Looking good Guy!

Easily my favorite time of year for my sons and I. They love it more than I do. We usually shoot a lot of squab late in the season which is fine with us. Not hunting milo or corn this year. Wheat only. Not sure how we'll do.

I was in Bracketteville this weekend at a buddies place, the whitewing were everywhere. Then just as the story goes come 9/1 them fools will magically disappear!

Man, ya'lls dogs must slober less than mine does. My birds come back with matted up, wet feathers and don't look all nice and smooth

Need to train your dog to hold gently and not chomp. I'm constantly working with my dog on this. Tara is good about holding gently, but she does like to chomp. When she is bringing the bird back I tell here "hold", and that is a reminder not to chomp. When she is front of me, I make her hold, and if she chomps, I give her a pop (correction) on the nose with "hold". I do this with training as well, goes all the way back to Force Fetch, if she chomps on bumper I correct same way, and if that does not work, I knock the bumper out of her mouth and hit the collar with a fetch and I do not let off until bumper is in her mouth. I would not do this with a bird though.



I also do not let my dog retrieve every single bird. I make her sit and watch me mark and pick bird up. Especially if she is hot, but I also thing it is good discipline.

My other dog Molly, she would not chomp, but she had a hard mouth. She would bring bird back and whole bird would be in her mouth, just the head poking out, and she would hold the bird so hard she would bite holds in the breast. I gave up on her dove hunting for this reason, she was a duck dog only.

Chomp correction...Note when I tell her "good girl", she tries to get away with a little chomp. Dogs are always testing to see what they can get away with. She is like "oh he is telling me good dog, maybe now I can get away with a little chomping??".

Yeah, it's usually a problem for the first few of a season, but even when he isn't having a hard mouth he slobbers all over the dang birds and matts up the feathers

Look at that pic I posed, slobber running out the right side of her mouth. If they hold it gently, and don't chomp, slobber will not get all over the bird, it will just run out the side of their mouth. That pic I posted, she is holding it just the way I want. Last season I had some froze dove from prior season to train with, so we worked on it pretty hard last year. I did not freeze any last season for this season to train with, wish I did.

I'll get at least to trips this year.

Hunting with my brother on opening day. It's been a tradition for over 50 years.

Buster is ready and so am I!

Can't wait! Last year opening weekend.





Rosie is a bit of a chomper, but it was wet too and that didn't help.

heck, just shoot them ones right behind ya!

That would make a good skillet shot!!

Give me a 20ga and a hot dove field and I am in heaven. I am already looking forward to the El Campo whitewing opener.

Yessr.

21 Days until Dove Season

Mourning Doves in Texas - Life History, Habitat Needs, and Management Suggestions
By Ronnie R. George - Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7100_009a.pdf

^^^^^If you sit on a pivot and shoot doves, are you hunting from a motorized vehicle?

Or what if I'm the motor???

Only 20 Days until Dove Season

The Dove season countdown thread had always been started and kept up by forum member Udamdan. Unfortunately he has not posted in three years.
I wish him the best and hope he is doing well. He was our resident Dove hunting fanatic. This thread of course is dedicated to Dan.

We have a little longer to wait in the South Zone, but as usual my kids & I are already pumped and ready to go. Hopefully will be some good numbers of birds during the Special White Wing Season this year.

3 weeks away. Opening day 2018. My son’s left arm was in a cast. Rather than miss opening day he was shooting one armed with a 410. Good times!

Me and my Brother at Stompy's in December last year. Fast and furious afternoon hunt for 2 hours. They were flying like skilled pilots in the Blue Angels. Awesome late season hunt!