Indiana Dove Hunting
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Dove hunting isn't as hard as everyone seems to make it out to be.
They say things like it takes the average dove hunter 5 shots per
each dove they bag. They also say that to be really good you need
to limit out with one box. I will teach you how to be the best you
can be. First, you need to find out how your gun patterns. Then,
under your bird feeder, in winter, you spread out corn in the same
pattern. You may have to do this for several days until a huge
flock of doves show up. Then you leave the screen door open a
crack, and when the doves are all in a line feeding on that corn.
BAM, you have yourself a mess of dove! I'm kidding of course.
Except for the part about doves being hard to hit.
You had better practice your skeet shooting if you are going to
mess with the grey bullets that are known as doves. It isn't just
that they are fast, they are maneuverable. They are definitely the
jack rabbits of the sky.
One biggest mistake people can make when dove hunting is to
watch the dove come into range while looking down the barrel of
their gun. Watch the bird come in and pull up the gun only when
you are ready to shoot. Ever see a center try to play defense out
on the floor against a point guard? It usually ends up with the
point guard making a move that breaks the centers ankles as the
guard lays up the ball. Guess what? Dove hunters are not the
point guard in this scenario.
When the birds are close enough that you don't have to lead them
much, just keep your eyes on the head of the bird. Eye hand
coordination. Your hands will follow your eyes. If the bird needs to
be led a little bit, watch a point out in front of the bird, but make
sure you still have the head in your vision. Don't get too confused
here. The distance the bird is away from you, the speed at which
the bird is flying all plays into the equation of how much to lead the
bird. The most important thing to know is to continue your follow
through. Do not stop once the trigger is pulled. If you do, bad
things will happen. And when we say bad things, we mean, missed
birds.
If the bird is coming straight at you, put the barrel on the bird so
you can't see the bird and pull the trigger. If the bird is flying away
from you, follow the bird until you are aiming ahead of the bird and
pull the trigger. These are easier shots.
Another point to consider is your cover. If you are out in the wide
open, the doves will know you are there and the shots will be more
difficult. You don't need much cover, a fencerow is cover enough.
Something to break your outline helps a lot. Be sure you can find
the doves you shoot too. Mark the spot that the bird falls and go
gather them up before shooting any more doves.
You shouldn't be shooting heavy loads. You're not trying to knock
down a rooster pheasant. These are small birds with small light
bones. We shoot 7 1/2 and our shotgun is a improved cylinder.
Don't have to worry too much about hitting the birds with too
many shot to knock them from the sky. Think about it this way.
In a one ounce load of number 8 shot you get over 180 more shot
per load than a one ounce load of number 6 shot. More chances to
hit the bird.
Another thing to remember is that the doves coming in to feed will,
from time to time, come in groups. This offers you the perfect
chance to get two birds instead of one. It also offers you a chance
to get zero birds instead of one. How so, by looking at the next
bird you want to shoot before the first bird is shot. Don't jump
the gun.
There is a lot of opinions on what to wear while dove hunting.
Some people will say you could wear neon chartreuse out there and
bag as many birds as you would if you were in full camouflagge.
We always believe that blending in is always better. The dove has a
keen eye and is looking down from a higher elevation. Plus if you're
out at a place like Jasper Pulaski Game Preserve, they probably have
been shot at already.
First things dove do when they come off the roost and the last
thing they do before they go on the roost is they hit the watering
hole. In the morning they go to feed after their drink, then they will
lounge around during the mid-day before they hit the afternoon
rush hour to eat. It pays to scout your area before hunting. I
jump a lot of doves walking through the cornfield on my way out of
the woods from deer hunting. These dove are resting up on the
stalks. All it takes is a little time with the binoculars to find where
they come in at and where they go out at. Then set up in a place
that will give you the most straight in/out shots.
Please send us your dove hunting stories and pictures. We would
love to hear from you and post your tales on the site for others to
enjoy as well. Or join our forum and post them yourselves.
