Dove Hunting Tips
 

Hey there,

I'm new to the dove hunting community and had a couple of questions regarding how to set up and get ready for opening day coming up. I have a few decoys and a number of places to scout, but just need to know:

Number of Decoys (Clip-ons, electric, etc.)
Best Feeding Times
Best Ammunition
Decoy Set-Ups

I was hoping to educate myself and others so everyone can have a shot at knocking more birds out of the sky! Any advice will be greatly appreciated! Please comment below.

Shoot forwhere they eat, not where they crap!:biggrin:

Oh my God, what kind of hunting is this?)

My friend. Why such a specific choice? Why hunting for pigeons? Not for pheasants, turkeys, but for pigeons? They are small and don't have much meat in them. Do you have some special affection for pigeons?

Actually doves and pigeons are two different species of birds. In north America Pigeons are domestic birds brought from Europe and gone feral, and mourning and white wing doves are wild birds native to the US. Many tears ago we had a true wild pigeon in North America called Passenger pigeons, sadly they are now extinct. For your information doves are delicious and have liberal bag limits and they are fast and acrobatic when flying. They are a fun challenge and present good table fare. Dove breasts with a slice of Jalapeno wrapped in bacon and placed on the grill make as good an appetizer as you can get and reason enough to hunt them.

Generally first thing in the morning and late in the evening are the most productive.

For doves ammunition isn't to particular. A 1oz load of 6 at 1350 should be sufficient. Better to have a small shot size like 6 or 7-1/2 to increase the density of your patterns. Doves aren't tough like pheasants or ducks so no need for magnum shells.

People generally setup on the edge of a field they think is active. Try to find some cover to sit/stand in so that you aren't sticking out like a sore thumb.

Happy hunting.

Canuck Canook