Dove Season Opener Poll

Wouldn't miss it, but then again I can walk out my front door and blast away.

Looks like most hunters are going to get out and hunt on opening day. With it falling on a Tuesday some folks might be waiting until the weekend. Spread the crowds out a bit.

If I burn a vacation day hunting dove, that's one less day I can't hunt duck. Nuff said.

The other days are called sick days

I'm hunting the first 7 days straight.

Then the south opener for the first 3 days on a teal/dove blast n blast.

Morning of the 1st probably not; evening of the 1st most probably. Spot I plan on hunting is only 30 minutes from the house.

I should be out the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th. After that it'll be 2-3 days week through October.

I'll be out somewhere for sure!

You must of clicked on this dove poll by mistake. Move along.

Uhhhhhh let me think ??????

You have been MIA

Had to do the poll for you

Haven't missed an opening day in at least 12 years, ain't starting this year.

Let's go!

we're scouting on Monday morning and evening...shooting T - F, then hauling [censored] before the amatures show up on Saturday

We don't hunt opening day because everyone hunts the opener, we hunt the second day and are always covered up

Avoiding the weekenders

One of the biggest reasons I hate living where I do....

no place to go and none of the "hey...bring your best dove hunting white t shirt and shotgun to work tomorrow

I'm ready to move back to west Texas....

I'll be hunting the 1st and 2nd, and maybe one or two more days throughout the season. I'll take any days I can get with a 4 month old at home....and a fantastic wife of course!

Hunt around Frisco or hit the road?

Hunting south on the 1st and west on the first weekend.

Dove hunting on opening day is a Texas tradition. No red-blooded boy from the Lone Star State would miss that.

Possession limit is only 3 daily limits, 7 days of hunting will require daily dove dinners.

For sure reeltexan, out my front door

I concur

Possession limits make for pretty lively conversations on this forum.

I can't get out till the third. Can I shoot 45 then to catch up so to speak?

Not anymore. My lease is about 2 hours west.

More people getting out than I thought. Should be a busy Tuesday

Not to difficult to eat 4 limits of dove in a week, but he can also remove them from his possession limit by sending some birds home with buddies. We sure have had some lively conversations. Like bringing up the Federal possession limit vs the State definition or if you know you shoot a bird but can't find it or unable to retrieve it, is it supposed to count against your limit. And so on.

Yeah John that is what I was referring to

What is in your possession versus your freezer...keeping a wing intact on the spotted owl while it is in transport...etc

I had planned to but not so sure now, just not seeing anywhere close to the #'s I'm accustomed to.Like a few others,I have the option of walking out the front door & blasting away so I guess I could give it a couple hours & then head to work. Hate that idea

At least you have options

Nice to live where you hunt

So you are telling me I can only have 3 limits in my freezer? I'll probably shoot 5-6 limits before I have a chance to cook any.

The first 7 days will be local. They'll be hitting the freezer or my belly every night so that won't be a problem.

Will be out opening day through the first week. Not seeing the numbers this year like last year in Lampasas County. May take a week to even take enough shots to get a single limit. Will save a bunch in ammo costs.

Thanks for your vote

We are at 80 to 20 now

To the earlier post about a 3 day possession limit. That is only if you are staying out of town in a motel or hunting a couple of days away from home. You can only travel with 3 limits per person. Once you reach your final destination (home), it no longer counts as possession. Now, you cannot have possession of 3 limits on opening day. On day 2 you can have 2 possession limits. And day 3, 3 possession limits. And you cannot go behind your house and shoot a limit, clean them and put them in the freezer and go back and shoot another limit. Not legally at least. In other words, birds in your freezer do not count as any possession.

This poll is surprising, I thought it would be closer to 50/50 on a Tuesday opener

Me too

Lots of people hunting in the afternoon on Tuesday I bet

^^^^ I'll leave the office an hour or two early to get in an opener afternoon fix.

I blew out a cranial aneurysm Sept. 1, 1991 and haven't missed an opener since.

Still at 80/20 going to be a busy Tuesday afternoon

All the bars in Texas should have an after sunset happy hour for dove hunters.

Wow I figured more people would plan on going September 1. Im ready to go!

