Question for dove hunters...

K

Kentucky Deer Hunter

New member
I am fairly new to dove hunting. I have always been into deer hunting and other small game, but just recently got the hunch for bird hunting. Dove season is already open here in Ky and it goes through the 24th of Oct.

Thought it would be interesting to start a thread sharing your personal dove hunting tips (or trips) and what you do to try to have a successful hunt. From reading the dove results thread, it seems it has been fairly slow this year. I was just curious about field layout, is camoflauge necessary, what type of lead to give on the doves, etc...

Any advice you can give would be great. You can also share your Dove hunting traditions or past success stories. Thanks so much

(P.S. I went out the other day and saw probably 15 doves and I couldn't hit a single one to save my life:eek:. I've shot clays before and never had this problem. HELP!!!)
 
I'd say go hang out along a gravel road somewhere in the morning or afternoon. I wouldn't think you would have to worry about super-camo, just try to blend in. As for shooting them, well I practiced clays as well in preparation for dove season but I think your only lucky if they happen to fly over as close as clays do - so swinging though, firing and adjusting your lead as necessary is your best bet.
Dove is probably the easiest to hunt (not necessarily kill), so just take a chair and wait, no real calling to do or decoys to lay out in the mud. Minimal gear, easy hunting.
 
I like to hunt fields with tree lines surrounding the field. I'll try to hunt the edge of or a break in the tree line. Always seems funnel birds in that direction. Corners of fields have also worked for me. The one thing I really work on, is not moving or moving as little as possible. Once the doves have been shot at, they will veer off if they detect any movement by you.

As for camo, a lot of my friends hunt in jeans and a green or dark T-shirt. I like the extra pockets in camo pants, which is why I use camo. I'll carry a green wash cloth (for sweat) in one pocket and a red rag in the other cargo pocket. I use the red cloth to mark where the bird fell, if I have to shoot and retrieve another bird. I can always go back to the red rag and continue my search for the first bird.

One thing, Dove hunting is usually a real social event, so try to hunt with friends that are already into Dove hunting. You'll pick up a lot of good ideas from them. just mt $.02
 
I had my first dove hunt this year. It was great fun and a social event as stated above. A lot of action (shooting) not a lot of falling birds. In two days I shot 25 times and got 5 birds.

So no camo was worn, movement is a big deal and blend in as mentioned. We were hunting early to noon, in the early morning they were coming out of the roost to go and feed in the wheat fields and late morning they were returning from the fields to the rock piles to help digestion of the wheat.

So it was a two fer. We had a dog so retreival was easier but still they are small birds and blend in well. Ringing their neck (basically decapitation) is how to deal with a wounded bird so be prepared for that.

I was shooting 7.5 out of a 16ga.

Good luck and have fun.
 
I think camo shirt and hat minimum and stay low and still until the bird is within range. If it detects movement on the ground it will speed up making it way harder to hit.

Do not aim your shot at the bird but rather a spot on the bird ( beak,eye,wingtip,tail,etc).
 
you need camo not hunter orange because dove use sight as their primary sense, unlike deer. dove are not color blind so if you wear hunter orange, or normal clothes, you will not get a shot at a single bird. i personally use 7 1/2 shot on dove. aim in front of the dove and do not pull up or stand up till it's 3 ft out of range or so so you get a shot. also, if wearing a vest, get a mesh one so you don't overheat. also, light clothing (camo of course) so you don't overheat.
 
I've been dove hunting for 4-5 years now. I tend to get pretty camoed-out (t-shirt, shorts, & hat) but am not convinced you need full camo to get good results. Still, I'd stay away from the day-glow orange vests or other bright colors (a friend of mine claims the worst color you can wear for dove hunting is light blue, though I have no idea if this is actually true or just a myth). My own feeling is that a camo or other drab-colored hat & shirt should be enough.

Movement seems to be far more important. If you're walking around, the doves will definitely notice you and will often veere off. I usually just park myself next to a tree or a bush, try to stay still, and wait.

As far as where to set up, just figure out where the doves nest and where they eat and then put yourself somewhere in between. If your shooting with other folks who have more experience, they'll usually know right were to go.

Knocking the little suckers out of sky, of course, is a whole other matter. I usually won't shot at anything that's more than 35 yards away, and I usually wait for a broadside shot which seem to be the easiest.
 
You'll need more lead than you expect. If you have an auto, think butt,bird,beak, bang as you pass the bird. Keep placing more distance from the beak to bang until you start hitting. Even close shots require some lead. It takes practice, and lots of lead in the air to get good.
 
If he's close enough to see his eyeball or the buff color on his chest he's close enough to shoot. If he's not, don't waste the shell. Start pivoting your body with the bird as you mount your gun. Starting behind the dove, accelerate through it and pull the trigger as you get out in front. Most importantly, keep swinging after the shot. As I'm sure you noticed, they dive, climb, jink and jive like a fighter pilot with a Mig on his tail, so missing some is inevitable. On multiples or flocks, pick one bird and stay with it. Shooting at a flock or switching birds is a sure way to miss. After you get good, it might be possible to switch and make it work. I've done it, but I've been hunting doves since I was a kid. Hitting 1/4 is really good on doves. 1/2 is spectacular. Anybody who says they don't miss is lying.

I wear full camo but I also think movement is more important. Don't stand up or move until the bird is in range. If he flares or turns out of range, you just blew your chance.

I hunt public fields prepared by our state F&G dept. and I also prepare a small private field. I plant about 2 acres of millet or sunflower and mow it 2-3 weeks before I want to hunt. I also disk a few strips so that there is plenty of bare dirt. Doves seem to like that. I seem to have the only field around and I have enough birds for 1 or 2 afternoons of shooting with a few friends. I don't know how other fields in the area would affect it. It took about three years before I really had enough birds to make a good hunt.

Some of my best memories are of dove hunting with my dad in Sept. It's something that we always did together and something that I always looked forward to. I'd give anything to share one more hunt with him.
-FWIW
 
I hunt at the Colorado River in Blythe, California, on the Arizona Border. We always get our limits but every year it seems to get harder. We are thinking of going to Yuma next year. There are supposed to be more birds down there...
 
The best dove shooting I know of is over freshly dug peanut fields. Wear Desert Storm camo (You know you bought lots of it back in the early to mid 90's) and you're set up perfectly.
 
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