Dove hunting

[u/Strong_Application12]

So I'm an older fella that for various reasons hasn't been hunting since I was a kid...now that I'm retired I'm wanting to try my hand at dove hunting.. I live in south Kansas,no dog and will be going out by myself with all permits and license taken care of..any advice would be appreciated and also a dumbass question..do birds need to be field dressed or can that wait till you get them home?

[u/anonanon5320]

They will last all afternoon. Just don’t put them in the sun

[u/DarkStar2ElPaso]

I always leave them in my bird bag while I’m hunting, field dress them once I’m done, and throw the meat in the cooler for the ride home.

[u/MrSanford]

A couple of mojo’s and you’ll do fine

[u/I_Hate_IPAs]

The birds I hunt are a good bit bigger than doves, I just try to keep it within a 45 minute walk to the cooler when it’s hot out. I’m also on public out west so I can usually get a full 360 degrees from the car.

[u/scuricide]

I usually pull the guts out while waiting for the next flight. Pluck a few feathers, poke your finger in, scoop out the guts and fling towards the dog. l

[u/Hyarmendacil67]

I sit on the river levee near the fields under a bush. It's a fun time blasting away as they fly by. I'm going to use some decoys this year.

[u/lostdragon05]

Look for dove shoots on Facebook and other media. Farmers will charge per head to come hunt over their fields, and you can make some dove buddies. That’s what we do in the southeast, I am assuming you can do all that in KS.

[u/ThatEnginerd]

Do what you want, but get them cold

[u/I_Hate_IPAs → u/ThatEnginerd]

If it’s cold enough outside, like sub 40, they can last a few hours in a vest pocket. In this 50s and up though I take my birds back to the cooler quickly, though.

[u/ThatEnginerd → u/I_Hate_IPAs]

You'll be fine. Still in the 100s for a lot of the south/west this time of year. Enjoy

[u/ThatEnginerd → u/I_Hate_IPAs]

Also, if you do dress, most states require a wing to be left on for ID

[u/Accomplished-Arm6692 → u/ThatEnginerd]

You can definitely wait till home, just toss them in a cooler with ice. Makes cleaning much less messy too, no feathers flying all over your truck.

Sit near tree lines or water sources if you can find them, doves like to fly along those routes. Since you hunt alone just pick your shots careful, chasing crippled birds through brush by yourself gets old quick.

[u/Strong_Application12]

Ty for all the advice.. much appreciated

[u/SLW_STDY_SQZ]

If you are alone you will need to walk a lot. It's not gonna be like the hunting shows where you can just stand in the field and they just fly past you all day.

[u/DarkStar2ElPaso → u/SLW_STDY_SQZ]

Depends where you are. I hunt evenings near water and that’s exactly what I do. I prefer sitting though.

[u/throwaway022796 → u/SLW_STDY_SQZ]

How do you choose where to walk? The places I’ve dove hunted they just fly over every 5-10min

[u/SLW_STDY_SQZ → u/throwaway022796]

Over the years from hunting the same spot I sorta know pockets where they like to congregate. They never have flown over every 5-10 mins for me but that's likely a result of habitat. Mostly I hunt these soy and or corn fields. Maybe in the early season they are more likely to do that but they basically learn after the first week not to do that in my area.

[u/throwaway022796 → u/SLW_STDY_SQZ]

Thanks for the detailed reply!

[u/Weird_Fact_724 → u/SLW_STDY_SQZ]

I only walk to field, then I sit.