Tips for a first time dove hunter

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dakota.potts

New member
I didn't realize it, but we've barely got a month until dove season opens here in South Carolina. I've never hunted bird before, but I think I'm going to go for it this year.

I still have to get my licenses figured out here but I'm going to do that soon and I also plan to pick up a cheap H&R or Mossberg Maverick or something - I'm on a college student's budget and licenses alone are going to be over $200.

I've actually never even shot a shotgun before (aside from a silenced one at a SilencerCo demo) but I'm pretty experienced with rifles. I plan on taking a trip or two to a local gun club and shooting a couple rounds of clays in some form to prepare for flying targets.

Any tips for what a new shooter should look out for? How to recognize a good field? South Carolina maintains public fields so it's just about selection for me.

Any tips in general will be helpful. Thanks in advance
 
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Pahoo

New member
Be prepared for Low-Flyers !!!

Any tips in general will be helpful. Thanks in advance
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One safety note, watch out for Low-Flyers as you could be pointing the muzzle at some other hunter. It's only been a couple of years since Iowa legalized Dove hunting. Many of us had little or no experience but soon learned some hard lessons. ..... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
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Erno86

New member
Look for a break in the tree line between the fields --- sometimes doves like to funnel thru them --- They also like to perch in bare naked dead trees by the edge of the field...so they can see better. Find a waterhole near the fields...as doves do like to take a drink; and set-up between the field and the waterhole.
Look at the dove --- after you shot it --- as it falls to the ground, and try to establish some reference points so you can locate it better.

If you get one dove for every three shots...you're doing very well.

Wear safety glasses and amplified hearing protection. Doves love sunflower seeds.
 
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FITASC

New member
licenses alone are going to be over $200.
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Why so high?

I've actually never even shot a shotgun before ..........but I'm pretty experienced with rifles.
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You cannot even begin to compare rifle to shotgun, especially at moving targets. Lead is not as important as keeping the gun moving. Shoot a LOT of skeet to get used to crossing/quartering targets. It is going to take more than a few trips. Is your dominant eye also on your preferred shooting aside? Home practice - (UNLOADED) gun. mount and follow along the line where the wall meets the ceiling in a room. Focus on your target, NOT the bead - think like hitting a ball - you watch the ball, not the bat.

You might want to bring a stool and cooler with drinks as it is usually hot in September when dove season starts.

Good luck, you have about a month to get some practice in - and as others have said, bring a LOT of ammo. Ammo makers LOVE dove season as more ammo gets sold and used shooting AT them then clay targets...........:eek:
 
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dakota.potts

New member
I don't have any license right now and I'm a non resident since I've only been here 2 months, so it's $125 for the license and $75 for the WMA permit. Another $100 to get a big game license for deer, bear, or turkey :(

I'm not expecting great results my first year, but since I am a gunsmithing student and make part of my living as a hunting blogger, any (safe) experience is a good education for me.

I am left eye dominant but I've handled rifles and shotguns from my left hand since I started shooting and it's my preferred handedness for long gun shooting. I don't anticipate shotgun will be different in that regard.
 
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Doyle

New member
Check carefully with the license issuing agency. I know that many states will consider a student a resident (with valid student ID) even if they don't change their drivers license.
 
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hoghunting

New member
Make an early morning and late afternoon drive by the fields you plan on hunting about a week before the season opener. Sit and watch the fields for any dove movement. If you don't see doves, you probably won't see them on opening day either.
 
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Blindstitch

New member
dakota.potts,

I don't know anything about where you're hunting but most states offer licenses for college students at reduced or same as residents rates. I would check into it.

Found this for you.
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/licenses/genlicense.html

Students

Students enrolled full time in a SC educational institution are eligible for resident privileges. A valid student ID must be presented when applying for privileges.
 
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dakota.potts

New member
Awesome, I wasn't aware of that. Already I've had some great tips!

I'm working from home now that my retail job has ended, and I don't start school again until August 24th. This gives me time to not only practice my shooting, but to drive by a couple public dove fields within an hour of me and scout them out.

And now that I know licenses won't be so expensive, I can put some of that money towards extra ammo for practice.

I went hunting once last year, but now that I have the resources to do it all season, I'm really looking forward to starting this season. I'll have opportunities pretty much through next March.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
Suggest you go learn how to shoot a shotgun first. Shooting some sporting clays will do that. Ain't the same as a rifle. Moreso on birds.
Saying it's humbling is being polite.
 
