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Dove Season is Here!
Dove season opened in Texas on September 1 and the excitement that has been building over the last few months has finally arrived in The Lone Star State. If you’re new to dove hunting, or maybe you just haven’t hit the field in a couple of seasons, here are some quick, essential tips to get you ready for some prime time wing shooting.
What to Hunt With: Your trusty 12 or 20 gauge shotgun will do just fine. An automatic is preferable since dove are fast fliers. And because dove are small in size, you’ll only need to hunt with a small load, such as 7 1/2 or 8 shot. If you’re new to the sport, or a bit rusty, you’re going to waste an embarrassing amount of shells, so buy several boxes. But, that’s what dove hunting is all about. Just have fun!
What to Wear: Dove have good eyesight and are very sensitive to movement, so matching your clothing to your surroundings is very important. Early in the season, If you’re going to be on a treeline or in green fields, that Mossy Oak or Realtree camo will do just fine. If you’re planning to hunt in harvested stalks or grain fields (especially later in the season when all the green has faded) then a duck hunting pattern may work a little better for you such as Shadowgrass/Wetlands/MAX 4 and if your hunting in the desert with little to no vegetation, khaki colors blend in the best.
Where to Hunt: Generally, dove avoid tall vegetation. Try recently harvested fields, along power lines and fence rows, around barns or other similar structures and even gravel spots, as they eat gravel to aid in digestion) Dove will also hold-up in small groups of trees for shade. Anywhere near a water-hole in these environments is a good bet, especially at dawn, as dove fly from the roost to the closest water source. The opposite is true at dusk.
If you don’t have a good place to hunt, call us at the shop and we can give you some recommendations.
Check out the Texas Parks and Wild Life and New Mexico Game and Fish websites for any additional information about season dates, limits and regulations.
Get out there and have fun but most of all be safe!!
SPE
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