discouraging dove hunt
 

I went dove hunting for the 1st time last weekend and didn't see but 1 dove. Everybody we talked to said they weren't seeing any either. I was told that the best time was before 8AM or after 3PM. We were out till about 6 and didn't have much luck. Is it possibly too early in the season? Are they out closer to sunrise and sunset as opposed to the times I was told? I'm told that the place we were hunting had pretty good dove hunting.

I had the same thing happen to me last weekend (managed to only drop 1). The weekend before (opening weekend), my dad and I found a freshly tilled hayfield and shot the crap out of doves, dang near limited out. That same hayfield produced no doves last weekend though. I think with all of this corn being cut early, it has changed the equation a little bit

yeah, i was thinkin it was just too hot, maybe last weekend will be better...and here, we try and be out fer the sun comes up. sometimes get a yote or 2

First of all, can't get too hot for doves, they LOVE the heat.
Secondly, they love cut head feed, corn, freshly distributed wheat seed, sunflower seeds. Mostly small grain and flat dusty fields with little forage. And third, they get the hell out if shot at for a couple days.
They fly into fields so early that my old eyes don't see them before other younger hunters have shot many times. And around 3 to 5 in the afternoon. They water at wide open ponds preferably after eating.
just a few observations after shooting them for over 60 years.
The first of the year is, September 1st.