian not the bow or arrow. One more day with the boys today and then they have to head back to college and medical school. It has been a most glorious season so far.

It was windy and the doves were fast and we had a good shoot but I got tired and quit early. Bobby

Six for six is awesome with a .410, even on early season doves. I think my longest streak yesterday without a miss was four. Glad you're having a great season. Family has a way of making it, doesn't it ?....... even when the bird numbers are not up to snuff.

We're shooting the same sunflower field again tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. I'll be using the 30" Beretta 687 SPII. Not one malfunction in 14 years. Think I'll keep her.

SRH

For some unknown reason, the areas we hunt near St. Louis have few/no doves this year. In prior years we usually limited the first two days.

I don't get this rage for .410 dove shooting. I dropped down to a 20ga yesterday and thought I was making a generous gesture to the preservation of the species...Geo

My 20 ga. 687, that I will be using tomorrow, has taken in the neighborhood of 9K doves in the last 14 years.

What did you use when you shot doves so many times in South America, Geo? Was it a 12?

SRH

Yes, a few times with an 11-87 but mostly with a Citori. I got tired of cleaning the 11-87 instead of eating lunch between shoots.

Couldn't handle it today. Nevertheless, I'm a 12ga believer. I've been known to shoot very lite loads in them though!...Geo

I've never used anything there but a 20 in Cordoba. Last trip, last morning, before we flew out, I was put on a stand where I was faced with incoming doves that were climbing as they left the roost several hundred yards out in front of me. There was a line of extremely tall eucalyptus trees behind me that they were climbing to go over. My bird boy had brought a couple flats of 1 oz. loads. I didn't realize it until I touched off a few of them, then I looked. I told him to take them back and bring the usual 7/8 oz. loads, which he did. I was using plenty of choke and I soon figured out the lead on those birds and began to hammer them. Believe me when I say they were high. But, the 7/8 oz. loads with M and IM chokes were perfect. Great shoot.

These were some of the Argentinian shells we used on that trip. Those 28 gram loads were the "heavies".





I couldn't bring any shells home, but the empty boxes were no problem. BTW, Argentinian shells have very high quality control, IMO. Last trip the shell count was 5250 as I recall, with not one misfire. Pretty darn good.

SRH

Glad to hear of the success of some of you guys.....
Harvey threw a wrench in some of our plans, but I had it alone today ( by choice.... I had several invites before lunch time, but declined wanting to scout the ranch for New arrivals....)

The cold rain event yesterday sent a LOT of birds out of here.....Shooting today was reminiscent of Late December, few chances and those were LONG ....Limit came with Full and Full on the kind of shots I enjoy most....

The several mile drive back to home did show the wires holding some new arrivals....By Wednesday/Thursday we should load up our fields again....
Hope the shooting holds out for everyone ....
It is a Grand Target, and a LOT of fun....Choice of Gun, gauge,shell, load or method is really totally personal.....but it is all perfect if you enjoy the outing....

I have a spot for High long crossing shots picked out for tomorrow.

I'm envious of all of your reports. Drove from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and back this weekend and didn't see a dozen birds the entire trip. Remnants of Harvey came through on Saturday and I guess that drove the birds off.

Had something I've never had on Dovess before, poachers. My fourth field was being shot the third day when I was at another field about thirty miles away. Home owner across the road called the game warden because they were shooting towards his house from less than they should be. Shiot was hitting his house and his truck.

Game warden is a friend of mine. You have all kinds of friends when you get older. Called my cell phone to tell me of my shooting too close and that he would be by to check if we were moved to a safe distance. When I told him I was shooting another field on the next county and no one had permission to shoot that field he said he go straight there. Ended up with six "hunters" who claimed they had permission to hunt this field. When he asked who have it to them they didn't know my name. None had written permission so they each got a ticket. Then they left. They also left trash where they parked. I hate slobs in the field.

Before we shot the field the next day we walked it over carefully to make sure no one had returned later to spread a area of bait. Found nothing. It bugs me people would just walk in and shoot a place like they owned it or did all they work. I did not see them helping when I had my big butt in that tractor bush hogging weeds, wheat and sunflowers when it was 90+ degrees.

Jon, in GA we have a hunting without permission regulation that specifies a license revocation for the 2nd offense. One thing about a redneck is they (we) may have little self respect, but they dearly value their huntin' license! Of course, you've got to be willing to prosecute.

I entered my middle GA farm into an enhanced enforcement agreement with the GA DNR. It provides that I will prosecute and that they will patrol on a regular basis. I rent the property to a deer hunting club and they advise that the GW is practically a regular around the camp...Geo

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

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.

I was fortunate to scratch down 13 birds on day one in the northern NC Piedmont. My old EC Green O/U was not choked tightly enough (at least that is my excuse) as most birds presented at about 40 yards and seemed to know the limit of my range.

Our group took 40 birds all together and they went on the charcoal grill shishkebob style, after sufficient marination in BBQ sauce, and were served medium rare to an appreciative family who thereupon excused our absence from family activities and pronounced the repast delectable.

I shot 12 times all weekend and knocked down 7 birds. Very, very poor numbers of birds, but then that's been the trend here of late. I'm not so sure we may end up just not bothering going forward.

It really is sad compared to the halcyon days of my youth and young adult days afield after doves beginning in the early '60's and all through the rest of the last millennium, especially considering how much I do love it.

