2016 Labor Day Hunt - Dove Season Opener

Dove Hunters happy in their work on Labor Day

Labor Day limit of 12 doves

A wingshooter cannot deny that a dove hunt is the most social outdoors occasion of them all, and that the opening day of dove season carries tremendous significance. Besides making sure one's hunting license is valid, and then shooting boxes of shotguns shells at September doves, this hunt begins a quest that will carry through until early 2017. Not just since dove season rolls over into January, but because other wingshooting opportunities may arise along the way for waterfowl and quail. Taking a limit on doves in short order on opening day, doesn't translate into success on any of those future hunts, but I was fortunate to do just that on a special Labor Day holiday hunt with friends.

A labrador retriever receives commands from his handler

Arriving two hours before the hunt start time, I found that the wood-fired grill was already being heated up. Venison sausage, catfish chunks and cajun boudin were all on the menu, which helps to characterize what year-round sportsman think of as food choices when celebrating a return to the field. Hunters are assigned which truck will carry them into a portion of the dove field, and from there they are directed which spot they hunt. The weather this day was really quite cool, with temps in the 80's thanks to Tropical Storm Hermine which had passed by just 48-hours earlier, leaving a northeast fetch in her wake, along with much needed beneficial rainfall.

The doves flew steady for hunters in the breezy afternoon conditions, but their groups were small with lots of pairs and singles darting around. One stand is as good as the next, but the hunters that sat in the middle area of the field seemed to make the most of their opportunities. You never can tell how any hunt will unfold, and I can report accidentally harvesting two doves with one shot on this day, which is rare enough to merit my shout of thanks towards the heavens. We all gathered together again after the hunt to share more fellowship and to clean the doves. My doves were full of seed, which makes sense why the doves did not come to land, more or less just flying around the field. All in all it was a positive hunt experience, the kind the makes you glad for dove hunting friends.

To view past blog entries about dove season opening click 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009