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dakota.potts

New member
Suggest you go learn how to shoot a shotgun first. Shooting some sporting clays will do that. Ain't the same as a rifle. Moreso on birds.
Saying it's humbling is being polite.
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I'm sure that's true. Getting the shotgun is first, but shooting it is next on the agenda. I plan to go through at least a couple hundred rounds before season starts if I can fit it in.
 
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Panfisher

New member
Advice I received one time. Try to miss them in front. My first dove hunt as a kid ended with me out of shells and 1 dove I think. Practice definitely helps.
 
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Doyle

New member
Yep Panfisher. Much easier to miss them behind. Those little suckers can really speed past when they are in a hurry.

I once heard that a dove is a very lazy bird - that's why he flies so fast. He likes to spend as much time sitting on limbs as possible so he minimizes the time spent between them. :D
 
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ammo.crafter

New member
Dove

A shotgun is not aimed; it is pointed or swung at the target. There are two main shooting methods that will get your muzzle in front of a flying target: swing-through and maintained-lead. Most good shooters can switch back and forth between the two as the situation demands.
Swing-Through
The more intuitive style, swing-through, is excellent for upland shooting and short- to mid-range waterfowling. Trace the bird’s line of flight, shooting as you pass the beak (“butt, belly, beak, bang” is how the British put it). You have to move the gun faster than the bird in order to catch and pass it. Because the gun keeps moving past the bird during the time it takes for you to pull the trigger and the gun to go off, you won’t see much apparent lead but the bird will fall.
Maintained-Lead
The staple method of skeet shooters, maintained-lead is the easiest way to hit long-crossing targets such as doves and waterfowl. Unlike swing-through, where you catch the bird from behind, in maintained-lead shooting, you never let the bird pass your gun barrels. Mount the gun ahead of the target, match the bird’s speed for an instant, and shoot. Maintained-lead requires longer perceived leads than does swing-through.
Whichever method you use, a proper swing starts before you begin the mount. The first step is to lock your eyes on the bird. There is no reason to move the gun until your eyes can tell it where to go.
To visualize this basic process, keep these tips in mind:
• When you can see the target clearly and read its path, move the muzzle toward it as if you’re trying to hip shoot the bird.
• Keep moving—swinging—the muzzle along the line of flight as you raise the stock to your cheek.
• Keep the muzzle below the bird so you always have a clear view of the target, and move the gun in time with the bird. I cannot emphasize those two tips enough. Being too precise with lead will make you slow down or stop the gun and miss, which is why many engineers have trouble shooting shotguns—they want to be exact.
• Instead of feet and inches, think of lead in three increments: some, more and a lot. “Some” is the amount of lead you see when you shoot a mid-range target. “More” is twice that and “a lot” is twice as much as “more.”
• The spread of shot provides some margin for error. Trying to aim at the last second practically guarantees a miss. Trust your eye-hand coordination to put the gun in the right place and then just shoot without hesitation.
ENJOY!
 
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lamarw

New member
It has been a number of years since I dove hunted, but I do remember it was both challenging and enjoyable. I seem to recall I preferred a modified choke.

You might also seek out hunting areas where doves can find grit for their gizzard. Vacated gravel pits, abandoned roadways and similar locations adjacent to fields and watering holes make for good hunting sites.

Enjoy the hunt along with a good dove recipe.
 
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rickyrick

New member
I've never dove hunted, but I've seen the aftermath.... Take care of the land and clean up afterwards.

I've seen dove hunting locations that look like a frat party happened.


Have fun though!!!!
 
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Saltydog235

New member
$200.00????? Are you living in the state? Have a drivers license in state, mailing address, etc? Sounds like you may have gotten bad advice. My 3yr license with WMA, hunting, freshwater, saltwater and about everything else was $205.00.

Public shoots are two boxes of shells, get caught with more and you'll pay a fine. Public fields are hit or miss. People can be somewhat careless and low birds are a duck and cover occasion. People also sky bust birds they shouldn't even be worried about. Sometimes they can be decent but I seldom find those shoots to be much fun, I have my son with me and worry more about his safety around strangers with guns.

Take food and water. Get there early and plan on some frustrations at some point. I had a guy walk 100yds to claim a bird I shot and fell dead 2 steps from my buckets. He must have had some really good shells.
 
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