Can't wait. I have a friend that has some millet cut and the birds were there on Friday. It looks like a good shoot. Both my boys will get to shoot and it should be a fun afternoon.

This usually signals the start of the hunting season around here and it is a good time for all.

When I lived in Oklahoma, dove season was my favorite time of the year and something I looked forward to for many years. Have fun, be safe and God Bless...

DAW

Opens here this weekend. Used to sound like a banana revolution on opening day. Now, with all the urban buildup and the dairy farms closed down or relocated far away, hardly ever hear a shot.

'Course, my wife feeds most of the doves in our back yard, so why should they go and expose themselves to a bunch of shooters! :D

Had a good time but the birds did not fly all that good. Might try again Monday. Did get to see a little buck cross the field before noon.

I havn't done any dove hunting for quite a while. Started when I was around 15 or 16 and had never had a shotgun other than an old full choke Stevens, the one with the brown plastic stocks.

My hunting buddy had several Winchester model 12's and when he said lets go dove hunting I said you bet. He darned near laughed me out of our ol pickup when he saw my full choke Stevens. His only comment was that's not going to work on the speed demons doves were.

I laughed right back and said this thing works on any bird I've ever shot with it. Besides as long as they are standing still I've never had a problem.

Well you'd thought I had said the funniest thing anyone ever heard. I thought he was going to plum choke to death before he quit laughing. Next thing he said was you've got to shoot them in the air. Now I'd never hunted birds that way, why how in the world was you ever going to fill up a fridge trying to shoot them flying around?

Anyway he fixed me up with one of those nice old Winchester 12's and using a hand trap tried to teach me the rudiments of wing shooting.

On my first dove hunt I learned just how fast those little buggers fly and just how hard they were to knock out of the air to the amusement of my hunting partner.

At least he had a good day mostly at my expense. Eventually I did learn to knock a few down everytime we went out and now 45 years later were still hunting doves togather every so often and he still pretty much outshoots me.

I think I was about 3 for 13 yesterday. I missed some shots I should not have and I made one I should not have and a whole lot inbetween. Had a great time.

I can remember my dad having some barrel burners when I was kid. I can't hit 'em unless they are sitting in a dead pine tree and I ain't above doing it.

I sure would like to have a batch to eat like my mother used to cook, fried and then simmered in wine.

This whole county is planted in pine trees now. Ain't no doves to speak of much less quail.

I sure would like to hear old Mr. Bobwhite calling one more time before I die.

Kind of slow where I hunted for a few hours in Colorado at WMA near Hudson, but better than last year. Main reason I went was to give my 14 year old Golden Retriever a chance to retrieve a few more birds in his old age. Hit 8 of 10 doves shot at, but used 6 extra shells for total of 14 shots. They were all shot flying, but I shot only at those in range and did not "skybust". First one was hit on 3rd shot, missed one two shots, and used a second shot on one crippled with first shot then missed another with one shot. My trap and skeet shooting is finally improving my bird hitting. The old dog retrieved all I hit. Gave 3 to hunter who had hit none and and considered 3 a meal. Ate the other 5 today.

Nice shooting guys. Gonna try tomarrow, also hunt some squirrels. The dogs need a good run, and I'm sure me and my SKB will be humbled by those flying wonders.

I didn't go yesterday, but my Browning Citori did.

Future SIL needed a gun to go hunting with his new boss and coworkers. Office male bonding, you know. His brother had taken his shotgun to Castle Rock, Co when he moved this summer, so the SIL needed a gun. Only have two - the Citori and a H&R top break single youth gun in 20 ga that I got for my grandson when he grows into it.

Long story short - my daughter and he brought the Browning back last night wrapped in a sheet, not in the Browning shotgun canvas case it was sent in. The spotless gun looked like it had gone through WWIII in the trenches. The case was soaked completely in water and beer.

His boss drove a pickup and his idea was to toss all the gear in the bed, along with the beer coolers and ice chests for doves. Drove like NASCAR drivers from one location to another in the desert and the SIL forgot to zip up the gun case. Result, the Browning ended up bumping all day in the steel bed of the truck. The coolers evidently tipped over and drained the water, ice and beer all over the bed.

Daughter was afraid I would kill her soon to be hubby and he was afraid I'd bend the gun around his neck. Did neither - lectured him on going hunting while everyone was drinking and what would have happened if a warden or LEO had stopped them. More than mad, I'm disgusted a man of his age didn't have any more sense of responsibility.

I've got a lot of refinishing work to do.

That's about the worst firearm abuse story I've heard I think. Sorry it happened to you kdub.

I've shot only one dove, about 25 years ago. Only recall that it is dark meat, and I don't even remember how we cooked it. I've heard that frying them is a good way to fix them - KenK's recipe sounds good. Are they usually floured or breaded and fried?

We have quite a few around here, but I've just never pursued them. I have a perfect little Auto 5 20 gauge that I might have to try out on them.

A story like that is enough to make a grown man cry. Had that happen to a deer rifle about ten years ago. Got me to a point I just don't lend a gun out anymore. Sorry to hear that kdub.

KDUB, wow, and a Citori no less. That fellow is gonna have an uphill battle trying to change that impression. I haven't lent out any rifles/shotguns in 8 years, and now I remember why. I went out yesterday, but forgot the early season for antelope had started. Found a whole mess of campers and atv's in the areas I wanted to dove hunt, so I just walked the woods with the dogs, and got em good and dirty. It was great exercise.