Dove season - A True Southern Holiday

In my opinion, September 1st should be included in the list of southern holidays. It is a most anticipated day….the opening day of dove season, in most southern states.

Looking back on my childhood, I cannot remember a time when we didn’t dove hunt on opening day of dove season. Now that’s not to say that I was allowed to carry a shotgun…. being just a young boy myself.

As a young lad, I could not wait for opening day! All of the men folk would take the day off work, chores were done early and by eleven o'clock am we would be headed to the Dogwood Thicket. In those days, there were not many hunters who had dogs that would retrieve doves, so this job was handled by those boys and girls who were too young to tote a shotgun. I still don't know why the field that we hunted each year on Mr. Billy Jackson's property was called the Dogwood Thicket, other than I remember a large tract of woods next to the field which provided a nice area for the doves to roost. That field will always hold a special place in my heart. I’m sure that I was not the only young hunter to cut his teeth, dove hunting in a great place such as the Dogwood Thicket.

In those days, there were a lot of dairy farms around the northwest portion of Tennessee. Farmers would cut silage (green corn stalks with the corn ears still on the stalk) in late August, storing it in ground silos for winter feed for the Dairy Cows. The equipment that was used to cut silage back then, was called a silage cutter. As that cutter cut and ground the corn stalks, there was a lot of corn that fell off the cob onto the ground. This set the table for a great dove hunt each year, as the doves would come in droves to feed on this free meal.

If you were lucky enough to be invited to hunt on a good dove field on opening day, it was a grand thing and a great privilege, with the invitation not to be taken lightly. The invitation, to me, carried the same importance of being accepted into a hunting fraternity….it was that big a deal. To a young man, it was indeed a high honor, as well as a chance to hone your hunting and shooting skills.

The days of silage field dove hunting is gone, for the most part but great dove hunting is still available all across the southern states. Nowadays, most states have partner programs for dove fields, where landowners allow hunters to dove hunt on their property, with the state paying rent to the landowner for that field, for the hunts. Also many farmers and landowners cultivate fields with dove hunting in mind. It is still an honor to be invited to a private hunt on a buddy dove field. The companionship of other hunters and the traditions of the great dove hunts, continue to make this fast-flying bird, one of the kings of southern wing shooting.

Here are a few tips that will help for the upcoming dove season:

1. Check with local wildlife officers on fields that are in your area. Wildlife management areas usually have dove fields that are available to hunters.

2. Practice your shooting skills, as much as possible, prior to opening day of dove season. Local gun clubs are great places to hone your skills by shooting trap, skeet or sporting clays.

3. If you are a land owner, consider the possibilities of preparing your own field and staging a dove hunt of your own. To do this right, you must start early. Most dove fields are prepared and sewn during May, then bush hogged a few days before season to attract the doves. Be sure to check both state and federal laws, to insure that you prepare your field in a legal manner.

4. Remember to carry plenty of water for both you and your four legged hunting buddy, as the weather is normally hot and dry during the first few weeks of dove season.

5. Most dove fields only get hunted on opening day of season. Get permission from the field owner, to hunt the field a week or so after opening day. After a field has rested for a few days, dove continue to utilize the field, providing some great dove shooting, especially when the morning hours are legal. Some states allow morning hunting after opening day so be sure to check yours state’s registrations.

6. Spray clothing with bug repellant….specifically targeting ticks and chiggers. These critters can be especially annoying and worrisome this time of the year and can turn a day in the field into a night of misery, as we all know.

7. Carry a young person with you. The tradition of a hunt with your son or daughter, still runs deep in the south. The memories that you create will be well worth the efforts. Don't forget the sunglasses for both yourself and your hunting buddy. Eyewear is one of the most important parts of my hunting gear, regardless of what type of hunting that I do.

8. My favorite dove recipe is dove-breasts fillets. Lay a small piece of pepper jack cheese on top of each fillet. Fold the fillet and wrap with a small piece of bacon, holding in place with a tooth pick. Lay fillets on a flat pan and place on the grill or in the oven until done, usually 25 minutes or so. Put a few drops of BBQ sauce on fillets just before removing from grill. If you are unsure of the credibility of your completed dish, give me a call when they’re done….I’ll be glad to step up, making myself available as a taste-tester! Just kidding. Or maybe not…..yummm!

9. My dove hunting gear consist of:

Mossberg twelve-gauge shot gun.

Two boxes of 7 1/2 shot shells.

Five gallon bucket with seat top.

Dog leash for Fido.

Bottled water for me and hunting buddies including Fido.

Mojo Dove decoys and Flock of Flickers are a must plus a Mojo Pick Stick for cleaning up the empty hulls.

My preference in sunglasses is “Hook and Bullit”,

also a great choice to use during duck season, as well as year round use, drawing in the fishing.

10. Sunscreen….don’t forget the sunscreen!

Dove hunting in our southern states is a time honored tradition, having been passed down from father to son for many generations. That tradition is still passed on today.

Good hunting and God Bless,

Garry Mason