Yes, I went Saturday here in S.C. I put post in upland birds didn't know where else to put it.

Havn't seen the birds we used to see around here (South central LA). Havn't had a descent dove hunt in quite a while now.

I know what you mean evidrene. The state fixes up fields here for us to hunt but they are usually over crowded. I normally disk up a 4 acre field and sew it with wheat every year, and have a couple great hunts off of it. But this year my tractor has been tied up in the shop getting fixed, and haven't been able to fix a field up. It's hard to locate many birds here to, unless you fix a field up yourself or go to a pay hunt where their are to many hunters.

I went to the Lake Wallace public dove shoot saturday and had a pretty good shoot except for a few hunters who didn't seem to mind setting up 10 yards away from me to cut off nearly all the birds headed my way. I had gotten there at 12:15 to find a good spot and these guys show up 3hours later when the birds start to fly. I use a .410 or 28ga because I like the challenge of a small bore gun and these guys were blazing away at 50-60 yds . they want to waste shells fine but how about show some courtesy to other folks in the field. Still left the field with my limit and a half box of shells.

Rburrows that's why I really don't like public shoots. Their might be alot of birds there but you have to put up with crap like you mentioned. Congratulations on getting your limit!

That was the first time I've had that problem most folks are quite polite and unless the field is really crowded , which does happen , they don't come closer than 40 yrds or so and gives me plenty of room and in S.C. you are limited to 50 shells in the field , either way shoot your limit with two boxes. get off the field and make room for someone else .Before that I actually spoke to a person who coming onto the field with a little red wagon stacked with two cases of shells his gun ,stool and water . When asked he had to go get some more shells as he had already shot up one case(250 rds) and only had 6 birds! and here I was ,leaving with my limit and 10 shells left for my 28ga .I felt sorry for him.I heard later the GW's wrote him a ticket for 250.00 for leaving all those empty shells in the field Litter y'know.

Posted By clint@41 on 06 Sep 2011 05:42 PM
I know what you mean evidrene. The state fixes up fields here for us to hunt but they are usually over crowded. I normally disk up a 4 acre field and sew it with wheat every year, and have a couple great hunts off of it. But this year my tractor has been tied up in the shop getting fixed, and haven't been able to fix a field up. It's hard to locate many birds here to, unless you fix a field up yourself or go to a pay hunt where their are to many hunters.

Same here. Had planned on setting up my own field for this season, but tractor was held up somewhere else. I was looking forward to year too. Maybe next year I will get a jump start on it.

anybody have a good easy dove "camping recipie" ??

Just got back from another public dove shoot at Lake Wallace in S.C. birds were flying great, got my limit in about 1-1/2 hrs with a 28ga O/U . plenty of room this time ,almost not enough people to keep the birds moving . One guy (bless him) brought a bird to me and told me he watched it go down in the trees 80 yards away where he was sitting .he had watched me shoot the bird ,I thought I had missed as the trees hid the bird from me and saw no feathers very nice of him. Restores my confidence for the new generation of hunters.

Sounds like you had a pretty good day burrows. That's the first time I have ever heard of a dove hunt where you was allowed a certain amount of shells. Thats a pretty good idea. It would definately make you pick your shots alot better.

They set some new rules a couple years ago for public fields in S.C. and believe me it was needed some people would show up, and I saw this at the Wallace field , with cases of shells for a limit of twelve birds and blast away at every bird they saw .I actually had one guy shoot at a bird that I had just shot, it was already falling straight down mind you,from sixty yards away and shout I got it !I got it! (dumbass)

LOL!! That's funny. The first public hunt I went on, I had a problem with a guy about 50 yds. away from me with a dog. His dog picked up 5 of my birds that day, and instead of the guy bringing my birds over to me, I had to go get them. He may have given them back to me later on, I don't know. It was just kind of aggrevating. You would think they would try to keep their dogs from doing that. Guess he thought he was doing me a favor.

I had that same problem with my English Spaniel she wanted to retrieve every bird she saw go down and I had to apologize to several guys while returning their birds no one minded in fact every one smiled and a few wanted to know where they could get a good retriever but after putting her on a leash and keeping her under control she finally figured out that she was only to get birds that I shot or when I called her to fetch "that" bird but she still only returns them to me .

They sure do save u alot of steps. Especially on a good shoot. I have had to ask fellas before if they would use their dog to help find birds that I couldn't. Didn't take them no time. I love to watch a good dog hunt.

I do love to watch mine when she's quartering the wind to find one in the grass or short brush and yes she has found birds that i have passed by and she's very popular on the field when hunters have "lost" a bird.

I did this year for the first time in a long while. Was great took my trusty air rifle out and busted several doves each time I went. I love to hunt small game and the new air rifles allow you to hunt in places you normally couldn't. I harvested about 24 dove this season and hope to do better this next season. I live in Maryland where not many people hunt small game.