We...um...went for dove...

[armoredman]

Well, we did, but we had a NATO No FLy Zone or something - buggers were gone. We walked one hunting spot for hours before we packed up and moved to another one.

My buddy with his CZ 712 and Dan Wesson hat.



We got to the other one, and found this magnificent dirt tank,







Those of you who live by open water won't find this odd, but here in the desert, this is stunning - real grass, even...


I finally bagged my first game animal.



Yes, that is a mighty funny looking dove...rabbit runs year 'round.  Go figure, that is my very first game animal kill. Seriously. I cleaned it, and the Senior Hunter discovered lung blotches he wasn't happy with, so it went to feed the scavengers.

Got rained out, only thing we bagged was my dirty jackrabbit, but all in all, a good day.

[2fewdaysafield]

Good stuff Mr. A!!!!!  Range time is a blessing, but at least for me all the range time is about getting ready for hunting.  Congrats on your first kill!!!   Pity you had to feed it to the 'yotes, but better safe than sorry!  Plenty more where that one came from!!!!

[jwc007]

Congrats on your first kill!    Looks like you had a nice day! 

[johnnyrees]

oooohhhh yeah Mr A

[armoredman]

It was pointed out the grass will make excellent bunny food, so next month or so we'll try an evening sit down for rabbit with 22s. Hopefully this dirt tank will hold water that long, it is not a lake by any means, only rainfall feeds it. But that grass didn't grow overnight, so we're hoping this will be a good spot. Maybe bunnies and coyotes.

[2fewdaysafield]

Should bring doves too if their is food nearby and unless there are several other water sources nearby.

[armoredman]

There is another dirt tank a few thousand yards away, I'm told, but the Senior Hunter stated it is usually very close to dry.

[Timex]

I live in Northern Arizona.  Seems like heavy rain arrives the last week of August and the dove go away.   I went out this past Saturday (late afternoon) and it started to rain.  I thought, this was a waist of time plus I would rather not get my 1939 Winchester Model 12, 16 gauge wet.  That is when two dove flushed and I dropped one of the two.  I was able to take four more shots, but missed.  The dog had a ton of fun and I was soaked but glad I ran into some birds.   I think the time of day was right. 

[M1A4ME]

How do you stand to eat them?  I never liked liver, so I won't eat the little buggers.  Since I was raised not to kill something you wouldn't eat (except cats/foxes) I don't hunt them.

In Texas we thought it was the sage buds/leaves (whatever) they were eating that made the meat so strong/inedible.  So we went hunting once, killed some, cooked them, tried to eat them, tossed'em and didn't go again.

I had a buddy who dove hunted here in VA (15 or so years after TX) and he invited me to go.  Once again, no sage around these parts, neither my wife nor I could stand the taste.  I told my buddy I couldn't go dove hunting with him again since we couldn't stand the taste.  He told me he always fixed them a certain way that got rid of that strong/liver taste.  We tried it (included chicken bullion, chicken and rice soup, onions, peppers and added rice all backed in the oven) and once again we tossed the doves but made a meal out of the chicken/rice/onions/peppers.

Never dove hunted again.

[RAEIndustries]

Congrats!  Good job