DOVE HUNTING 101

Understanding your role as a hunter

Goals of our mentored hunt SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT!! Have FUN!!! Learn about & experience the hunt Spend time with friends and family Meet new people Harvest some tasty doves for dinner!

Legal Doves in the Southeast Mourning dove Eurasian collared dove

Doves are seed-eaters. They feed on sunflowers, corn, wheat, oats, millet and other grain crops. Proso millet Brown top millet Sorghum

Sunflowers are hard to beat!

Doves often light on snags or power lines before landing Doves often light on snags or power lines before landing. Points, ditches, borders between stubble and plowed ground, fence and tree lines, tall trees and other structure serve as reference points for flying doves, as well.

GUNS When selecting a dove-hunting shotgun, a good all-around choice is a 20, 16 or 12-gauge autoloader with screw-in choke tubes. Pumps, double-barrels and over-and-unders work fine, but because doves are fast and difficult to hit, many hunters prefer autoloaders, which allow three quick shots before a bird gets out of range. SHOT Stick to smaller shot sizes 71/2, 8, or 9 It takes only a few small pellets to down a dove.

Pre-hunt practice is very helpful!

Shooters are spaced 75 yards apart for safety

During this time of watching and waiting, the hunter must practice the most important firearms handling rule. Always keep your gun pointed in a safe direction!

A GOOD RULE OF THUMB Be sure you can see daylight underneath the dove when shooting. If you aren’t sure –DON’T SHOOT! Remember, once you pull the trigger it is too late to wish you hadn’t!

Allow doves to come within 25 to 35 yards before shooting  Remain motionless until an incoming dove is within your shooting range.       Shoulder your gun quickly, keep your head on the stock, swing through the dove, pull the trigger and follow through with the shotgun swing in one smooth, continuous movement.

Things to remember The daily bag limit in South Carolina for doves is 15. Hunters must make an effort to retrieve any downed bird and include it in his or her daily bag. Remember to purchase and have your hunting license/and migratory bird permit.

Check your autoloading or repeating shotgun Check your autoloading or repeating shotgun. It must be plugged so as to be limited to three shells. Songbirds, hawks, and owls are protected by state and federal laws and should not be targets of the thoughtless gunner. Any person violating the law by taking these birds will be punished with a fine up to $500. Sparrow hawk or “Kestrel” Ground dove

Having a well trained, well mannered hunting dog can add to your hunting experience!

What about decoys?

Hunt rules and procedures Each hunter/mentor will be dropped off at their hunt location. No one loads their gun until they are at their assigned stand. The hunt will not begin until after the signal of three consecutive shots fired — the hunt master will arrange this. Water should be carried in by each hunter or brought to stands by the hunt master. All shooters should pick up all trash, including shotgun shells — if possible, leaving the area better than they found it.