catman529
Well-Known Member
Earlier this morning I called off my trip to public land to dove hunt... rained early and called for nothing but storms all afternoon. When those storms failed to develop, I headed out around 2.30 pm so I didn't get to hunting till well after 3pm.
First I drove by the TWRA dove fields. As expected, lots of cars and hunters in the fields. Drove on...
Passed some corn fields, but went on to check another spot....
Came up on a corn field I had hunted during turkey season. I looked to my right at the edge of the corn field, and saw a power line with a few doves. Parked the truck, got the plug in the gun and loaded, took my lawn chair and went into the edge of the corn field.
I used a trick learned here on Tndeer. Wish I could remember the member who told it. I tied my decoy onto fishing line on one of my cheaper fishing rods. Cast it up onto the power line and let it hang up against one of the wires.
Sure looked odd hanging under the line, but the doves don't give a crap about that. To them it is a dove. After a little while of sitting, I started to see the occasional dove or two flying by...
Finally I had about 4 or 5 of them coming down the edge of the field straight at me. As they began to angle to the left, I picked one off and dropped it like a stone. I must say a lucky shot cause I haven't shot clay targets in maybe a year!
I went and got my prize and put it in the cooler with ice...
I sat for a little more than an hour after that, before storms starting rolling in. I shot at 3 or 4 more birds but missed. One bird I swear was hit, because it started falling toward the corn and I thought it fell into the corn, but after a good thorough search, I decided it must have got up and ran off.
A little skeet practice wouldn't hurt, but right now I am glad I went out and looked, cause I found some doves and shot one, not a bad start...
First I drove by the TWRA dove fields. As expected, lots of cars and hunters in the fields. Drove on...
Passed some corn fields, but went on to check another spot....
Came up on a corn field I had hunted during turkey season. I looked to my right at the edge of the corn field, and saw a power line with a few doves. Parked the truck, got the plug in the gun and loaded, took my lawn chair and went into the edge of the corn field.
I used a trick learned here on Tndeer. Wish I could remember the member who told it. I tied my decoy onto fishing line on one of my cheaper fishing rods. Cast it up onto the power line and let it hang up against one of the wires.
Sure looked odd hanging under the line, but the doves don't give a crap about that. To them it is a dove. After a little while of sitting, I started to see the occasional dove or two flying by...
Finally I had about 4 or 5 of them coming down the edge of the field straight at me. As they began to angle to the left, I picked one off and dropped it like a stone. I must say a lucky shot cause I haven't shot clay targets in maybe a year!
I went and got my prize and put it in the cooler with ice...
I sat for a little more than an hour after that, before storms starting rolling in. I shot at 3 or 4 more birds but missed. One bird I swear was hit, because it started falling toward the corn and I thought it fell into the corn, but after a good thorough search, I decided it must have got up and ran off.
A little skeet practice wouldn't hurt, but right now I am glad I went out and looked, cause I found some doves and shot one, not a bad start...
