Shovelbuck
Active Member
Since you Iowan's get to chase doves this year, I thought I'd post up what works for me here in Nebraska. I'm posting this in the traditional forum because that's how I now hunt them, but any weapon works.:way:
The morning hunt........I like to set up before first light with half a dozen or so decoys fairly close to where the birds head at first light to get gravel. That's generally a county road. Set up at a safe and legal distance from the road. I like to sit at the edge of a corn field or next to a row of bales. It seems the birds will generally come in from their roost and land on fences or trees before going down to the road for gravel. Decoys in those areas will help draw them in. Bear in mind, this midwest dove hunting isn't Argentina, Baja, or other southern locals where you shoot hundreds of rounds at passing birds. A few birds at a time will come in so you and a buddy can usually get a shot or two each. The morning hunt is over pretty quick, it usually only lasts an hour or so.
Mid day hunting......... Concentrate on marijuana patches. Doves really love the stuff. Walk these areas out just as you would for regular upland birds. But be warned, knocking one down in a thick patch of ditch weed can make for a very hard bird to find unless you are using a dog. I prefer to just stay home this part of the day.
Evening hunt......By far my favorite. Grab a buddy and head to a water hole with a good comfy chair about an hour or so before sundown. A few dekes on a fence and the action should be good. Once again, it's not fast and furious hunting like you see on tv, but it's a great way to catch up visiting with a friend and get a few birds while you're at it.
This is what's worked for me since the mid 70's. I don't shoot a lot of birds every year, just enough to make for a good meal or two. It isn't that I can't shoot a lot of birds, I just choose to hunt a few times and then move on to other types of hunting.
Another thing to keep in mind......after the first couple week, the weather starts getting cooler here in the midwest and the doves really start moving out fast. Although the season my last a couple months, the birds are almost gone after the first month.
Take a friend, catch up on old times, relax and shoot a few birds. Take a cooler with ice to keep them in in hot weather. Use the weapon of your choosing, just follow your local laws and regulations.
Have a fun and safe hunt.:way:
The morning hunt........I like to set up before first light with half a dozen or so decoys fairly close to where the birds head at first light to get gravel. That's generally a county road. Set up at a safe and legal distance from the road. I like to sit at the edge of a corn field or next to a row of bales. It seems the birds will generally come in from their roost and land on fences or trees before going down to the road for gravel. Decoys in those areas will help draw them in. Bear in mind, this midwest dove hunting isn't Argentina, Baja, or other southern locals where you shoot hundreds of rounds at passing birds. A few birds at a time will come in so you and a buddy can usually get a shot or two each. The morning hunt is over pretty quick, it usually only lasts an hour or so.
Mid day hunting......... Concentrate on marijuana patches. Doves really love the stuff. Walk these areas out just as you would for regular upland birds. But be warned, knocking one down in a thick patch of ditch weed can make for a very hard bird to find unless you are using a dog. I prefer to just stay home this part of the day.
Evening hunt......By far my favorite. Grab a buddy and head to a water hole with a good comfy chair about an hour or so before sundown. A few dekes on a fence and the action should be good. Once again, it's not fast and furious hunting like you see on tv, but it's a great way to catch up visiting with a friend and get a few birds while you're at it.
This is what's worked for me since the mid 70's. I don't shoot a lot of birds every year, just enough to make for a good meal or two. It isn't that I can't shoot a lot of birds, I just choose to hunt a few times and then move on to other types of hunting.
Another thing to keep in mind......after the first couple week, the weather starts getting cooler here in the midwest and the doves really start moving out fast. Although the season my last a couple months, the birds are almost gone after the first month.
Take a friend, catch up on old times, relax and shoot a few birds. Take a cooler with ice to keep them in in hot weather. Use the weapon of your choosing, just follow your local laws and regulations.
Have a fun and safe hunt.:way:
