Sure. Sit around. Wait for a few dove to fly by. Shoot a few out of the air. Good times! But what do you do if the action has slowed or the doves are not cooperating altogether? Get off your butt!

Hunting doves like you would quail or other upland game may not be the traditional way of hunting them. When most people think of a dove hunt, they think of a tail-gating-style bonanza where you hang out in your board-shorts, sitting on a bucket while your Mojo whirls, and the dove come to you. In most cases, given the right conditions, many hunters can enjoy pass shooting some doves. Unless you are in Yuma, some other fields may be sparse of high flying dove due to over-pressuring, sky-busting, or just plain ol’ scarcity. So what is one to do when the doves are not buzzing around?

 

To FLUSH, or not?

Jump Shooting or Flushing is the traditional method of hunting most Upland Game birds. Quail, pheasant, and ruffed grouse (etc.) hunters all enjoy hunting their quarry by flushing them off the ground, or perch, for a sporting shot. You almost never hear of someone pass shooting these species (outside of European Driven hunts). In contrast, most dove hunting (as mentioned) is done by pass shooting. It is not a rare case to hear of someone enjoying “walking up” dove, however. Maybe an oddity, but not rare.

So why abandon your sweet spot under the trees… away from your comfy fold-able chair? Is this sacrilege? Why flush bother flush dove? Well, there are two scenarios where flushing dove may be a better option for you:

1). There are no doves flying around you…

or

2). You can’t stand sitting around waiting for dove to come to you…

Most Regional or State walk-in areas are planted with crops and provide great opportunities for hunting doves. They cannot guarantee that birds will fly, however! No flying doves mean no pass-shooting, which equals you twiddling your thumbs. At this point, it is just more effective to get up and jump shoot dove. When it gets slow out in the fields, nothing gets birds in the air more than some brush kicking!

Birds will hunker down, especially during the afternoon to feed. Hunter pressure will also make birds keep from taking flight. Birds will often feed on the ground of freshly cut crop fields, so keep your eye on these areas and hunt them thoroughly! Be ready to shoot! A dove can pick up speed quickly and will present a challenging target, even when taking off from the ground.

 

I like to keep things moving myself. I actually enjoy flushing doves over pass shooting just about any day. In deer-hunting, there are two major types of hunters. Those that sit in a tree stand and wait for a deer. And those that spot and stalk. Passive versus Proactive. To me, it’s kinda the same for dove hunting. Sitting around is just plain ol’ boring to me. I find flushing doves just much more appealing! I get more of a since of accomplishment for hunting and harvesting dove this way. You might too!

A benefit of flushing early season doves, is that it prepares you for the upcoming upland season. What better way to hone your rusty skills than hunting flushing-grey-rockets, shooting from out of the milo stubble?

 

Tips n’ Tricks

First thing is first! Safety! If you feel like you are fixing to trudge through the dove fields, be sure you do it safely. Not only is your safety important, but those you are hunting around should be considered as well. I probably would advise form refraining from doing a whole lot of jump-shooting in designated dove fields if the area is especially busy and crowded. Try to jump shoot during the afternoon, when birds are more likely to be feeding on the ground or perched up for a rest. There will likely be less hunters in the tree-line and visibility will be at its peak.

Be sure to have some sort of blaze orange on. Vest. Hat. Something to make you more visible when you are going through the fields.

Hunting Safety 101: Be sure of what you are shooting at and what is beyond your target. Dove fields are popular. Expect to have company out there! Respect other hunters’ space and be safe around them!

Dove will hold tight before flushing, especially during the early season. I would recommend an Improved Cylinder choke or even a Skeet choke. Modified choke will give you better chances of hitting birds that fly out fast and far, however.

As well as hunting fresh-cut fields, dove will hide in heavy cover of uncut milo and sunflower. Hunt along the edges of these areas. Walking along tree lines or telephone lines may also produce some good shooting as well. Look for dead trees too. Whatever the reason, they love to perch on dead trees!

You can even use a hybrid approach. Half pass-shooting. Half jump-shooting. If you are carrying a bunch of gear this can get annoying as hell, so pack light. If you are in a party, my recommendation is to work in conjunction with some “sitters”. Have some of your buddies sit on the tree-lines of well known flyways and go out and “stir the pot”, so to speak. This will get doves in the air, giving your buddies something to hopefully shoot at. You just might get lucky yourself while pushing through the field! **Note** This method takes careful planning and awareness of your surroundings for both parties (sitters and flushers). Shoot in safe directions and it might be a good idea to wear some blaze orange!

Need tips about hunting dove the traditional way? Check out this article.

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Jump-shooting doves is great way to be proactive in your hunt, especially when it gets slow out there. The practice of jump shooting doves presents challenging and exciting opportunities to prepare yourself for the upcoming upland seasons. Whatever the situation, there is no reason to not get off your rear-end and flush some doves!

 

God Bless and Happy Hunting!

-J.R.

 

 

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