Yikes! July is fading fast and August will become one hot blur for those of us who are watching the calendar pages and wishing for September—and the opening day of dove seasons. Now is the time to plan ahead, and prepare. Here are some things to do to make your opening day a success:
- Find a young hunter, or a kid down the street, wife or husband, coworkers, or friend, to introduce to dove hunting, and involve them in the preparation. Half the fun is getting ready.
- Closely check your shotgun and hunting gear, and buy shotshells now.
- Go to a sporting clays course and practice shooting your shotgun. You can locate a range at www.wheretoshoot.org
- Scout for doves. Note where they feed and where they get water. Scout for key fly zones between those areas. Scout often since food sources can change overnight.
- Obtain permission—for you and your guests—if you will be hunting on someone else’s private property.
- Obtain a hunting license and remember to obtain any required conservation stamps.
- Give your hunting dog refresher sessions in finding downed birds.
- Locate public hunting lands and specific sites where your state’s game department has prepared dove hunting fields if you need an area to hunt.
Make plans and preparations now and on opening day you’ll only have to sit back and scan the skies.
