Dove season 2023

[66chevelle]

Who all is going this weekend? What gun, choke, and shot will you be using?

 

[Michigan Slim]

Headed north to the land of no dove season. May try next week. #8 shot, 20 gauge Fieldmaster I just bought the other day. Improved cylinder.

 

[66chevelle]

I usually see a ton of doves fly over my house and land in the field and yard. Today I only saw 6 doves. That is very low compared to the last 3 or 4 years.

 

[jeepinleonard]

Looking forward to Friday. Pops got a draw so we get to hunt public Friday. I'll be scouring the bean and wheat fields the rest of the weekend.

 

[Mongo59]

Is it just me or do doves seem to be dumber than they used to? The darn things land on the asphalt and stay there until a car is right on them and sometimes will simply walk to the stripe and wait for the car to pass by.

If the numbers are down I would venture a guess it is by vehicular decimation and not by over hunting...

 

[ghuns]

We hunt cut silage fields. Unfortunately, nobody is cutting sileage up here just yet. Hopefully next week they get started.

When I do make it out, I use a Browning BPS upland special with a modified choke and whatever el-cheapo #8 loads I can get.

 

[66chevelle]

Good luck to everyone that hunts tomorrow. Post pics if you have any success.

 

[cg21]

This is my favorite hunt of them all…. And my 7yo first season as a shooter. Also have a new to us retriever / spotter…. My wife is sitting with us for the first time lol We will have 3 guns out I will have the new tristar 20g raptor mod 10yo 12g mossberg silver reserve o/u LMOD & Mod 7yo stevens 555 20g o/u mod and ic all shooting #7 steel

 

[jeepinleonard]

Patiently waiting for daylight.....

Good luck to all who hunt today. Hope there are many birds flying.

 

[cg21]

Patiently waiting for daylight.....

Good luck to all who hunt today. Hope there are many birds flying.

I have to wait until noon for public so be thankful you’re only waiting until day break.

 

[66chevelle]

This is my favorite hunt of them all…. And my 7yo first season as a shooter. Also have a new to us retriever / spotter…. My wife is sitting with us for the first time lol We will have 3 guns out I will have the new tristar 20g raptor mod 10yo 12g mossberg silver reserve o/u LMOD & Mod 7yo stevens 555 20g o/u mod and ic all shooting #7 steel

Very nice and congrats on the entire family hunting. I hope the boys limit out(lol). My boys started hunting a little last year and I was more excited when my oldest shot a squirrel then when I shot my 10 pointer. Now I see why my dad didn’t shoot a deer the last 7 or 8 years he hunted with us. He let a few walk by that my brother and I shot. He would always say aww they were a little small and/or I didn’t want to get bloody today. In reality he hadn't field dressed a deer since I started hunting with him. He taught me on the first deer I shoot and then I did the rest. Man I miss not having my dad in the woods with me. The things that pissed me off so bad are some of my best memories. Let us know how your hunt goes.

 

[66chevelle]

Does anyone plant their own food plots? If so what do you plant? I have watched a lot of videos about dove hunting over millet and sunflowers. I hope my back gets to normal so next year I can hunt more and put in a food plot.
Also do you hunt over decoys?

 

[cg21]

Very nice and congrats on the entire family hunting. I hope the boys limit out(lol). My boys started hunting a little last year and I was more excited when my oldest shot a squirrel then when I shot my 10 pointer. Now I see why my dad didn’t shoot a deer the last 7 or 8 years he hunted with us. He let a few walk by that my brother and I shot. He would always say aww they were a little small and/or I didn’t want to get bloody today. In reality he hadn't field dressed a deer since I started hunting with him. He taught me on the first deer I shoot and then I did the rest. Man I miss not having my dad in the woods with me. The things that pissed me off so bad are some of my best memories. Let us know how your hunt goes.

Dads are something that’s for sure. You don’t realize how complex until much older. Just curious since you were from a hunting family how old did you start hunting and when did you start your boys? My girls help with the entire process but I have not let them completely field dress a deer yet.

 

[66chevelle]

Patiently waiting for daylight.....

Good luck to all who hunt today. Hope there are many birds flying.

Good luck.

 

[cg21]

Does anyone plant their own food plots? If so what do you plant? I have watched a lot of videos about dove hunting over millet and sunflowers. I hope my back gets to normal so next year I can hunt more and put in a food plot.
Also do you hunt over decoys?

Seems we have a lot in common. Bad back added to the list lol 3 surgeries in at 35 but no more of those need to find a new way.

I have planted sunflowers with very little success. I would like to be more serious and plant a real plot. But spring time is a busy time. We do use decoys and I know they work because last year a hawk tried eating one of mine.

 

[jeepinleonard]

Does anyone plant their own food plots? If so what do you plant? I have watched a lot of videos about dove hunting over millet and sunflowers. I hope my back gets to normal so next year I can hunt more and put in a food plot.
Also do you hunt over decoys?

I have planted sunflowers in the past but my timing was off and they picked them clean before the season. I will probably plant some next year.

Dad and I will be hunting public ground today also but never hurts to sit out here in the yard and wait till draw time.

 

[66chevelle]

I walked out to the patio to drink coffee and 2 flew over. I grabbed a Remington 11-48 20 gauge with modified choke and #7.5 shot. This one came in to land on the kids swing set.

 

[66chevelle]

Seems we have a lot in common. Bad back added to the list lol 3 surgeries in at 35 but no more of those need to find a new way.

I have planted sunflowers with very little success. I would like to be more serious and plant a real plot. But spring time is a busy time. We do use decoys and I know they work because last year a hawk tried eating one of mine.

I had surgery in May at 40 years old and am starting to get back to normal. I put odd surgery for 4 years until I almost couldn’t walk. So I understand your pain.
What decoys do you use?

 

[66chevelle]

Well that was interesting. Shot dove 2 and a deer was watching me.

 

[cg21]

I had surgery in May at 40 years old and am starting to get back to normal. I put odd surgery for 4 years until I almost couldn’t walk. So I understand your pain.
What decoys do you use?

I too put off surgery for YEARS I can’t imagine how many. I am not getting back to “normal” still pain. But it is manageable and I am working through it. Trying more holistic methods chiropractor stretching etc these days another surgery is not an option atleast not for a long while.


So I have a cheapo 4 pack I got after dove season on clearance…. And then I have one mojo wing spinning dove and just last year we got the 4 pack mojo spinner styles the black and white spinning spades. The hawk tried to eat the Walmart decoy.