They say things like it takes the average dove hunter 5 shots per
each dove they bag. They also say that to be really good you need
to limit out with one box. I will teach you how to be the best you
can be. First, you need to find out how your gun patterns. Then,
under your bird feeder, in winter, you spread out corn in the same
pattern. You may have to do this for several days until a huge
flock of doves show up. Then you leave the screen door open a
crack, and when the doves are all in a line feeding on that corn.
BAM, you have yourself a mess of dove! I'm kidding of course.
Except for the part about doves being hard to hit.
You had better practice your skeet shooting if you are going to
mess with the grey bullets that are known as doves. It isn't just
that they are fast, they are maneuverable. They are definitely the
jack rabbits of the sky.
One biggest mistake people can make when dove hunting is to
watch the dove come into range while looking down the barrel of
their gun. Watch the bird come in and pull up the gun only when
you are ready to shoot. Ever see a center try to play defense out
on the floor against a point guard? It usually ends up with the
point guard making a move that breaks the centers ankles as the
guard lays up the ball. Guess what? Dove hunters are not the
point guard in this scenario.
When the birds are close enough that you don't have to lead them
much, just keep your eyes on the head of the bird. Eye hand
coordination. Your hands will follow your eyes. If the bird needs to
be led a little bit, watch a point out in front of the bird, but make
sure you still have the head in your vision. Don't get too confused
here. The distance the bird is away from you, the speed at which
the bird is flying all plays into the equation of how much to lead the
bird. The most important thing to know is to continue your follow
through. Do not stop once the trigger is pulled. If you do, bad
things will happen. And when we say bad things, we mean, missed
birds.
If the bird is coming straight at you, put the barrel on the bird so
you can't see the bird and pull the trigger. If the bird is flying away
from you, follow the bird until you are aiming ahead of the bird and
pull the trigger. These are easier shots.
Another point to consider is your cover. If you are out in the wide
open, the doves will know you are there and the shots will be more
difficult. You don't need much cover, a fencerow is cover enough.
Something to break your outline helps a lot. Be sure you can find
the doves you shoot too. Mark the spot that the bird falls and go
gather them up before shooting any more doves.
You shouldn't be shooting heavy loads. You're not trying to knock
down a rooster pheasant. These are small birds with small light
bones. We shoot 7 1/2 and our shotgun is a improved cylinder.
Don't have to worry too much about hitting the birds with too
many shot to knock them from the sky. Think about it this way.
In a one ounce load of number 8 shot you get over 180 more shot
per load than a one ounce load of number 6 shot. More chances to
hit the bird.
Another thing to remember is that the doves coming in to feed will,
from time to time, come in groups. This offers you the perfect
chance to get two birds instead of one. It also offers you a chance
to get zero birds instead of one. How so, by looking at the next
bird you want to shoot before the first bird is shot. Don't jump
the gun.
There is a lot of opinions on what to wear while dove hunting.
Some people will say you could wear neon chartreuse out there and
bag as many birds as you would if you were in full camouflagge.
We always believe that blending in is always better. The dove has a
keen eye and is looking down from a higher elevation. Plus if you're
out at a place like Jasper Pulaski Game Preserve, they probably have
been shot at already.
First things dove do when they come off the roost and the last
thing they do before they go on the roost is they hit the watering
hole. In the morning they go to feed after their drink, then they will
lounge around during the mid-day before they hit the afternoon
rush hour to eat. It pays to scout your area before hunting. I
jump a lot of doves walking through the cornfield on my way out of
the woods from deer hunting. These dove are resting up on the
stalks. All it takes is a little time with the binoculars to find where
they come in at and where they go out at. Then set up in a place
that will give you the most straight in/out shots.
Please send us your dove hunting stories and pictures. We would
love to hear from you and post your tales on the site for others to
enjoy as well. Or join our forum and post them yourselves.
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