10 by 9

[JohnP]

Been up since 4pm yesterday so I'm plumb worn out.  Got off at 0600 and decided to give it a shot.  Stopped by the house grabbed the yella dawg and gear and headed to the fields.  Awsome sunrise pulling into the field.  Only 2 other parties in the field when I got there so plenty of room.  Birds were few and far between but had my chance at a limit plus.  Passed quite a few shots that were just out of range and had a few the came in from my blind side that I didn't get shouldered quick enough for a shot.  Ended up with 10 birds total, no lost birds with 16 shots fired.  Lost 5 shells in the brush.  Not too shabby of shell to bird ratio considering I usually go about a box and a half pet limit ;).

[BilletHead]

  Good shooting John,

I was done with my fifteen plus three bonus pigeons at 9:05. Will get a photo a bit later,

BilletHead

[JohnP]

Awsome Marty .  

[Johnsfolly]

John and Marty

Congrats on your doves. Great way to start that season.

[Nitro 750]

Good job John, I believe you was hunting the same field I was.  I was the one in the middle of the field farthest to the east.  I really enjoyed watching you dog work, I missed several birds flying close to me while I was watching your dog work.  I left right after you left and ended the day with 8  on 20 shots.  It was a really enjoyable hunt!!!!

[BilletHead]

    Couldn't of asked for a nicer dove opener,

 A nice north east wind with overcast skies. Made sunrise like in John's photo pretty plus easier on my eyes staring towards the east at times. I had been watching a cut silage field for the last couple of weeks. Each time I checked it there was more birds gathered. It is owned by a local dairy so I found the head honcho last week and asked permission. Got that! A good solid field with a grass waterway that run along a tree row. Drove up that row and waltzed into the field off the point of the row and sat on my cooler. Did put out a couple of mojo doves. Sometimes they help, sometimes the birds are indifferent to them. Today they helped as this is a very large field with no one stirring up the birds. The decoys spinning made some of the distant birds swing by for a look. Even had a trio of pigeons come in. Pigeons are memorized buy the spinning wings and will hover. I took two out with the first shot and their buddy with the next shot. Pretty steady shooting early and then it slowed. I lacked four birds. Soon great groups were up and like a switch made them all leave the field? Curtstice and I had been texting each other seeing who would finish first. I was beginning to think I would have to come back in the afternoon/evening to finish out. Then I got a little help . Tractor came down the road making all kinds of racket. I could see bookoos birds come out of the trees and off the power lines along the road. Swarms of ten to twenty came back to the field. Four of these swarms later I had my four last birds. I would only shoot one out of each bunch as detest loosing a bird. As I drop a bird I do not take my eye off of it. Get up and go right to it. It can get pretty intense though seeing birds close in the corner of my vision though.

  So here is the bag for today. Yes I know tailgate shots of dead stuff is not in favor much anymore but I am not in vogue and tend to sing a different tune than most .  Did not have the shell to bird ratio that John P. did but thirty shots for eighteen birds isn't too bad,

 

[Johnsfolly]

So its a 15 bird limit for mourning doves. Is there a limit on pigeons, i.e., rock doves? How do they taste compared to the mourning doves? I haven't had either before, but am really interested in trying some. Other than turkey, I typically don't hunt birds because I am a bad shot. However, I am always intrigued by doves and ducks. I really like to eat ducks, pheasant, and quail.

[BilletHead]

     Three was my limit on pigeons today but that is because no more showed up:) . The only limit on them would be set by the shooter.  Farmers detest them and want them shot as some of them roost in their machine sheds and out buildings. We think they taste like doves , fix them like we do doves.

BilletHead

[JohnP]

4 hours ago, Nitro 750 said:

Good job John, I believe you was hunting the same field I was.  I was the one in the middle of the field farthest to the east.  I really enjoyed watching you dog work, I missed several birds flying close to me while I was watching your dog work.  I left right after you left and ended the day with 8  on 20 shots.  It was a really enjoyable 

 

So you were the guy on the far east side sitting along the edge Nitro, or were in the blue Titan?  The guy in the middle sure was tearing it up tho.  Few birds around but not as many as I've seen in there in the past. Thanks for the compliments on the dig work.  Got a lot of things we need to work on but she did alright for her first trip of the season.  Did you see chase that down the cripple that I finally had to put down, Lil booger had more life in it than I expected for the way it went down ;).

[Flysmallie]

25 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

I typically don't hunt birds because I am a bad shot. 

Dove is good and I've always been a decent shot but I don't hunt them anymore because I hate cleaning the greasy bastards.