Spats McGee
Administrator
I started hunting doves when I was a boy. The hard thing to get used to was not the shooting part, it was what to do when you've only wounded the animal. It actually took several years before I could wring a dove's neck without flinching. As gruesome as that sounds, it's easier on the bird than letting it flop around until it dies.
Here are my 3 pointers, for whatever they're worth:
1) Try for the clean kill, even though you won't always get it.
2) If the kill isn't clean, try not to let the animal suffer any longer than necessary.
3) Eat what you kill.
Hunting and being an animal/nature lover are not mutually exclusive. Just go to a Ducks Unlimited event. The biggest part of their membership is probably duck hunters. They love their wetlands, and they love their dogs. One of the things that I've often said about dove hunting is that, as much as I enjoy the hunt (& the dinner later), even if I don't fire a shot, it's a good chance to get out and watch the sun rise.
Here are my 3 pointers, for whatever they're worth:
1) Try for the clean kill, even though you won't always get it.
2) If the kill isn't clean, try not to let the animal suffer any longer than necessary.
3) Eat what you kill.
Hunting and being an animal/nature lover are not mutually exclusive. Just go to a Ducks Unlimited event. The biggest part of their membership is probably duck hunters. They love their wetlands, and they love their dogs. One of the things that I've often said about dove hunting is that, as much as I enjoy the hunt (& the dinner later), even if I don't fire a shot, it's a good chance to get out and watch the sun rise.