Dove Season – Beginnings and Endings

Before Ohio had a dove season, I had the occasion to visit Mississippi where these hunts have a long tradition. It was, and remains, one of that state's most popular and anticipated of all their hunting opportunities. On this particular day, I was talking to a local game warden who was tossing a retrieving dummy to his bouncing Boykin spaniel. He was surprised that Ohio didn't share their enthusiasm for the bird. As I told him about Ohio's Division of Wildlife's efforts to establish the mourning dove as a game bird in the state, he just smiled and said with a drawl, "You-all just keep sendin' them down to me and Zeke." The Magnolia State's season was still a couple of weeks away and I wasn't going to be able to join the hunt but that didn't stop me from learning something about the sport. It wasn't long before we were in his pickup with Zeke riding shotgun, the dog's graying muzzle thrust out the open window as he breathed in the countryside. We went on a bit of a tour down some dirt roads, kicking up a trail of dust in our wake. The warden want to show me some of the prime spots that would soon be hosting hunters from around the country. Later that evening, as we shared one of those corn-derived beverages better left for removing paint and fueling supersonic aircraft, the conversation naturally returned to dove hunting. "So, what exactly is a dove field?" I questioned. I'm not sure what I expected but whatever it was, it's not what I got. He gave it a moment and a couple of sips. He reached to where Zeke was sitting, quietly saying "My good boy." Those almond eyes caught his with a fire and devotion only matched by the dog's rapidly gyrating tail. To this day, I don't know if the warden was answering me, quoting from something he'd read or explaining something profound to Zeke. Never looking up, he scratched the little dog's floppy ears and said, "Dove fields are where young hunters get their first shot…young pups make their first retrieve. They're where old hunters take their last shot… old dogs make their last retrieve." His words came from someone remembering other times or maybe even looking into the future – not from someone attempting to answer my question. We sat silently for a few minutes, then his eyes lifted from his best friend's and toward me. "Yes sir, that's what it sure is." Since that time, Ohio has joined the nearly 40 other states which provide mourning dove seasons. During my time hunting and working around dove fields and with dove hunters, I now understand exactly what that warden was explaining. To this day, I cannot come up with a better description than what Zeke's owner had offered that long ago day. Numbering in the millions as they migrate through Ohio during the fall, mourning doves feed in recently harvested corn, soybean, wheat and other open fields. State wildlife areas are also popular places to hunt doves with several offering specially planted dove fields to improve your opportunities. This year, Ohio's dove and squirrel seasons will both open on Sept. 1. The Division of Wildlife recommends that if hunting public areas is in your plans, take time to do some pre-season scouting before opening day. You can find a list of state wildlife areas at www.wildohio.gov by following the "Hunting License and Resource" tab. There you'll find public hunting area maps, locations of specially planted dove fields, rules and regulations, and hunting license purchasing information. Here is a list of a few pointers that can help get your hunt started: Before the Hunt Scout using satellite imagery first, then to some exploring.Obtain written permission for private property.If possible, visit a trap, skeet, or sporting clays range or join in with friends for some hand-tossed clay targets.Purchase your hunting license and complete HIP certification.Where to Hunt Wildlife areas, especially those with managed dove fields.Try applying for controlled hunt opportunities.Harvested crop fields and recently mowed areas with seed on the ground.Near ponds with bare ground along edge where doves may be drinking.What you Need Shotgun with modified choke using 7 ½ or 8 size shot.Camo or earth toned clothes.5-gallon bucket or stool to sit on.Decoys are nice to have So, here is some final advice from this old game warden. If your walking days are getting rougher or you have an old dog whose efforts to keep up are causing your eyes to water a bit, this might be exactly the kind of hunt for you. If you're new to hunting, dove season is a perfect