10 by 9

[JohnP]

3 hours ago, BilletHead said:

    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,

 

Good shooting and great recap of the hunt Marty.  

[Nitro 750]

3 hours ago, JohnP said:

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 ;).

John I was on the far east side, I parked on the campground side.   The guy in the middle was getting probably 3 shots to my 1, it was were the birds wanted to be, I believe he had his limit before 9.  I did see your dog chase the cripple and you shoot the bird.  I believe that was when a couple of birds flew by that I did not see until it was too late.  I had one bird that went down in the tall stuff and I went to pick him up and he flushed like a quail, but I got him. Again I really enjoy watching a dog work, to me it is just about as good and the hunt.

[Russell Doughty]

About all I can say about trap shooting is it's a hell of a lot of fun. It sure didn't make my grandson and I better dove shots. At least he got his first dove and I got my first one of the season. But we had a ball. He couldn't sleep on the way home because he was too excited. He wants to go again.

[Russell Doughty]

Oh yeah, my son limited out this morning in the same field we hunted this afternoon, so he didn't hunt with us just scanned the skies. Of course I taught him everything he knows.

 

[JohnP]

18 hours ago, Russell Doughty said:

20 hours ago, Nitro 750 said:

John I was on the far east side, I parked on the campground side.   The guy in the middle was getting probably 3 shots to my 1, it was were the birds wanted to be, I believe he had his limit before 9.  I did see your dog chase the cripple and you shoot the bird.  I believe that was when a couple of birds flew by that I did not see until it was too late.  I had one bird that went down in the tall stuff and I went to pick him up and he flushed like a quail, but I got him. Again I really enjoy watching a dog work, to me it is just about as good and the hunt.

For me the dog is probably the main reason I enjoy fowl hunting so much.  She has her blonde moments and wants to just run looking instead of trusting me where i send her or using her nose in open ground.  Whatched run past and step on bird twice today that i had to pull her back and calm her down and rsend her.  Stuff 8n cover she does good with and found 3 of the birds yesterday that never would have.  

Didn't miss much this morning.  Just my son, that is home on leave this weekend from the Air Force, and I in the field.  Ended up with 5 between us and maybe saw that many more, I ended up leaving around 0830, 12 hour shift before hunting is catching up to me ;).  I did pick up about 30 shells where that was sitting at in the middle tho ;).  He was tearing em up with some high brass 20 gauge shells ;).  

 

[Phil Lilley]

We hunted just this side of Coffyville, KS yesterday, son Caleb and son in law Jimmy.  Hunted on land owned by a very good friend.  They planted a small patch of sunflowers and the birds came in perfect for us.

Not going to talk about number of shots...  the boys had fun shooting and killed their limit by 8:30.  I had 2 of 3 before the stock on my Mossburg wiggled loose (got it rebuilt but didn't hold) and I missed till someone had pity on me and gave me their gun.  I caught up and finished before the boys... felt better about my shooting for sure.

In the market for a new gun now.  Hope to go back next week...  $100 is pretty expensive for a day's hunt.  Got to get my money's worth.

Did see and hear a lot of quail.  Good sign for future hunting.

[Nitro 750]

On ‎9‎/‎2‎/‎2016 at 5:02 PM, JohnP said:

 

It sounds like the birds got wise really fast.  It is amazing from opening day to the second day how fast the birds can leave.  Sounds like you and son didn't have much shooting but is always  enjoyable to be able to hunt with your son.  I have not been able to make it back out there myself, but would like to give it a try before teal season next weekend.  Them 12 hour shifts can sure catch up with you fast. 

[BilletHead]

       Been out three more times,

Made it out on the second to try again. Same field of cut silage. I thought a much better location in the field from the first day I went. Not the best of days but I did manage seven. Our 11 year old grandson was in surgery to take out his appendix that morning and I was on the phone talking and texting most of the time. There were birds I let go by just because more important things going on. When I got the call everything went well and while on the phone to BilletHead JR. I had some fly in. So twice I asked him to hang on a minute. Shot the birds and got right back to the conversation at hand. He was laughing at me when I got back on the line . We were gone for three days and then yesterday I finally got to take the Mrs. out. Same silage field. I don't know what happened but everything was gone, still waste grain on the ground too ? We just sat there for a spell and never fired a shot. I finally said we need to look around some. Driving roads we finally hit the mother load of doves. They were picking gravel on the road, power lines full and a cut corn field that had been drilled with wheat. By this time it was eight thirty and most of the feeding had happened. We set up and got six before it got real hot and most of the birds were gone anyway.  Told the Mrs. guess where your worthless husband will be in the morning when you go to work?

  Well I was there this morning. We will call this 15 by 9 . Birds dead and on my way home at nine this morning. Can call it 15 for 28 also. A little less than three shells per bird shot.

  Billethead

[DADAKOTA]

I'm jealous fellas.  Nothin better than watchin a lab work.  Always been partial to them yella dogs.  Good shooting boys.