Doves anyone?

[1eyeReD]

Who's goin? And which area? Anyone seeing promising numbers in their areas? I'm headed west to Big Stone County no matter what but have no idea how thick or thin they are out there. I may make a stop at my west metro private spots too.. hopefully there are more birds out West than I am seeing at my closer spot.

[Gordie]

Seen a bunch probably 20-30 in benton county the other day. they were all in one spot perched on the wires waiting to go to the freash cut wheat field .. I think they were waiting for the geese to leave...

Good Luck hunting

[lispeej]

How did the dove hunting go?

[LandDr]

2011 MN Dove Opener

We again had the opportunity to host the 8th Annual PLM Dove Invitation and the weather was looking good as well as great dove numbers being observed. Last year the group harvested 421 doves so we were again looking forward to some great opportunities in the field. Ideally we like to look for small grain fields adjacent to good cover such as corn rows, tree lines or some other dense for concealment. This type of set-up provides great food sources where doves often congregate and something for cover for us to sit up against. With corn and beans prices at near record highs, it is getting harder and harder to locate small grain fields, but they can still be found in areas where farmers with livestock use the small grains for feed and the straw for animal bedding.

The morning started out with a heavy fog and dew on the ground. The birds were staying up on highline wires and on gravel roads for the most part to avoid the wet grass. We had plenty of time to set up our stations and prepare for the morning hunt. One of my favorite techniques is to auger a hole in the ground and insert a “dead” tree branch. The evening before, we located a couple dead branches about 8 to 10 feet long with good branches sticking out to attach the dove decoys to. Doves love to sit on dead tree branches, so having this set-up is ideal. Cabela’s was our corporate sponsor for the 8th year in a row and provided each hunter with 4 dove decoys and a commemorative collector hat for the event. Dove decoys are simply clipped on the branches for a very life like decoy set-up. Many decoys also have a hole on top of the decoy for inserting a “hanger” which allows the decoys to be hung on branches rather than clipped on. We always have a couple hanging to provide a little movement in the decoy set-up.

Another great option we like to use is the “goal post” technique which is two 2x4s placed a distance apart from each other with a rope strung across at the top to simulate a highline wire. We prepare two 20 ft. 2x4s by drilling in holes at one end to allow a rope to be pulled threw the holes. The one end is tied onto the 2x4 while the other end is allowed to freely slide through the hole. It is important to make sure you have plenty of rope to allow “lowering” the center of the highline to place decoys on the line and then pull down on the rope to raise them back up. Once raised, simply tie the rope to the bottom of the 2x4 to secure the rope and keep the highline tight…walla, doves on a wire! Depending on what kind of decoys you have, you may need to weight the bottom of the decoys so they stay vertical and head side up. We simply auger two holes a desired distance apart to place the 2x4s in so they are anchored and sturdy to support having a tight highline wire. You wouldn’t believe how well this works and really gets your dove decoys up nice and high. If 20 ft. 2x4s are too much to haul around, take two 10 ft. lengths and drill two holes in each at one end for inserting bolts through. Once at the hunting site, you can then insert two bolts into the two 10 ft. sections to make lengths that are close to 20 ft. long…but a lot easier to haul around.

These are all very cost effective projects that can be done with the kids to add to the hunting and outdoor experience. My son and I even made some spinning wing decoys that are driven by the wind. These work great if there is sufficient wind, but we are also working on making some spinning wings that are driven by a jerk cord. The dove season provides so many great opportunities to introduce youth to the outdoors and shooting sports. Since there are ample doves around for shooting experience, the youngsters get a lot of practice in. The fact they are sitting instead of walking, also offers a lot of opportunity to discuss gun safety and keeping it safe. My son is now 9 yrs old and handles the 20 gauge really well, but I only allow him one shell at a time. This makes me feel more comfortable that there are reduced chances of accidents after shooting and it also makes him concentrate on that first shot since it is the one that counts…rather than rattling off 3 or more uncontrolled quick shots.

It turned out to be a great day…clear skies and once the dew was off the grass, the doves really started coming in. It was almost too warm with a high of 94F. We were able to sit in short sleeve shirts and light boots along the shade of the corn. Bugs were an issue so make sure you bring your bug spray along. 8 shot was our choice of load and we both shot 20 gauges…nice light guns for wing shooting doves. We ended up with our limits some time after noon and packed up to head in with a nice cooler full of doves. I asked my son what his favorite part of the day was and he said, “All of it!”. Gotta like that.

