Changing bad habits can mean bagging more birds
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When I was editor of Arkansas Wildlife, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s conservation magazine, I spent time one fall going through back issues and pulling quotes from different authors for a special anniversary issue we were working on. Many good writers contributed to the magazine during its long history, and I found hundreds of wonderful tidbits that I saved for future reference.
Two quotes from those files seem particularly applicable to this article on dove hunting. The first, in a story by Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Famer George Purvis, was written in 1968.
“Dove hunting,” he said, “can be the best and least strenuous of all hunting sports, and at the same time possibly the most difficult.” A true statement if ever there was one.
The second line, written in 1986 by another Arkansan, Dick Gregory, notes quite simply, “Most hunters don’t care to admit how many shells it takes them to bag a mourning dove, proving it’s a challenging sport.” Another classic truism.
A friend of mine who was a dove-hunting fanatic, but not a writer, had a way with words, too. His favorite saying related to his favorite game bird was unforgettable: “Doves aren’t hard to hit, just easy to miss.”
I think this last line, even more than the others, holds a great measure of truth. Hunters usually miss more doves than they hit as a result of their own errors, not because doves are exceptionally evasive or acrobatic. With Arkansas’ mourning dove season getting in full swing this month, however, it’s worth taking some time to examine whatever bad habits you might have and try to correct them now so you can bag more doves for the dinner table. Bad habit No. 1: Failure to focus
To bag a dove, you must focus on that dove and that dove alone. Many hunters fail to do this.
When you see several birds approaching, choose one, and concentrate on proper aim and follow-through. Don’t think about trying for a double. If you miss a shot, adjust, but stay with the same bird. Don’t attempt to bag a different dove. Get one on the ground before thinking about a second.
Here’s another helpful hint: Load only one shell. Knowing you have only one chance often improves your concentration.
Bad habit No. 2: Stopping your swing
Many doves are missed because hunters don’t maintain a proper lead when shooting. They swing the shotgun properly to begin, but stop when pulling the trigger. This causes them to shoot behind.
The best cure is practice. Shoot at a skeet range, remembering to swing your shotgun from behind the target, through it, then ahead of it in one fluid motion. Keep swinging even as you squeeze the trigger.
If necessary, seek professional help. A good instructor will observe and determine what you are doing wrong and suggest ways to improve. Things learned on the range can be employed in dove fields.
Bad habit No. 3: Shooting too far
Dove hunters often use heavy-load shells, thinking they can transform a shotgun into a long-range weapon. The fact is, most distant shots are not missed because of a lack of penetrating power. Establishing the proper lead on flying doves becomes increasingly difficult with distance, causing misses on long and/or high shots.
Also, shot patterns become less effective with distance. Beyond 50 yards, the holes in a shotgun pattern are such that doves can fly through without a scratch.
To rid yourself of this habit, remember to focus on a single bird. Ask yourself: Is it within proper shooting range? If not, let it pass. Don’t waste shells on a bird you’ll probably miss or wound. Light loads easily down doves that aren’t too far.
Bad habit No. 4: Setting up in the wrong place
Some hunters rush into a field and set up without thinking. Not good. If a shooter is improperly positioned, birds may never fly close enough or in the right direction to offer good shots.
Avoid this problem by scanning a field with binoculars before selecting a stand. Determine where doves enter and exit. Pay attention to structures that serve as reference points for flying doves — field corners, borders between stubble and plowed ground, fence lines, tall trees, etc. When observations indicate that numerous doves fly over one particular spot, it’s a good stand.
Sit so that you’ll be comfortable with most shots you’ll be taking. Let’s say, for example, you hate “coming-at-you” shots but usually connect when swinging right to left. If you determine doves are passing by a particularly tall tree as they enter the field, then sit on the proper side of the tree, facing the proper direction so most birds pass from right to left. You’ll bag more birds.
Bad habit No. 5: Watching with your head, not your eyes
Sharp-eyed doves will flare away if they see hunter movement. Often, it’s the hunter’s head movements, turning this way and that as he scans the sky, that birds see.
“Learn to watch with your eyes, not your head,” a veteran hunter once coached me. “Keep your noggin still; move only your eyes. Fewer doves will spot you.”
That’s good advice. It’s also wise to wear a full set of camouflage clothing, including a face net and gloves. This is one more advantage that will improve your doves-killed-toshots-fired ratio.
Bad habit No. 6: Failing to mark your birds
Here’s another bad habit to avoid: taking your eyes off the spot where a dove goes down. Even the most stoic hunter is humbled time and time again by this action, for few things are more difficult than passing up shots at passing birds while searching the field for a dead or crippled dove. You have a sportsman’s obligation, however, to find downed game before downing more game. When you pull the trigger and a dove falls, keep your eyes on the spot and walk it out. It’s the right thing to do.