For those non-Mayans out there let me suggest this: Fall starts on September 1. I know, I know… Fall equinox, summer solstice, blah blah blah… Who cares?
To me September 1st marks the beginning of Fall because it marks the first time I get to grab my shotgun, get up early, and head into the field. It’s the dove opener, and it’s the start of a new hunting season.
So what to do? Well the secret to killing doves is finding their food. Cut agricultural fields are the old standby but the timing usually isn’t great for the September 1st opener. Corn and milo are usually not cut in time and wheat has been cut too long and may have beans over-planted. These days serious dove hunting is conducted over fields planted specifically for that purpose. Sunflowers and wheat can both be mowed 10-14 days before the season putting huge amounts of food on the ground. While it may seem like baiting, it’s apparently not. The local conservation departments use the practice and they’re the ones enforcing the rules.
If you aren’t lucky enough to have spare acres, tractors, seed and planters you should check your state conservation website. I’ve had great public dove hunts in both Kansas and Missouri just about every year. If you get the chance, scout places out a day or two ahead of time and look for which fields are being hit the best. Try to avoid the crowds but remember that doves don’t respond well to pressure. After the first couple of days most of the public fields will be shot-out.
The rest isn’t complicated. Any shotgun, any shot smaller than 6s, and some roughly earth colored clothing is all you’ll need. The shooting can be fast and furious so take lots of shells and let it rip!
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