Don’t Miss Out In What May Be The Best Opportunity For A High-quality, Low-cost Hunting Experience

THE 2021 DOVE SEASON is just around the corner. For many of the state’s 300,000-plus dove hunters, the September 1 opener in the North and Central zones won’t get here soon enough.

Opening day of dove season is to Texas hunters what that first flicker of Friday night lights is to high school football junkies. It’s a really big deal. However, it’s not just because it’s the opening kickoff for a long line of hallowed hunting seasons that lure thousands of Texans to the woods and water before winter gives way to another spring.

Texas dove hunting is as rich in tradition as tailgate parties. Tasty bacon-wrapped breasts are often served up in the wake of banner shoots alongside busy croton fields or isolated water holes.

There is plenty to like about dove hunting, but one of the really cool things is it’s a highly social sport. Hunters can converse and poke fun among themselves without much worry of spooking the birds. It also poses the challenge of hitting dipping, darting, diving targets. Doves are known to come zipping in unannounced from odd angles, often at speeds in excess of 40 mph.

Another neat thing about dove hunting is it doesn’t cost a lot. In fact, dove hunting represents what is arguably the best opportunity for a high-quality, low-cost hunting experience.

The September 1 opener falls on a Wednesday this year. Don’t sweat it if weekday work obligations force you to sit out the first act. Texas has a 90-day dove season divided into two splits.

If you can’t shake loose until Labor Day weekend, just roll with it and play it as if the first day in the field is opening day. A late start could add up to some better shoots, anyway. There will likely be more hunters in the field to help keep the birds stirring.

Here some things you can do to improve your chances having an enjoyable and productive dove hunt:

Practice Makes Perfect: Most dove hunters are mediocre shots at best, at least that’s what the numbers say. The average dove hunter brings down one bird for every five shots fired. Do the math. That’s 75 shots, or roughly three boxes of shotshells, for a 15-bird limit.

Hopefully, the ammo crunch will have eased up by the time this issue hits the streets. If so, spend a little time at the skeet range to brush up before the season gets underway. Even the best wingshooters get rusty during the offseason.

Use Premium Ammo: Steer clear of “blue light special” ammo. Quality ammunition costs a little more, but it will increase your kill ratio because it patterns better.

Use the Right Choke: The choke dictates the degree of bore constriction at the muzzle end of the barrel. The tighter the constriction, the tighter the shot pattern. Less restriction allows the shot pattern to expand. A full choke is a bad choice for dove hunting. It restricts the shot pattern too much and narrows the shooter’s margin of error.

Modified or improved cylinder choke tubes are preferred for dove hunting. These chokes pattern nicely out to 40 or 45 yards, which is pushing the effective range for most wing shots.

Shotgun Choices: Think 12 gauge and 20 gauge. The hard-hitting 12 gauge may not be the best choice for everyone, but I am a devoted fan. It slings lots of shot.

Youths and ladies might opt for the lighter weight 20 gauge. A 16 gauge isn’t bad, either, if you can find ammo to feed it.  Shotgun style is a matter of preference. Some guys like pumps. Others like autoloaders, double barrels and over-and-unders.

Dress for the Occasion: Doves have extremely good eyesight.  Wear drab clothing, preferably a camouflage material that blends with the surroundings. Keep your head down and use the bill of your cap to hide your face when doves are approaching.

Be Mobile: Doves like to fly certain routes. Don’t be afraid to change locations if birds are consistently skirting you, unless it will infringe on other hunters. Sometimes moving 30 to 40 yards is all it takes.

Know Your Doves: Texas hunters may bump into as many as six dove species, but only four of them are legal to shoot—mourning doves, white-winged doves, white-tipped doves and Eurasian collared doves. Mourning doves and whitewings are the most plentiful.

Brown, Throckmorton, Coleman, Taylor, Medina, Bexar, Uvalde, Williamson, Bell, Karnes, Live Oak, Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron, Atascosa and Matagorda are among the top dove hunting counties. The tallest whitewing numbers are found in counties west of San Antonio (Bexar, Atascosa, Medina, Frio, Uvalde), south of Houston (Wharton, Matagorda) and around Rio Grande Valley (Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr.)

Sweet Spots: The best hunting is always where the doves are, and that can change from one day to the next, often in coincidence with shifts in weather patterns. Places with abundant forage such as harvested grain fields, sunflowers or goat weed patches are magnets for doves, as are watering spots including tanks or ponds with plenty of bare ground along the edge.

Use a Decoy: Careful placement of a battery-operated dove decoy such as the Mojo Voodoo will at times bring birds into shooting range. The decoy attaches to a steel stake, which elevates it about three feet above the ground. Four AA batteries power a small motor that causes the wings to spin in tight circles. Doves can spot the flashy white wings from a considerable distance. At times, the decoys can work almost like magic.

Get Legal: Every hunter, regardless of age, is required to have a hunting license and proof of HIP certification on their license. A migratory bird stamp also is required of hunters 17 and older.

Hunt Safe: The No. 1 cause of hunting accidents is tracking birds and pulling the trigger just they cross paths with other hunters. It is called swinging on game.

Know the whereabouts of every hunter, whether they are a member of your party or not. It is also a good idea to make sure other hunters know your location. If you decide to change spots, make sure everyone knows it.

It is easy to get excited out there. Don’t take shots you might later regret.

—story by MATT WILLIAMS

 

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