You probably have the same conversation every year.
"Let's do a little skeet shooting before dove season gets here."
Your hunting buddy agrees, "That's a great idea, but let's wait until we have a little extra time."
The summer grinds on and extra time is about as common as a cool breeze in August. Before you know it dove season is here and you're out of practice.
Streaking dove can humble even the most accomplished wing shot, much less one who hasn't picked up a shotgun in six months. A lack of practice can translate to frustrating days afield and if you really want to improve your dove hunting success one of the best things you can do is practice at a local skeet or sporting clays range.
In addition to sharpening your shooting skills, practicing on clay targets is an excellent way to relax, as well as to socialize with hunting buddies or to introduce friends to shooting.
When shooting skeet shooters fire at a total of 25 targets from eight different stations. Depending on the station, a shooter will face clay targets, or "birds," going away or incoming, as well as passing shots and overhead shots.
Sporting clays, on the other hand, is often called "shotgun golf." A typical round of sporting clays consists of 50 targets in a variety of settings designed to mimic actual hunting situations. Shooters will face "birds" launched to imitate flushing quail, fast-flying doves, high-flying mallards and scampering rabbits. Many stations feature a combination, requiring quick reflexes and the ability to make snap decisions.
SELECTING A SHOTGUN AND SHELLS
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Jake Duncan_PRS 2015
When picking out a shotgun for dove hunting, you can go as plain or as fancy as your budget allows. Perhaps you can even get a friend to loan you a gun. If you don't want to pay for a top-shelf shotgun, you can often shop around for good deals on a used shotgun.
Selecting a good dove load is simple, too. If you use a 20-gauge shotgun, you can get by with 7/8-ounce loads, but one-ounce loads deliver a heavier payload and more energy. A good 12-gauge dove load should have at least 11/8 ounces of shot. The payload, powder load, and shell size are always clearly marked on the box. The most efficient shot size is between seven and nine.
WHERE TO GO
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Sarah Southerland
Good dove hunting can be found in literally all 77 Oklahoma counties. Suffice it to say there are a countless number of places to have a memorable hunt.
Excellent hunting can be found especially near agriculture fields. Recently harvested grain fields and cattle watering ponds can be red-hot hunting locales, and they can often be found only a few miles outside city limits. A little homework and initiative can go a long way when it comes to securing a place to hunt doves. Landowners will often give permission to responsible hunters who ask courteously to hunt on their land. Sportsmen should always treat the land they hunt with respect: leave gates the way you found them, always pick up any trash or spent shells, and never enter any land without first asking permission.
In the eastern half of the state, Keystone Wildlife Management Area near Mannford attracts both doves and dove hunters to the fields along the lake shores. Copan and Ft. Gibson WMAs often hold good numbers of birds also.
In southwest Oklahoma, Hackberry Flat WMA has established itself as one of the premier dove hunting locales in the state. Located near Frederick, "Hack" encompasses over 7,500 acres of prime migratory bird habitat. The area provides plenty of fast paced action for dove hunters in early fall, holds thousands of ducks, geese and sandhill cranes in the winter, and also serves as important nesting habitat for a wide range of shorebirds.
Sandy Sanders WMA in western Oklahoma has long been known for good quail hunting, but that is not the only hunting on the area. Dove are often quite plentiful on the areas particularly around wind mills and small ponds with bare shorelines. The wide-open spaces of Beaver and Cooper WMAs allow plenty of room for doves to dive and tum and challenge hunters.
The rolling hills around Kaw WMA in north central Oklahoma near Ponca City can also be a good place to find migrating doves. Okmulgee and Deep Fork WMAs might also be a good place to check out.
Information about the Wildlife Department's Wildlife Management Areas can be found at wildlifedepartment.com complete with descriptions of their habitat and what types of hunting are available at each.
MORE ABOUT MOURNING DOVE
Stephen Ofsthun
The mourning dove is one of the most widely distributed game birds in the United States. Hunters are drawn to dove hunting for both the challenge of the birds' fast-flying flight and the strong social traditions associated with the opening of the first of the fall hunting seasons.
A number of mourning doves spend the winter in Oklahoma. However, the species is by and large migratory, with birds winging their way south at the first hint of shortening days or cool breezes. Their range extends into southern Canada all the way to Panama and can be found from coast to coast.
Doves begin pairing in early spring. The cooing calls and peculiar mating flights of the males are the first signs of the breeding season. Most nesting activity occurs from mid-May to mid-June.
