07-26-2008, 11:10 AM
LITTLE ROCK - Can't you tell dove season is coming? The temperature is bumping 100, it's dry, so there needs to be something encouraging in the near future.
<br>Saturday, Sept. 6, is the opening day of dove hunting. Seekers of the challenging, swift-flying birds usually have a hunting spot nailed down or they are scouting for one. Either way, some pre-hunt position strategy may improve chances of a successful hunt.<br>
<br>Doves are everywhere in Arkansas, though they are more plentiful in areas of sufficient food. Doves eat seeds, and these can be weed seeds or farmed, meaning wild or domestic food. Find a dependable food source, and you have made the first step toward good dove hunting.<br>
<br>After that source is located, look ahead to the actual hunting. If it's to be in the morning, the sun will be in one direction. A late afternoon hunt means the sun will be another direction. You want the sun behind you, even at an angle, for dove work. Squinting into a bright low sun is difficult, dark glasses or not.<br>
<br>A solitary tree on the edge of a field is often a landmark for doves. But that doesn't mean you need to get next to it. The doves may come in to rest in that tree, so back off a few yards for your hunting station. Oak or pine or something else, the type of tree doesn't seem to matter to flying doves although oak and similar trees usually have wider spread branches.<br>v
<br>Camouflage is the customary apparel for dove hunting, and early September calls for T-shirts. As important or even more necessary is breaking up your form out in the field. Reduce your silhouette. Get something behind you that lessens the red flag of human form to a flying dove. Simply standing in front of a bush can serve this purpose.<br>
<br>Little things sometimes improve hunting success. Eliminate reflections around you as much as possible. Eyeglasses are notorious alarms to doves, ducks and other wildlife. Sunglasses are less obvious but still have some glare on the lens. Wear glasses with clear or dark frames instead of metal frames if you can.<br>
<br>Work out the different hunting stations or stands for your dove party in advance. There needs to be plenty of distance between shooters, of course, and keep in mind that a dove may come in from any angle of a 360-degree circle.<br>
<br>Give thought to stools. A light folding stool helps fight fatigue on a long hot morning or afternoon, especially for older hunters. It may help even more in that it lowers the silhouette of the hunter. The cost is a slightly less field of vision with your eyes closer to the ground. Many dove hunters quickly learn to shoot from that sitting position, though.<br>
<br>Consider a small, light, camo-colored soft sided cooler for your drinks in the field. A conventional bright plastic or white Styrofoam cooler is just one more warning signal to the birds.<br>
<br>Dove hunting dates in Arkansas this season are Sept. 6-28, Oct. 4-19 and Dec. 13-Jan. 2.
<br>Saturday, Sept. 6, is the opening day of dove hunting. Seekers of the challenging, swift-flying birds usually have a hunting spot nailed down or they are scouting for one. Either way, some pre-hunt position strategy may improve chances of a successful hunt.<br>
<br>Doves are everywhere in Arkansas, though they are more plentiful in areas of sufficient food. Doves eat seeds, and these can be weed seeds or farmed, meaning wild or domestic food. Find a dependable food source, and you have made the first step toward good dove hunting.<br>
<br>After that source is located, look ahead to the actual hunting. If it's to be in the morning, the sun will be in one direction. A late afternoon hunt means the sun will be another direction. You want the sun behind you, even at an angle, for dove work. Squinting into a bright low sun is difficult, dark glasses or not.<br>
<br>A solitary tree on the edge of a field is often a landmark for doves. But that doesn't mean you need to get next to it. The doves may come in to rest in that tree, so back off a few yards for your hunting station. Oak or pine or something else, the type of tree doesn't seem to matter to flying doves although oak and similar trees usually have wider spread branches.<br>v
<br>Camouflage is the customary apparel for dove hunting, and early September calls for T-shirts. As important or even more necessary is breaking up your form out in the field. Reduce your silhouette. Get something behind you that lessens the red flag of human form to a flying dove. Simply standing in front of a bush can serve this purpose.<br>
<br>Little things sometimes improve hunting success. Eliminate reflections around you as much as possible. Eyeglasses are notorious alarms to doves, ducks and other wildlife. Sunglasses are less obvious but still have some glare on the lens. Wear glasses with clear or dark frames instead of metal frames if you can.<br>
<br>Work out the different hunting stations or stands for your dove party in advance. There needs to be plenty of distance between shooters, of course, and keep in mind that a dove may come in from any angle of a 360-degree circle.<br>
<br>Give thought to stools. A light folding stool helps fight fatigue on a long hot morning or afternoon, especially for older hunters. It may help even more in that it lowers the silhouette of the hunter. The cost is a slightly less field of vision with your eyes closer to the ground. Many dove hunters quickly learn to shoot from that sitting position, though.<br>
<br>Consider a small, light, camo-colored soft sided cooler for your drinks in the field. A conventional bright plastic or white Styrofoam cooler is just one more warning signal to the birds.<br>
<br>Dove hunting dates in Arkansas this season are Sept. 6-28, Oct. 4-19 and Dec. 13-Jan. 2.