*** THF Official 2022 Hunting Season Count Down ***

25 Days...

9/2/2022: West Texas Limit with a kicker..

Its getting close. I hope we don't get a turd floater right before the season starts. Although we deffiantly need it.

Still trying to decide where ill be hunting. Its either with one of the big name outfits up around wichita falls or go to one of my public land spots.

I'm thinking one of my public land spots. Probably won't shoot a limit, but should be able to knock a few birds out. Saw a few out there last weekend, and they are not known spots so crowds are minimal.

The wichita falls outfits are good at putting you on birds, but opening day and labor day weekend normally have way to many hunters. I like going with them in October, good hunts and few people.

like going with them in October, good hunts and few people.


ill remember this

Really once you get into the 3rd and 4th weekend of sept. The number of hunters really drops off. Been on a number of hunts over the years where there is only 10-12 of use in the field later in the season. Opening day and weekend they run hundreds of guys. And although they do a good job spreading us out and there are plenty of birds, its typically just to many people for my liking.

Need some pics so we know this is legit, maybe a water tower in the background.

This was the last weekend of the season in November a couple years ago. We were the only 2 hunting doves anywhere that we could tell.

Good looking pup.

24 days...

2006 DJ Farms..My Son and Molly (RIP 2015).

I’ve got a bunch of local birds located. I hope they stick around for the opener. It will just be my son, two dogs and Me so no crowds.

Cool photo Smokey!

As bad as I hate to say it, the truth hurts, Texas needs a hurricane. Texas doesn't survive without them. The ranch we hunt is all gone but the mud in the bottom of the ranch ponds.

I'll take rain any time we can get it, but we are better off letting the vegetation grow, then get the rain right before big duck season and flood it. And we will probably get a down pour right before the dove opener to scatter them..

A turd floater before dove season is almost a gurantee.

21 days...

My daughter, 2008 DJ Farms...

Nice, my daughter is 9, she refuses to go hunt with me. Atleast she'll go fish with me.

My daughter has been on 2 dove hunts with me, that was one. She has showed a new interest in shooting sporting clay, we been out a few times this summer. But she does not want to shoot birds.

She does like to go fishing with me every now and then, but she does not like my boat, and she wants me to get a ski boat or a really nice fishing boat. So she has developed an attitude against my boat, sh hate my umbrella.. Tara likes it...

Good looking Lab,Guy. We are so ready for some real action. Training is in the heat is getting old. The force is strong in this one. Good luck hunting everyone. HR/UH Harley My Ranger Legacy. HARLEY

Wow! You're able to time travel.

When does this heat and drought end?

Also, can you get the lottery numbers and go in half with me on tickets?

^^^Yeah I was off a digit there.

16 more days…

She holds that dove so nicely…

Wichita falls outfitters are starting to post some videos of alot of birds

Where are they posting them?

Instagram

Welp, that leaves me out unless I get a direct link

Lets try this
https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChQoqZtFrOh/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

15

Getting close. Great photos. Hope they don't die from heat stroke before we get a chance to shoot them.

Thanks. I have a couple of nephews that follow them. I'll call them and check it out.

2 weeks

13 days...

That looks good. Really good.

I've hunted the South Zone all of my life. This will be my first year hunting the North Zone, looking forward to it.

Does not look good, does that include the million additional mallards from Delta? They need to add that in.

Blue winged teal is up, I need to go get some more teal tags!!!

Spponies are up, the spoonplatoon are happy..

Mohunter is not gonna like those mallard numbers, even with delta added.

Those got mailed in, Delta is in the process of counting them now.

We need the rain bad, but this may really move some birds around right before opener. I checked on my birds today, they are still there. I won't be able to check on them again so hopefully they are still there opening morning.

Don’t hate…

9 days...

^^^ Great pic. (And...dang, they're proud of that coffee maker. $$$ If I draw a mule deer hunt, with primitive camping only, I'm treating myself anyways.)

I need to find 20 gauge shells.

7 more days…

My hunting buddy made a couple of these after looking at the ones for sale. Old dogs are going to try a new trick. I think getting the mojo up where we hunt should help a little. Anybody use dove "trees" and have any tips?

Been using homemade trees for years. They will help some.

Dove trees help, but you got to get them up higher, like 12-15' - think power line height.

Dove trees work good on mourning dove. Be sure to place some spinners under the tree as well, it will draw them in. Also the 2 T post with a clothes wire in between trick works too. They'll come in to perch and just get blasted.

I got one like that I bought from Academy, I never use it, I'm just kinda picky, I like using a real branch...Only do it if I see a dead branch laying around, and a big crack in the dirty to stick it in. Otherwise I put all my deeks in trees or on the ground..

Still alittle early, but seems like pretty good rain chances starting Tuesday and continuing through labor day weekend.

I want the rain for teal season, but not for the start of dove.

5 more days!

Been seeing a few dove around... around water mostly. Forecast doesn't show any cool mornings (60's) until late september. I hope we get some cooler weather soon, at least to make the morning hunts tolerable.

My son when he was in high school. Had a titanium plate and 12 screws in his left fore arm. Shooting a 410 over under one handed rather than miss opening day.

Good parenting Smokey.

4 more days..

3 more days..

Looks like it’s gonna rain for the next two weeks

Pull a dove out to f the freezer this weekend I save from last season and did some yard work with Tara. Mainly just working mouthing, teaching her to hold it gently and not chomp on it. Helps a lot to do this in the yard when they are not so jacked up.

Going to start gathering my gear tonight

Gave my gun its annual cleaning on Saturday,,..

Well didnt take long to gather the gear and put batteries in the mojo.

I did buy this new backpack dove bucket a few weeks ago. Overall I'm impressed, seems very well made and should work great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07CNSYZSY?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I use a folding camo rocker I got Academy last year.

Did more dove work this morning in a field by my house, I would hide the dove and send her on a cold blind, give her a “hunt it up” when she was close and make her use her nose. She found them easy, one more training session tomorrow, have to really hide it good this time.

She is such a good girl.

This dove I’m training with Tara with, look at the legs, no legs. I remember this dove last season, legs probably froze off from frost bite, I remember thinking maybe a good one to put in freezer for training.

Yep. It was bad.

ONE MORE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I more day, showing 75% chance of rain

Bring it -- I have my rain gear already set out

Thursday and Friday are the only days out in Uvalde that are showing no rain. But I am sure it will be a muddy mess since they have been getting rain almost daily out there. The river is looking to be running pretty good and cold though!

One more day! I did one last training session with Tara this morning, sent here on a cold blind really hid the dove to make use her nose, no way she could see it, which is a real bad habit of hers, she relies too much on her eyes and she gets so jacked up. I sent her she let off a big squeal...Got her close and gave her a "hunt-it-up", she found it pretty quickly, I can tell when she caught the scent..

Good luck to everyone! Watch/read your dog for over heating! If you dog looks over heat, he probably is and needs a rest! Your dog does not have to fetch every bird!

Pics from last year, holding steady on a mark..



Kicking dirt in your face when she takes off...



She holds it nice and easy, good girl!

Guy, I love seeing pictures of your dog at work. Take some more tomorrow.

Same. The times I go duck hunt I find myself more excited about seeing the dogs work lol

Good luck everyone. Don't know when I'll get out there myself. Wife has a medical procedure tomorrow and her brother has surgery Friday.

Anyone chasing teal on Saturday?

Thinking I will Saturday and Sunday, if not any birds I'll chase dove on Monday.

I am planning Saturday but not expecting anything, not even the doves were flying at my lease.