You may know them as the bird of peace, a frequent visitor to backyard bird feeders and fountains, or the birds that roost in your trees and on your roof. However, around the nation come September, the various species of dove become sporting fare for field and table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dove hunting<\/a> is so popular that it is, by far, the most popular game bird in the world.\u00a0The average mating pair of doves will have 3 to 4 clutches of eggs per year. The prolific nature of their reproduction, as well as the millions of acres of refuge available to them in and around homes and subdivisions across the nation,\u00a0translates to a zero net impact from the millions of doves harvested by hunters every year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ask avid wingshooters anywhere, and they will tell you that these aerial acrobats\u00a0offer some of the most challenging shooting available. Dips, dives, sudden turns, and my personal favorite, the upside-down flap (yes, the dove literally flips upside down in the air and drops several feet) mean that even the best shooters post about 50 to 60% accuracy, but don\u2019t let that discourage you.<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t hunted doves, here are several excellent reasons to give it a try.\u00a0<\/p>\n Opening day of dove season is often celebrated by large parties with shooting fields complete with a barbecue, cold soft drinks, and much camaraderie of family and friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n Generally, you find a place where doves are roosting, feeding, or going to water, sit, and wait for them to come. Some people use decoys, while others simply wait over a watering area or food source.<\/p>\n It is a great way to introduce children to hunting, shooting, and the outdoors in a pleasant, relaxed, and fun way.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whether you pluck the entire bird, peel out the breasts, simmer them in a roux, or throw them on the barbecue, dove is hard to beat.<\/p>\n My personal favorite wild game meal is whole, plucked doves that are smoked with mesquite or hickory chips.\u00a0Second to that is either a boneless or entire dove breast wrapped in a slice of bacon and stuffed with a jalape\u00f1o pepper and cream cheese and cooked on a hot charcoal grill.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve had people that swear they would never eat wild game because it tastes \u201cgamey,\u201d come back for seconds of the Mexican Rumaki they taste at my home.<\/p>\n Seasons for dove tend to be long, often into the New Year, and can offer many opportunities beyond opening day or weekend.<\/p>\n After opening day, many of the surviving birds will become educated to shooters and you will need to change your methods just a bit to continue success.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t shoot or conduct morning and evening hunts in the same place. This gives the birds a chance to rest and go back to their pre-opening day patterns.<\/p>\n While complete camouflage<\/a> is not necessary, wearing it can help to conceal your silhouette from the more skittish birds. More important though is keeping movement to a minimum. Doves in flight have excellent eyesight and can detect movement from a surprisingly long distance.<\/p>\n![\"Jerry](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.cheaperthandirt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Dove-hunting-2.jpg?resize=576%2C432&ssl=1\")
1. Dove hunting can be very social hunting.\u00a0<\/h2>\n
2.\u00a0Aside from actually hitting them, the rest of dove hunting is rather easy.<\/h2>\n
![\"young](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.cheaperthandirt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Dove-hunting-1.jpg?resize=576%2C432&ssl=1\")
3. Because the weather is generally nice, dove hunting can be social.<\/h2>\n
4.\u00a0 Doves are excellent table fare.<\/h2>\n
Tips From Veteran Dove Hunters<\/h2>\n
![\"Mojo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.cheaperthandirt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Mojo-Decoy.jpeg?resize=640%2C640&ssl=1\")