Anyone else shooting doves today?

[txtrout75218]

Myself, @Doug3006 and our friend John, hunting near Seymour Texas. Going back out in a few hours.

I used to hunt in Red Springs and Olney east of Seymour!

 

[Jeff505]

I used to hunt in Red Springs and Olney east of Seymour!

We were hunting between Vera and Red Springs.

 

[NDWoods]

Tough weekend with all of the rain W Tex has received but we did good.

I am hoping to get in some good October migrator shoots assuming I score early on deer for bow season.

 

[CoElkHunter]

@CoElkHunter , that interesting about the white wings, I started seeing them in coastal Alabama around 1996, I would kill a few every year but the big concentrations are in town about 5 miles away. Them and the Eurasian collard doves have almost displaced the pigeons in town.
I still kill a few every year and some years are better than others for the white wings.

Yes, the Eurasians are an aggressive species. We have quite a few of them in town here. There’s a pair of them that showed up in a neighbor’s front tree about a week ago. I watched them chase two magpies relentlessly out of the tree a couple of days ago. They’re not nesting this time of year so it was very odd to see that. I’ve never seen a mourning dove chase anything.

 

[SafariCurious]

The doves are still out there in Nevada, got these 6 in a couple hours this morning.

 

[Hunt anything]

We’re shooting this afternoon, cookout at 1:45 head to the stands around 3:00.
South zone in Alabama opener.

 

[CoElkHunter]

We’re shooting this afternoon, cookout at 1:45 head to the stands around 3:00.
South zone in Alabama opener.

Good skill! Just curious though as to why the opening day is this late in September, especially down south? I’ve hunted doves in Californicate, Arizona and Colorado, and they all start on September 1st per the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

 

[Beck]

no, but my neighbor went, and I was jealous!

 

[Hunt anything]

Good skill! Just curious though as to why the opening day is this late in September, especially down south? I’ve hunted doves in Californicate, Arizona and Colorado, and they all start on September 1st per the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Our south zone is a week later than the north zone. It’s only 4 or 5 counties. We still have birds on the nest in late August and they don’t want to orphan a bunch of young. 10 or so years ago our south zone didnt open until the first Saturday in October.
The MBTA stipulates season’s cant open before September 1 and must close no later than January 31. If I remember correctly. That’s why the spring snow goose and early Canada goose seasons are under special conservation rules.

We got on stands at around 3:15 and was back in the camp with a limit and watching football at 4:00, still a few hundred birds coming in!

 

[jeanes]

The Texas South Zone ( south of I-10 ) starts tomorrow. North and Central Zones started 1 Sept.

 

[BGGMKLR]

Another good opener in Nor Cal.
2 1/2 hr shoot.
Spike

 

[Jeff505]

Plucked, you have my admiration.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Our south zone is a week later than the north zone. It’s only 4 or 5 counties. We still have birds on the nest in late August and they don’t want to orphan a bunch of young. 10 or so years ago our south zone didnt open until the first Saturday in October.
The MBTA stipulates season’s cant open before September 1 and must close no later than January 31. If I remember correctly. That’s why the spring snow goose and early Canada goose seasons are under special conservation rules.

We got on stands at around 3:15 and was back in the camp with a limit and watching football at 4:00, still a few hundred birds coming in!

Thanks for clarifying the reasoning behind a later opening date. Makes sense. Congrats on your hunt!

 

[Hunt anything]

Plucked, you have my admiration.

Quick story about dove picking.
I had always just pulled the breast like most people. When my wife and I were married in ‘95 her father and I shot a limit of doves each and decided we would finish out the day by going flounder fishing. I told Charlotte I would clean my doves when I got back. When we did return I looked in the fridge and there sat 15 perfectly plucked miniature chickens! She had picked each dove and had them ready to cook.
I’ve been picking them ever since.
I marinate them and we have some baskets that hold 6 dove, I put a slab of thick cut bacon down lay the dove on top cover with another slab of bacon and grill. Saves time not having to wrap each individual dove.

 

[BGGMKLR]

Plucked, you have my admiration.

Have never breasted one in over 60 years. In my view...that little thigh morsel is the best bite on the bird. Kinda like Salmon collars and Halibut cheeks.
Best
Spike

 

[Hunt anything]

Have never breasted one in over 60 years. In my view...that little thigh morsel is the best bite on the bird. Kinda like Salmon collars and Halibut cheeks.
Best
Spike

When I was fishing in the gulf a lot I would always take the carcasses of any fish we caught for “crab bait”. When I would get home I would always pull the throats (collars) from everything and if any thing was big enough I would cut out the cheeks. Excellent eating, snapper, triggers, wahoo or tuna. They were all outstanding!
My buddies never did catch on to what I was doing unless they came over to eat!

 

[Flbt]

When I was fishing in the gulf a lot I would always take the carcasses of any fish we caught for “crab bait”. When I would get home I would always pull the throats (collars) from everything and if any thing was big enough I would cut out the cheeks. Excellent eating, snapper, triggers, wahoo or tuna. They were all outstanding!
My buddies never did catch on to what I was doing unless they came over to eat!

You talking about fishing.
I had a uncle ( cousin my dads age)
That would keep the dove waste and add deer blood and freezer it and use it as a chum block in the spring and summer mostly for sharks back when you could keep enough to make it worth while to shark fish

 

[BGGMKLR]

When I was fishing in the gulf a lot I would always take the carcasses of any fish we caught for “crab bait”. When I would get home I would always pull the throats (collars) from everything and if any thing was big enough I would cut out the cheeks. Excellent eating, snapper, triggers, wahoo or tuna. They were all outstanding!
My buddies never did catch on to what I was doing unless they came over to eat!

Many years ago we got back from an 18 day long range trip and drove from San Diego to the duck club with a truck bed filled with iced/tarped tuna and wahoo...I believe there was about 1100 or 1200 lbs of whole fish.
We set up 2 or 3 tables, a dozen ice chests, and an assembly line of buds to process it.
Before we dug in, I started the smoker.
To this day I have never had a single bite of fish that could hold a candle when compared to those fresh smoked tuna bellies. Some with a little sea salt...some with a brown sugar glaze. Absolutely indescribably delicious.
Best
Spike

 

[Hunt anything]

We had Big Green Egg smokers on our boats and the first tuna or wahoo would be sacrificed. Good times, I sure do miss them!