Mourning doves are quite prolific birds. Usually two, but sometimes three eggs, are laid in a nest. the nest is a shallow platform of twigs and straw and is usually on a horizontal limb. A pair may make five or six nesting attempts in a single year. Annually, an average of fix or six young may be raised per adult pair.
The young birds are fed by regurgitation of seeds that are partially digested in the crop and a milky glandular substance called "pigeon milk." Fledglings fly from the nest in only 11 to 14 days from hatching.
To document breeding population trends, federal and state wildlife agencies conduct annual roadside call counts and counts of doves seen over established routes. Breeding population numbers, based on these call counts, are the primary basis for establishing hunting seasons and bag limits on doves. The fall population of doves in North America is estimated at about 475 million.
The bird's diet consists primarily of small seeds such as ragweed, croton, sunflowers, or milo. Dove maneuver much better in the air than on the ground and prefer open feeding areas, such as recently plowed or burned ground.
A creature of habit, dove can be found in a routine flying between feeding fields, water holes, and grit areas. Dove use grit (sand or small gravel) in their gizzard to grind up their food.
SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT
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Heather Del Moral
Hunting is one of the safest sports there is, however, safety should be the primary thought of sportsmen as they head out to hunt the speedy birds.
Once dove move into an area, hunters are often not far behind. Even a relatively small area can support several hunters provided they keep safety and courtesy in mind. If sportsmen find themselves in a popular area, they should remember to not take low angle shots and treat their fellow hunters with respect. Great hunting can also be found by hiking in a little further or trying a new area.
"There are several things to watch for while dove hunting, especially if hunting with a group. The first thing they should keep in mind is to always keep their shotgun pointed in a safe direction," said Lance Meek, senior communication and education specialist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "They should also be aware of the location of all other hunters and should be careful in shooting at low flying targets. Eye protection is a good idea as well."
The best shooting glasses are the type that wrap around so the eyes are protected from the sides, and hunters should always try to stay a safe distance apart, Meek added. Blaze orange is not required for dove hunting except when dove season overlaps big game firearms seasons, but it is the safest color to wear and many hunters have been successful hunting dove in the camo-orange clothing. Meek also recommends that anyone planning to hunt dove attend a hunter education course.
DON'T FORGET
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Steve Webber/ODWC
When it comes to simplicity, dove hunting fits the bill. You don't need a truck full of the latest high-dollar equipment, however, there are a few things that you need to bring along and a few more that may make your trip more enjoyable.
Survey Says: Be sure to pick up a new Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program Permit before the season begins. HIP permits are required of all migratory bird hunters in the United States. Data collected from the surveys help federal migratory bird biologists better gauge bird harvests and hunter numbers, which will translate to improved migratory bird management.
Read Carefully: Pick up a copy of the Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Guide, available online and at sporting goods retailers and license vendors statewide. Pay close attention to regulations for public areas. Some, like Hackberry Flat WMA, allow only the use of federally approved non-toxic shot for dove hunting.
Plug It: When hunting migratory birds like dove, shotgun magazines must be plugged so that they cannot hold more than three shells (one in the chamber, two in the magazine). Most new shotguns are sold with plugs, but older guns might not be. In either case, check before you go afield.
Wet Your Whistle: It may be considered a fall hunting season, but dove hunting can be down right sweltering. Bring some water, Cokes, Gatorade-anything as long as it's wet. A jug of ice water can make a day afield much more enjoyable. Be sure to have some on hand for your four-legged hunting partners as well.
Have a Seat: While it may not be absolutely necessary, a stool or chair can make a dove hunt much more comfortable. You can buy a nice camouflage chair, but an overturned five gallon bucket is all you really need - plus you can carry out your bounty at the end of the day.
Bug Out: Mosquitoes and other bothersome bugs can sometimes be more numerous than your quarry. A can of bug spray can help you keep your concentration on fly-by doves instead of buzzing mosquitoes.
Shell Shock: Doves are acrobatic flyers and can humble even the finest of wing-shooters. Bring plenty of shotgun shells or you may find yourself pleading to your partner for a few extra shells.
Game Care: Hunters owe it to the game they pursue to take good care of the harvest. Bring some freezer bags and an ice chest and all your dove will make it from the field to the grill in fine shape.
Clean Up: Remember to clean up all trash you brought to the hunt. A small plastic bag to collect empty water bottles, wrappers or used shotgun shells would be suffice. We want to preserve these habitats for many generations of sportsmen to enjoy these Oklahoma lands.
Stephen Ofsthun