Doves are very easy to clean and most often just breasted out. It doesn’t take long with a group to go thru them if everyone takes a task or two. We simply tear a little skin below the breast to peel back the skin and feathers up to the head and wings. We then grab the wings with one hand and slide a finger under the bottom of the breast...one good pull and the breast comes right off for a very delicious piece of game. There are many ways to cook dove but my favorite is probably on the grill right after the hunt. I like to skewer them and dust them with seasoning. A few minutes on the grill and they are ready to serve. My favorite sides are sweat corn, fresh potatoes or even some fresh wild rice. All of these tend to be seasonally available and go well with freshly harvested dove.

Doves tend to leave earlier than other birds but there is still plenty of time to go dove hunting and introduce a youngster to the outdoors. It is also very cost effective entertainment since the shells and decoys are generally inexpensive and you can make your own set-ups for the decoys out of dead branches or 2x4s…and a 5 gallon bucket or chair to sit on. I have found that most landowners do not have a problem with allowing dove hunting…always ask for permission. My son and I have gone out a couple more times since the opener and probably will a few more time before in gets colder and the doves move on…but then it is on to duck and pheasant hunting!

Kyle Thompson

PLM – Prairie Land Management, Inc.

[R. Miller]

Had a great dove shoot in far SW MN. Just me and the dog for and hour or two a couple days over Labor Day weekend. From about 1.5hrs before dark to sundown they were really flying. Harvested about 20 total and went through a few shells. Dog had a blast and the wife and I made a wicked dove stroganoff last night that was outstanding! Great way to kick off the hunting season.

[1eyeReD]

That is awesome!

Unfortunately, couldn't get out til Saturday. Messy weather made for a dull morning of no shooting. Got in my scouting for duck holes instead.

Thanks for sharing!

1ER

[R. Miller]

1ER,

Did you get all the way out to Big Stone County, etc? What did you end up seeing for ducks? A few around?

Ryan

[muc33]

Great stories and pics guys! Thanks for sharing with us!

[otterman91105]

I'm just getting into hunting them. Bought some decoys. Just wondering if there is a better time of the day to hunt them. Any info would be great, trying to get my daughter into hunting. Thanks

[R. Miller]

Otterman,

I've been casually hunting them in since it opened back in 2004. Usually for the first few weekends in September. Some will stick around but they start heading south soon after we get a few cold days.

I've found the only time to really be out sitting for them is early morning or evening. I enjoy evenings the best. That's when they're heading back in from feeding and are looking for a watering hole before dark or their roosting area.

In west central MN I had some really good luck a couple years back pass shooting in the morning as they were going from their roosting areas to the grain fields.

It's definitely a fun hunt and a good way to get a young person into hunting.

Ryan

[1eyeReD]

1ER,

Did you get all the way out to Big Stone County, etc? What did you end up seeing for ducks? A few around?

Ryan

Muskellunge,

I did see some ducks... Was just a little east of Ortonville right on the border of Big Stone county. Not black skies, but I certainly could have dropped at least half a limit pass shooting as I was hunting on the edge of a corn field between some ponds and a lake. Saw plenty of medium sized ducks and the teal buzzed pretty low in flocks of 3 to 4 bouncing from pond to pond for most of the morning. Let me know your email and I can let you know which WMA I was on.

[lispeej]

How do we get signed up for the Annual PLM Dove Invitations?

[USPENAMC]

shot 4 on saturday from around 6 pm to 8 pm and 2 more on Monday near Jordan public land

[tybo]

I got out late last friday and got one. Went again on Labor Day and took a neighbor that had never gone before. We got 6 and 3 pigeons. He had a good time and got some retrieving work with his lab pup fresh from the dog trainers. We should have had a few more as is always the case. Setup needed to be a little better. It's a large field so a few more people to keep birds moving probably would help a little. I think I need to work on a roost setup. I have mojo's and decoys but needs a little better setup. It's a great field with 100's of doves but I think I just need to get a few more people and a little better setup.

[otterman91105]

Well i'm going to take my daughter out for the first time tonight. Never done it before but i'll give it a try, i will report how we did.

[123fish]

Shot six last night by a watering hole down here in the far southwest corner. Every one had at least some corn in their crop. They are cutting silage in the area and no doubt that is where the corn came from. Didn't see a whole lot and there will probably be even less in the near future with this front coming through. FREEZE watch for Thursday morning as of now.

[rixxatool]

Tybo - PM me if you need another gun in the dove field you found.

Wayne.