The opening day of dove season is fast approaching. It is usually hot, humid and all the problems that such conditions bring to the sport. But, to the hunter who is prepared, it can be a fun time. Generally, hunters tend to focus on all the shots they take coupled with the few birds they harvest in comparison. The quickly darting target presents a great challenge to the wing shooter and good practice for the upcoming waterfowl or upland hunting.
The basics of a dove hunter’s survival kit can be contained in a folding stool, gun and ammo (lots of it), a small ice chest and a goodies bag. The goodies bag can be a knapsack, book bag or gym bag. The ice chest could possibly double for the folding stool for someplace to sit during those slack hours.
In the ice chest should be some ice to keep birds cool for the ride home and to cool soda and water for use in the field. If hunting with a dog, it is important to have a jug of water for him to drink.
The gun of the hunter’s preference and ammo are the things not usually forgotten. However, because of all the shooting and so little hitting, it is important to have several boxes of shells. A friend once kept track of what he spent on shells and all the other things associated with this sport. At the end of the season he totaled it up and divided by the number of birds actually taken. He figured those birds cost about $56 per pound.
Shot size of 6 or 7 are probably best for dove hunting. The goodies bag and contents are probably the most often neglected by the hunter in a hurry. Insects are still a problem early in the season a good insect repellent is a must. Also we are still in the allergy season and many people do suffer to some degree from the pollen in the air.
A good antihistamine, either prescription or over the counter, will help to alleviate the problem.
The goodies bag is a good way to carry the shells. Plastic bags for the birds can also be place in the bag. A book or magazine will come in handy when the birds are not flying. A small camera in the bag can record the hunt. Because the sunlight often is a problem a good pair of sunglasses is helpful. The birds always seem to fly right into the setting sun.
Some helpful things to carry in the goodies bag are goodies. That is, things like a lunch or snacks. Fresh fruit, candy, chips, etc. go over well in the hot early fall sun. Donald Gasaway Blog….