The team headed off under the cover of darkness with one objective, shoot dove! Which we did, after setting up in a treeline of a friend's farm. It was beautiful to see the sun come up, listen to the pounding of the guns in nearby fields and even better to see the doves fly in.
They were attracted to a Mojo dove decoy with spinning wings; word to the wise, those things seem to work, and before long GWB shot several. I was slower out of the gate but made up for it later in the morning with a couple of snap shots that brought down the avian acrobats.
Great fun and a good change from last year's Opening Day action, which didn't see many birds at all. This year it was cooler, thank God, and wetter, so more dove.
I'll be out again this evening.
Good luck with your hunts,
LSP
But you look so friendly, LSP! (though I suppose that little dove would disagree) So kind on the outside, so much angst and fury towards Austinites on the inside...
ReplyDeleteI ought to learn how to clean doves-- the dumb birds are always knocking themselves out on my back windows. Used to just feel sorry for them, but maybe I should eat them!! :)
Glad the shoot went well this morning!
There is just about the same amount to eat on a dove as there is on a quail, which is to say, a mouth-full.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good shoot.
That's me, Jenny, kindly old LSP!
ReplyDeleteYou should eat them and they're very easy to clean. Just pluck the feathers off the breast and lift it away from the body while taking off the skin. Then soak in brine.
I like to take the meat off the breast -- there's not much, but enough to make a jalapeno, wrapped in bacon, popper.
Great morning's shoot, LL.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a good opening day hunt!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brighid! The evening's was even better; pushed us close to the limit. Big fun.
ReplyDelete