September Skies

For most of us, September 1 marks the first opportunity to knock the dust off our shotguns and get back into the field with the dove season opener. While the temps are generally still warm…it’s a celebration we have made it through another summer and the best time of the year is starting. Kids, friends, family, and doves make for a great kickoff!

There isn’t a ton of gear required. Grab your shotgun, throw some HEVI-Hammer Dove in a bag or bucket and take a cooler with some cold drinks. That said, there are some things to think about now to have a productive opener.

Most people relate dove hunting to sunflower fields. Doves love sunflowers and they are probably the most used for managed dove fields. However, good dove hunts can come in a variety of places. I have had fantastic dove hunts in cut wheat fields, silage fields, fields full of natural weeds like rag weed, and over pasture ponds. Just like waterfowl hunting, scouting is key and now until opener is the time to do it. Drive the back roads and identify likely looking fields or pastures. I look for doves congregating on power lines next to the fields or bunches of them getting up from the road where there are getting grit. Doves need water and like bare dirt around the banks of pasture ponds or tanks. Finding one they are using for water is a blast to hunt. Little cool snaps in August will build numbers.

With it generally still being hot for dove opener, please be careful with your four-legged friends! We all love to hunt with dogs, they are the best part of the hunt. BUT, make sure you take plenty of water for your dog and try to sit where they can be in the shade. If you have been working your dog throughout the hot summer that will certainly help. If your dog has had a nice summer chilling in the air conditioning, a fast paced 90-degree day in the dove field, might not be a great idea for them.

We have made it, it is almost here! Grab the kiddos and the bucket of HEVI-Hammer Dove and enjoy the kickoff!