Hot fields , fast birds, and dog work....

    Our dove season began Sept. 1st and it has been stellar so far. Lots of big flights of birds, pretty decent weather, and so far my eyes are still young.:)


    I love dove season as , being more than a little superstitious, I pretty much use it as a benchmark for how the rest of seasons will go. It ushers in all the others. It's also a great time for Fisher to get out and stretch his legs and get his game face on for what is yet to come. Granted, 95 degree plus afternoons require care for him and it's obvious the heat takes it's toll. But he still will not be left at home.


    Here are some pics from last night; some of my country and the nights total which included a limit of mourning doves and 4 Eurasian doves.

    Pardon my ignorance but do you shoot them out of the sky, perched in trees, or lifting off the ground? The presence of the dog could indicate that the birds are being flushed out or fall at some distance away from you.

    On the pass, Dan. Always on the pass . Shooting them stationary is considered very bad form . Typically, they are shot at as they move from feeding fields to water to roost. And doves are very acrobatic. I think I read somewhere that the average dove hunter shoots 5-8 times for every bird taken . That'd be about right.


    Fisher is indispensable in the dove fields as a retriever. Small birds that blend well into their environment . Plus since they swoop thru in droves, he can be on retrieves while continue to shoot.

    That looks awesome. We are actually looking to hunting some crows, doves, ducks and the preverbial Woodcock here in Florida:D.


    Do you process your own doves? Do they taste like quail? What gun are you using? Birdshot rounds? Sorry if these are stupid questions, but just trying to alter my learning curve.

    Quote from Rolo

    Do you process your own doves? Do they taste like quail? What gun are you using? Birdshot rounds? Sorry if these are stupid questions, but just trying to alter my learning curve.


    Glad to answer ,Rolo .


    Doves are a dark meat bird unlike most quail that I've encountered . They have a slight livery taste and even though I retch at liver, I don't find the flavor objectionable. In fact, with a half hour marinade in a mix of soy and Worsteshire they take on a beef like flavor on the grill. Cook medium rare .


    The gun is an American Arms 12 gauge side by side that does double duty as my waterfowling gun . I use dove season partially as preparartion for the fowling seasons so I use the same gun and choke combination. Granted , I would prefer my 28 gauge over under as 300 rounds over the course of a couple days become punishing ; but I don't hunt ducks and geese with it , so ... it stays at the house until whenever.


    My preference of shot size as of late has been 7 1/2 for early season birds . As the season progresses I'll move to 6's as the birds are flying higher and the retained enegy is alot better . Fewer cripples.


    Their is almost nothing to cleaning doves . No knife is even required. Simply insert the thumb into the skin by the craw and then peel the skin away from the breast until it's open . Re-insert your thumb into the now exposed membrane that holds in the guts at the base of the push down and then forward and this will remove the entrails, spine and head . Twist off the wings and you're done . Finished product should look like a little heart shaped morsel ready for the grill .

    Thanks. I'd like to see it done in order to learn. The processing of a pig seemed like an ordeal. Much more cumbersome and certainly not something you can do on the fly or in any setting.

    Quote from Rolo

    Thanks. I'd like to see it done in order to learn. The processing of a pig seemed like an ordeal. Much more cumbersome and certainly not something you can do on the fly or in any setting.


    Oh yeah, processing pigs and birds aren't even in the same ball park. My daughter will sit with me and peel birds as though she were peeling a banana . I'll do it in between flights.

    I had my side by side gun in cuba , priviledged if you will , and did a lot of bird shooting. it's true it doesn't feel right to shoot a bird while it is not flying. I hunted for phesant , quail, doves , wild hens , wild ducks amongst other birds . I loved making yellow rice with the doves.

    I have a cuban friend who hunted quail in Cuba. When I told him here they only shoot flying birds he couldn't beleive it. He told me he would hide in a bush and wait for about 25 quail to get together then blast them.

    Davie Peguero

    yeah people do that a lot over there , there's no ammo , so you have to make the best out of it , they do the same with the wild hens ( guineos) but I don't like it . I hunted because I liked it I also got food out of it but it wasn't just a means of getting food it was a mean of proving myself. just for the hunt. so I didn't do that kind of hunting.

    there's even a few tourists who go there for that .in my island the hunting of the white head dove is big. in he southern part of my island they go by the millions to breed and they pass over the road , that's where they shoot them.

    Back in the 40's/50's, in Cuba, there was either part of an island or huge land(ranch) that was stocked with different game. My father and grandfather use to hunt there. If someone knows the area, please let me know because both(father/grandfather) have passed away and I have no other immediate family on their side to ask. From what I understand many different types of fowl/game were brought to the island over 100 years ago. Including the Guinea that Sergio 's talking about. There's also areas with a lot of deer still remaining.
    Sergio, what would you guys do not to get caught hunting or with the guns????

    that island you are talking about must be mine. it's called the isle of youth , but i call it the isla of pines as it was called before the destruction government took power.
    yes there's wild hogs, deer and all kinds of birds to hunt . and my gun was legal , believe it or not, but ther was trouble in every corner just for having it. I heard that the white head dove comes from mexico? I'm not sure but every year they come and are awsome to shoot.

    I spoke to my brother today and he said he thought it was on Isla de Pino but that he wasn't 100% sure. My father spent 2 years in prison there out of his 8, so the talks always went back to that when he spoke of Isla de Pino, so maybe that's why. Now that Im older I wish that I would have gotten a lot more information about Cuba and Family.

    if he was in prisson for political reasons back then and there were birds and stuff it's isla de pinos for sure. If you plan on going one day let me know and I'll give you the tour. remember , that's my island. it used to be really beautiful and fun , now it's changed a great deal , but still you can do some hunting .

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