Looking back, I suppose I have had more than my fair share.
JR

Been working all day and just got in and read of your problem with the poachers, Jon. I have had the same thing to happen to a field I was letting the dove numbers build up in, about a half mile from my house. I heard shooting and drove over there to find two strangers about two hundred yards apart on stools on the edge of the field. When I approach people like this I always slip on a light jacket and have my .45 in my hand in the pocket, unseen. I did so and told one fellow they were on private land, mine, and they needed to leave. He looked a bit resistant, and looked over at his buddy who started my way. I turned slightly so he could see what was in my hand, and the attitude changed dramatically. He claimed he thought he was on a WMA that is 8 miles away. I did not prosecute, as I would have had to hold them there for probably an hour until a warden could get there, but they have never been back.

I need to get my local warden's cell number. He had been a friend for a long time, but I never asked for it.

SRH

Yesterday afternoon was a repeat of Saturday ....... in location only. I was using a 20 instead of the .410 and it's a good thing. Doves were few on my end of the field, and I had to stretch the 20 to get what I did, though the boys on the other end of our field were wearing them out. Crazy how much it can change in two days. Saturday, my end of the field was as good as anywhere else.

Anyway, with some concerted effort for about 2 1/2 hrs. I managed to scratch 14, going six straight at one stretch. I did make one very pretty double. I saw two coming together, straight toward me, and sat motionless until they were about 25 yards out. I made my move and they saw me and flared slightly to my right. I killed the first bird with the modified barrel then quickly pulled on the second with the IC barrel. They were both dead in the air (DITA) and hit the ground about 12 feet, and maybe one second, apart.

I think taking a double like that is one of the most satisfying things you can do on a dove shoot. Especially if you have several witnesses.

SRH

I feel like my Dove hunts have been struggles compared to "normal" openings around here, but it sounds like I should count my blessings.....
Talking to other, experienced shooters of my acquaintance I have fared rather well......Weather ( fronts, squall line, thunderstorms=, unseasonably cool nights) have all played Jake with the normal around here....
Just came in from shooting a field I had partially shredded two weeks ago..... Good numbers of birds, larger migrants for the most part. Challenging afternoon, but a limit secured in 20+ mph northeast wind made this first sundowner taste a little better.....Not often that I leave the field in the first week of the season and see a temperature in the 70's on the truck display.....

Hope it holds together for those who have it , and improves for those missing out...
The note regarding John's poacher problem is disturbing.....Do these thieves think that well prepared field just happened by accident, and was prepared for them.....

I have just about zeroed out the poaching in this part of the county.... Really great Warden, and super relationship with the County Judge pretty much keep it from happening....

Best of luck to all !

I never thought I'd have poachers on my dove fields. I posted them more from habit than any reason. Good thing I did according to the game warden. Hunting on posted land here, without permission, is very much frowned upon. Not knowing my name told the game warden that they were not there with my permission so he just started writing tickets to each of them as a parting gift.

This is the first year I have made a real effort to manage fields for dove where I now live. When I lived back East I had several fields every year. It is a lot easier when it is your own land. My startup expense were large this year. I had to buy a used tractor and implements, a small trailer to move it and rent a shed to store it all in. Next year my expenses will be 10-20% of this years and three plots have been rented for next year and paid for already. The last is still up in the air.

I talked to land owners who were trying to lease land for deer hunters. Explained I was not interested in deer but dove instead and explained I needed small areas, in a place not too close to houses or the road. As it was an experiment I offered to rent areas or fields which were of very little value as a test. Every farm has an area which almost never produces a decent crop in a wet or dry year. It was those I was after. One hill side which had been left fallow for several years I suspect because it almost always burned up. A low area which in a wet Springs you never get into because its too wet to work.

I also explained deer could benefit from my crops so it should be a win for the hunters who are interested in deer. And all my hunting would be done by the end of September so I would not conflict with deer hinters. A feed plot, is a feed plot and I had a lot of sunflowers which had the heads eaten off of them by deer.

Each "field" was two to five acres in size. I was looking to have a place for just a few people not a big crew like I use to plan for. A third was planted in spring wheat. Then four rows of corn was planted for cover and the rest was planted in sunflowers later. As we had too much rain the sunflowers were very late and not that good. The wheat was what drew and kept most of the Dove in the fields. Heck if I was smart, which my wife will tell you that I'm not often, I'd just plant all wheat and a little corn and be done with all the work. Bush hog starting a month before the season one or two widths of the tractor and repeat every week. That would give me a good recovery zone for dead birds and keep them coming back until the season started.

One of the farmers who tended the rest of one of the farm has several places he said I could rent from him. After all I am renting land he does not want to fool with and I did drop off a dozen and a half Dove already cleaned and wrapped in bacon for the grill. A farmers heart is through his stomach.

We have some new migrants populating the fields now. Tractor shredding some additional rows of native sunflowers yesterday to set the table for them.
If our weather will stabilize in a normal pattern we should be set for at least a couple of weeks....But we are running below normal in both overnight lows and daytime highs...Pleasant temps to shoot in for sure....

Birds are flighty and quite wary for early season.....Close range shooting is not occurring, I went afield yesterday with my 28 Piotti , open choked gun with 3/4oz. 8's and was way undergunned..... Had to pass up lots of birds that would be F&F 1 oz. opportunities..... I'll remedy that this afternoon.
Hope everyone's Dove shoot plans come into fruition soon.