Looking the Georgia Dove Opener on Public Land

The primary Saturday is the primary massive day of the autumn looking season in Georgia, it’s the dove season opener. The primary inkling of what’s to return for the remainder of the yr. Whereas there are 90 days of dove season in Georgia break up into 3 totally different periods, for many hunters that is the one day that issues. Whereas there are a lot of paid hunts on non-public land out there, spending $150+ an individual to shoot is a little more than lots of people need to spend. Fortunate for us the Georgia Division of Pure Assets’ Wildlife Assets Division units up public dove fields in Wildlife Administration Areas or Voluntary Public Entry space. These fields are tended and ready by the company yearly to usher in as many doves as attainable.

So the last-minute plan was to hit up the dove fields over within the Berry School WMA. We put collectively all the things a few nights earlier than the opener. The night time earlier than the open, I received my truck loaded up with all of the gear I used to be bringing, a cart to haul the gear, shells, decoys, folding chair, and a small cooler. That approach it will be faster the morning of the hunt to get a transfer on to the WMA. Capturing gentle began at 6:45 a.m. that morning so we needed to be there round 6:00 a.m.

Moreover me working a bit late, all the things we fairly easily. We received all the things transferred from my truck to my buddy’s then loaded up alongside together with his pup, Violet. Fortunately being nonetheless early and solely being a 20-minute experience, we received there fairly fast. The way in which there and the street into the WMA have been deceptively empty, we thought possibly there wouldn’t be as many individuals as we anticipated. We have been very improper, we have been simply late and everybody else was already ready on the car parking zone and gates. Fortunate for us, we discovered a spot fairly rapidly and received all the things packed into the cart to roll out to the sphere. Carry a cart, it’ll make your life lots simpler. We didn’t know this after we received there however nobody is allowed on the dove fields until an hour earlier than dawn.

So we waited behind the gang on the gate until 6:15 a.m. rolled round when everybody began to maneuver. It was a bizarre sluggish however rushed stroll onto the fields. All these hunters making an attempt to get to the spot they need or scouted however not really run. We walked to the rear millet fields the place we might see loads of different hunters had already arrange. You would see their lights set as much as make nobody units up proper on high of them. We received fortunate and located a nook spot that didn’t have anybody set as much as shut, however then realized we have been dealing with east. Which might be why nobody was arrange there. Although it was tremendous with the forecast being overcast for the day, we received the decoy unfold arrange and waited. Capturing gentle got here and went with no pictures being fired round us. Lastly, round 7:00 a.m. the primary pictures lastly occurred behind us within the sunflower fields we handed. You would really feel the power within the area change with these first pictures, everybody livened up getting excited by what was to return.

The DNR forecast for doves on these fields was stated to be good this yr, however it was a sluggish begin for the day. You’d hear some pictures right here and there, however nothing regular until a great way previous dawn. The birds we did begin setting have been both to the fitting of us on the far finish of the millet area or to the left of us nearer to the ability traces and a few massive oaks. The doves that did begin coming our approach usually received turned by the hunters arrange on the hay bales in the course of the sphere. Even with this, we did get to sling some pellets at a couple of birds. Nevertheless, my inexperience with stay birds vs. clays, and ammo points for my buddy made issues tough. The Savage Renegauge Subject that I used to be utilizing had already made quick work once I went to go observe on the clay fields, however a dove is much more energetic and squirrelly. As a minimum the Renegauge was a dream to shoot, the shotgun factors extremely nicely, is gentle, and light-weight recoiling. In comparison with my previous O/U I might positively shoot field after field of shells and never really feel it the following day.

The primary couple hours of the morning held this sample. We did have a few doves come and attempt to land on the decoy unfold, however for security causes, we held off taking pictures them once they have been shut. With all these different hunters within the area, you didn’t need to shoot low and pepper the opposite guys. At the least it was cool to see the doves are available on the decoys exhibiting they really labored. However because the morning went on it began to select up, might have been the moon or overcast circumstances, the doves have been simply beginning later this morning. Duos of birds began changing into small teams or 4 and even 6 or 7 birds would fly by. We even managed to down a few birds early on, however they went straight into the briars and woods behind us. Stuff so thick you couldn’t see greater than 8ft in and Violet couldn’t push by way of.

Whereas we didn’t have doves in hand but, we nonetheless had received to shoot loads and benefit from the morning. We even had some superb snacks courtesy of my buddy bringing some superb model snack sticks from a deer he received final season. Issues modified rapidly although, with the birds making exhibiting lastly. You would hear the joy, individuals yelling, shouting, and laughing as extra birds got here in. Whereas the crowds do have some negatives there’s a attraction to them, maintaining the power and birds up within the area. The opposite hunters have been greater than useful when a chook would are available over our shoulders. A type of birds lastly received a few birds for Violet to go retrieve. She was ecstatic lastly attending to seize a chook after simply watching all morning.

However simply because the morning was selecting up late, it began to decelerate because it received nearer to midday. So we determined to name it a day, no level sitting by way of the noon solar. We knew the superb climate was solely going to carry up for therefore lengthy, so it was time to maneuver. Packing up and grabbing all our emptied shells we walked out of the fields. Although after all as quickly as we left one other group of doves flew throughout. Whereas we received nowhere close to a restrict of doves, we had a good time. It was a last-minute journey, that we went into blind with no scouting accomplished. However usually it isn’t in regards to the birds you carry residence however the time spent on the fields simply having fun with being there. So personally I believe I couldn’t have requested for a greater opening day of dove looking; nice climate, nice firm, and a great deal of enjoyable.

Eugene L.

Eugene L. is presently a author for OutdoorHub who has chosen to not write a brief bio presently.