Preparation helps hunters get the drop on doves

Plan ahead and secure a site for opening day

If polled, some hunters might declare Sept. 1 to be New Year's Day. The reason is simple.

Each year, the month of September ushers in the excitement of a new hunting season, and dove season kicks it off.

This sport not only offers excellent wing shooting, it often is a social event bringing friends and family together for an exciting day in the outdoors.

To enjoy this sport to its fullest, a hunter will need more than a scattergun and a box of shells. Along with knowing the season dates and times to be afield, a little preseason homework will make this dove season one worth remembering.

Darrell Holland, who manages Feather Creek Farms Hunting Preserve in Greenville, works long hours preparing for opening day of dove season.

"A successful dove hunt begins with planting the right crops in the spring," Holland said. "We manage more than 4,000 acres of hunting land and plants corn, milo, millet, soybeans and sunflowers along with perennial food plots.

"Anyone who has previously booked a hunt with us is invited to be our guest on opening day of dove season. We begin cutting the crops weeks in advance, and when the first shot is fired, the sky darkens with flying doves."

Finding a great place to hunt requires looking for the right food sources and acquiring permission to hunt.

Some farmers supplement their incomes by leasing fields to hunters or offering dove hunts for a fee. Information on these hunts can often be found by asking at sporting good stores or with feed and seed businesses. Begin looking early -- these hunting opportunities often fill up weeks before the season begins. Check the classified ads in your local newspaper for pay hunts.

Hunters who visit farms ahead of time are more likely to get a welcome response than those who wait until the last minute. Places such as dairy farms where silage has been harvested, leaving seed scattered across the fields, are dove magnets. When feeding on small seed, doves often concentrate in one area. One dove can consume up to 6,400 seeds from foxtail grass. Doves seek ragweed, sunflower, milo and millet. Doves won't scratch for food like turkeys do; rather, they search for seeds exposed on bare ground.

Once you have located a place, spend time scouting to determine flight patterns. Look for locations that attract doves -- dead trees (roost sites), water holes and funnels created by standing timber. If you have a choice, pick high ground so your shots will be closer.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT GUN: The average flight speed of a dove is 40 to 55 mph. A strong tail wind can increase this speed, making this game bird a challenge for the most experienced shooter.

Steve Wyrick of McLeansville hasn't missed opening day of dove season since he began hunting the acrobatic birds as a child.

"My parents gave me a 20-gauge Remington 1100 semi-auto shotgun when I was 19 years old, and I still dove hunt with it each year," Wyrick said. "I average about eight birds per box of shells using an improved cylinder choke."

Larger gauges of shotguns such as the 12- and 20-gauges are popular because they fire the most pellets at the fast-flying dove. Smaller gauges such as 28s and 410s are not recommended except in expert hands.

Using a 12-gauge load, average hunters are lucky to bag four birds per box of 25 shells. Most hunters use an improved cylinder on opening day then go to a modified choke as doves get wary and fly higher.

The most common shot sizes are Nos. 7.5 and 8.

PICK A GOOD SPOT: When looking for a place to hunt Wyrick says he looks for a tree line close to a water hole or a dead tree providing a roosting place for the doves.