DOVE HUNTING UPDATE

Opening Day and the few days after have never been better. over 6,000 doves harvested by Hopkins Outdoors Hunters across North Texas.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE HUNTING HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE AS THE DAYS HAVE GONE BY. AS OF 9/12, DOVE BIRDS ARE HARD TO COME BY. THE HARVEST MENTIONED ABOVE AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN HUNTING LOCAL BIRDS ONLY, WITH NO MIGRATIONS AS OF THIS DATE, HAS LEFT US IN A TOUGH SITUATION. I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR UPCOMING HUNTING TRIPS THIS FALL.

1. AS THE DROUGHT CONTINUES FIND OUT OF THE WAY PONDS THAT STILL HAVE WATER AND HUNT THEM AT THE RIGHT TIME.

I RECENTLY SCOUTED  A POND FOR DOVE IN THE AFTERNOON AND SAW NO ACTIVITY AT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS PRIME TIME. AN HOUR LATER A DECENT NUMBER OF BIRDS SHOWED UP AND MADE FOR A GOOD HUNT. THAT PERFECT TIMING CAN CHANGE BASED ON A LOT OF FACTORS LIKE , THE HEAT, THE MOON, THE SUNSET TIME , ETC. BE OPEN MINDED AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE OF LEARNING.

2. BE CONTENT WITH HAVING A GOOD HUNT. A "GOOD HUNT" HAS A LOT OF MEANINGS. BEING WITH A KID ON HIS FIRST DOVE HARVEST CAN MAKE FOR A GOOD HUNT. HUNTING AND WATCHING THE SUNSET WITH THREE GENERATIONS OF FAMILLY MEMBERS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS.

IN OTHER WORDS, MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE. EVEN THE BEST, MOST PRODUCTIVE, MOST EXPERIENCED HUNTERS DO NOT AND WILL NOT ALWAYS FILL THEIR BAG LIMIT.

3. MOVE AROUND, SOMETIMES THE DOVE ARE ALL IN ONE CORNER OF THE FIELD. YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW IT IF YOU DO NOT WALK AROUND AND LOOK FOR THE PREY. THEY HAVE BEEN SHOT AT AND TRYING THEIR BEST TO AVOID HUMAN CONTACT.

4. HUNT IN OCTOBER, THE AIR IS COOLER AND MORE THAN LIKELY THE DOVE WILL BE MORE PLENTIFUL, THE SEASON IS LONG, ENJOY IT.

Mike Hopkins
Hopkins Outdoors
120 Powell Crossing
Lipan, Texas 76462
817 366 9983
mh@dfwhunt.com
www.dfwhunt.com