Dove Hunting For Newbies Continued

Dove Hunting For Newbies Continued

Acquainting New Dove Hunters to Dove Hunting

Learn the basics of dove hunting before you take your shotgun out for your first attempt to bag your limit of doves. Basic information for first time dove hunters.

Here in part II of Dove Hunting For Newbies I'll get a little more in depth on some of the things mentioned in part I, plus some tips I didn't mention. Some may seem a bit nit-picky and not so important, as with all hunting, they are very important. One little thing could make the difference in bagging a limit of birds.

Scouting a hunting area is very important. Before you go out dove hunting, you should go out information hunting. "What information?" you may ask. Dove habits would be the answer. What are their fly patterns? That in itself is invaluable info. Most often the birds will use landmarks, fences, ditches, tree lines, etc. Find out what the dove you are hunting are using and plan to set up in their flight line. Do this every year before hunting season because dove sometimes change their flight patterns from year to year.

Try to place your dove decoys on the branches of dead trees, on fences, or other likely places that look like a good dove perch before you begin hunting. You can take dead branches and stick them in the ground, securing them enough so that your decoy will stay. This will give the appearance that doves are feeding in that spot. Decoys work especially well around watering holes. It is also important to scout out a hiding spot before you place your decoys so that you can get to it and get settled quickly after placing the fake birds.

After you have settled in to your hiding spot and the dove begin to approach, be very still and quite. Don't prepare to mount and shoot until the birds are within range. Try to be behind a tree or a bush, and stay in the shadows. This will prevent your shadow from being noticed by the dove. Stay below the brush line if possible. You might want to bring a stool or a bucket to place in your hiding place when you scout it out, it will be more comfortable to sit on it than to try kneeling or squatting. Wear camouflage if you can, but if there are other hunters in the area, it might not be wise. If you are hard for the dove to see, it will be hard for you to be seen by other bird hunters, and a shooting accident is not a good way to end a hunting trip.

If you are hunting without a dog, be sure you know where your bird has gone down before trying another shot. You've worked hard to get that dove, and you don't want to miss collecting it because you've lost the spot where it went down. You can tie a orange or yellow construction ribbon to a rock and toss it over to the area the the dove landed before going for your second shot. This will help locate the bird when the shooting is over. If this doesn't work, you may need to stop trying for two, and work on knowing where the first bird landed. One thing you will probably want to wear is snake chaps or boots, as the areas you will be hunting could possibly be inhabited by snakes.

When shooting at the dove keep your cheek down to the gun stock. Make sure your footing is good, clear away any rocks sticks or anything that might cause you to be off balance. Take a half-step, then swing on the bird. Place your foot in the direction of your shot. Step forward for straight-away birds, step back for a straight on bird. If a dove comes from the left, step right and visa-versa.

I hope what you have learned here will help you have a safe and successful dove hunt. One last thing, don't be afraid to ask others that have hunted the area for tips, they might just be willing to give you some pointers on what helped them bag few dove.