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 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.

Dove fields

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 asked. 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.” 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.”

Ohio doves

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 Sept. 1. The Division of Wildlife recommends hunters using public areas should do some preseason scouting before opening day. You can find a list of state wildlife areas at 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, you will want to scout using satellite imagery first, then do some exploring; obtain written permission for private property; purchase your hunting license and complete HIP certification; and, if possible, visit a trap, skeet or sporting clays range or join in with friends for some hand-tossed clay targets.

Some places to hunt include wildlife areas, especially those with managed dove fields; harvested crop fields and recently mowed areas with seed on the ground or near ponds with bare ground along edge where doves may be drinking. You could also try applying for controlled hunt opportunities.

A list of necessities for your hunt includes a shotgun with modified choke using 7 1/2- or 8-size shot, camo or earth toned clothes, a 5-gallon bucket or stool to sit on and some decoys are nice to have.

Last bit of advice

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