80% is more than I was expecting for a Tuesday Opener

Dang you're gonna be eating a ton of dove breast, like a limit a day??? HMMM

79/21

Bet it will be near 50/50 by opener

I've been going every year with my Dad on opening day up in Oklahoma. Wouldn't miss it for the world!

I believe you are correct, lots say there going but find an excuse not too when its time to boot up.

No kidding.

78/22

Still strong numbers for the Season Opener

Still think it will be 50/50

How many plan on shooting a limit in the morning and a limit in the evening?

Most of the old guys on our lease are planning on coming out on Labor Day weekend to hunt dove.

As far as I've heard, I'm the only one planning on hunting opening day (and the 2 following days). We're on a total of about 3750 acres in north San Saba County
with 12 guns, lots of water and some of the pastures have some good open fields near the water. Looking forward to it more than you know.

Similar situation for me, just not as many acres

77/23

Still strong for a weekday

I just sit on my porch swing and pick em' off when they are headed to water.

i dont usually hunt the opener because i dont want to be shot on public ground! But this year i got an invite to hunt a huge wheat field that one of my budies just cut so i guess thats a good enough excuss

Good Luck

76/24

1st & 2nd then 12th, Teal/Dove, 19th Teal, 20th Teal/Dove, 27th,28th Teal/Dove.

I love Spotted Owl......they taste like Eagle

I'll be out bright and early opening morning.

The public dove leases can get pretty crowded, at least the good ones

Still at 76/24

Going to be a lot of dove shot on Tuesday

Looks like we only have a couple hundred dove hunters on the Migratory forum, based on the poll results. Thought there was more.

Maybe some of the dove hunters are still making plans to get off work

I was 100% but now 50/50% since I will be at the lease this weekend getting ready for deer and be there the next for dove with my boy and have a couple invite hunts to go on. I might rest the place for the opening weekend so my boy and I hunt it fresh.

Gonna be up and down I-35 between Hill County and the Oklahoma Border for the first two weeks of the season. Then out to Stephens County for a weekend. The next two weeks should be long enough for the kitchen passes to stack back up and then its time to pick up the bow.

Wife is have major back surgery on the 28th,so she will be too drugged up to know I am not at the hospital the morning of 1 September!

Similar for me

Have to start getting ready for deer season too. Pretty good place for dove hunting also. Kill two birds with one stone. Try to get in and out before the weekend crowd arrives.

Back down to 75/25

I think Dallas, Denton & Collin County are leased out by now

75/25

Numbers still holding up

Looks like most will manage a dove hunt on opening day!

I get off at 3:30. An hour drive to hunt sitting in the field at 5.. Good stuff

Yep!

The tide is turning 76/24

I'm taking my youngest (4 years old) on her first dove hunt Tuesday morning. My oldest (6 years old) is not happy she has to go to school. I plan on picking her up after school and heading back out. She keeps saying she really liked going when it was dark outside though. I guess I'll have to find another morning hunt to take her. I usually only hunt the opening morning and then just evenings after that.

Love those early morning hunts myself. Hunting is better in the afternoon though... in my area at least.

It is more fast and furious in the afternoon

Should be cooler in the morning

We have a "meet the teacher" deal at 5:30! Stupid teacher...

Teacher must not plan on hunting 9/1

Waiting till the weekend

Few more votes but not enough to change numbers much 76/24

Looks like weather is going to hold out for Tuesday

Chance of rain increases for the weekend

I figured we would have several hundred votes by now

Getting a few more votes but still a 76/24 ratio

Looks like potential for rain pushed out to next week

Hope everyone was able to get out

Weather held up well

Survey says 3 out of 4 hunted dove on opening day

Believable?

We hunted on September 4th and 5th and all men limited out.

Maybe from those who responded... however I didn't see nearly as many hunters at the hotel as we usually do. Very few at breakfast, when in years past it has been very crowded.

What are you talking about, it was a scientific survey, no margin for error.

I hunted only opening day and Saturday afternoon. I took the entire week off to hunt, but several bad things conspired to keep me out of the fields.

I said I would hunt opening day but didn't. Went on the weekend instead. Out of my hunting group only 3 out of 10 did opening day. I didn't so we would have a fresh hunt with my boy and it was worth not shooting the birds during the week and did well.