opportunity to acquire and test new skills. That young pup can learn some new tricks, too. Oh…and if you are new, take a look around before you go. There might be an old hunter with an aging dog that might be encouraged to ride along. They both might teach you a thing or two. If you both choose to sit around after the hunt and talk about the day's experiences, I'd also suggest you try to avoid any corn-fired jet fuel and settle for something a little more refined. There is one thing that I'd bet my last dollar on – that one day some time ago, an old Boykin spaniel named Zeke spent a fine autumn day sitting next to his lifelong friend on the edge of a sunflower field. He was waiting for a chance to leave just one more memory and to hear those words "my good boy" once again before it was his time to go home. "He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant." – Gene Hill Along the Way A new West Virginia state record channel cat has been caught in private pond. The cat tipped the scales at 46.7 pounds and measured 43.51 inches long – more than enough to beat the standing record. What makes this particular trophy stand out among other monster cat records is the equipment used to land the fish. Tyler Rutherford purchased a pink Zebco rod-and-reel combo spooled with inexpensive six-pound test line for his three-year old daughter, spending about ten-bucks. He took her fishing in a family pond and, as youngsters do… she got tired and sat down in his lap, handing him the rod. She was good at reeling but hasn't mastered baiting hooks or the cast quite yet. Trying to help her catch a few bluegills, Tyler laced on a fresh nightcrawler and cast the line out. Before he new it, he was in tussle. Something big was on the end of the line and when a huge blue-black tail flopped the water's surface, he new it was a catfish. First inclined to hand his daughter the rod, Tyler realized that a three-year old was no match for the fish – and that he and his pink rod might not be up to the task either. He loosened the drag, trying to let the catfish tire itself out. "For most of the fight, there was nothing I could do but hold her (the catfish) and hope her little sandpaper teeth didn't grind through the line," Rutherford said. Tyler put a stringer on the catfish and kept it in deep water while waiting for West Virginia Department of Natural Resources biologist Jeff Hansbarger and assistant fishery biologist Jake Whalen to arrive. After the catfish was officially weighed and measured, Tyler released the channel cat into the pond, working carefully to revive it from its own ordeal. "She was exhausted, but thankfully, the good Lord wanted the legend to live on," Tyler explained. Step Outside • Thursday: Trap and Skeet Practice, open to the public. 4 p.m. UCOA, 6943 Marion Township 243, Findlay. • Aug. 24: 3-D Archery Match, mixed animal targets. Field and Stream Bowhunters; 11400 Allen Township 109, Findlay. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Contact: John Fenimore at 419-957-8764. • Sept. 1: Primitive Blackpowder Muzzle Loader Shoot, round ball only, 1 p.m. Black Swamp Muzzle Loaders Club, 8831 Township Rd. 19, McComb, OH 45858. Email: roadkill4u@hotmail.com • Sept. 1: Trap Shoot, 1 p.m. Mount Blanchard Gun Club, 21655 Delaware Township 186. • Sept. 6-7: Ohio State Trappers Association, Allen County Fairgrounds, 2750 Harding Highway, Lima. Public welcome. Vendors, contests, educational stations, trap setting instructions, and more. Food trucks will be available. For information call Doug Lee at 419-307-6653 or email: thewildlifeco@sbcglobal.net. On the web: www.ohiostatetrapper.org/events.html • Sept. 10 through Oct. 15: UCOA Fall Trap League will be held on Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m. Public welcome. UCOA, 6943 Marion Township 243, Findlay. Information: Sandy Thomas, sandthm@aol.com • Sept. 14: Black Swamp Bucks Unlimited Fall Classic. Starting to get the itch for autumn's hunting seasons? Come rub elbows with other hunters and shooters or just show up for the fun. Live music by Friq and Fraq, good food and drink, games, raffles and over $25,000 in prizes. 4 – 8 p.m. but doors open early at 3. Hancock County Fairgrounds. All proceeds support the organization's mission of supporting conservation and outdoor education. Learn more: www.blackswampbucks.com Abrams is a retired wildlife officer supervisor for the state Division of Wildlife in Findlay. He can be reached at P.O. Box 413, Mount Blanchard, OH 45867-0413 or via e-mail at jimsfieldnotes@aol.com.