Late season dove field preparation

A bucket truck is needed to install the wire

Robbie Hooker and I in the dove field

With the third and final season season for migratory doves running from December 12 until January 15 it's time to get after these hard-charging grey birds. With an attitude that says it's never too late to get ready, I enlisted the services of H & H electrical and friend Robbie Hooker to install a faux powerline in my dove field in hopes of attracting more birds. I used a backhoe to install my poles, but then needed a bucket truck to install the wire. It seems that resting and staging on the wire is an important asset for doves to utilize. Thanks to the tremendous windstorm on December 21, there are now plenty of corn stalks on the ground in the field, which can be great for attracting doves to feed after bush hogging those stalks. Of course, COLD weather will always play a role in bringing migratory doves to the area, and it remains unseen if the recent cold snap will be sustained or if the Lowcountry will return to our Indian Summer with temps in the 70's. Dove fields can be fickle however, and a recent report from Edisto said that there were very few doves on the island, yet I was near to a dove field in rural Colleton County and it sounded like the guns of Navarona had opened fire. The best thing to do is to stick with your plans to attract doves, and then keep a sharp eye out because migratory doves can fly in one day and then can fly out without warning on another day. Good timing and good luck are two ingredients in the equation that can yield a sporting test for wingshooters looking to pick up a 15-dove limit.

Dem Ain't Decoys !!

Hunters with a limit of birds is the goal

To view past blog entires about dove hunting click here.