Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-09-10
SEASONS OPEN THIS WEEK
Doves Trickiest of Hunters Torqets
BY CHARLES COVELL
outdoor Editor

opens Tuesday in Maryland
and on Friday in Virginia. If
you think you're pretty fair
with a scatter gun, go out and
bag a few.
Don't think it will be easy.
OF all the frustrating targets,
doves are the worst. They have
no need to rely on thick cover
for protection. Their speed is
their defense; that and their
cratic flight plus a small body
and thick breast covering that
protects vital organs.
Doves take alarm easily and
when one spots a hunter the
air suddenly becomes filled
with tiny, self-guided missiles.
Bagging one on a cross shot
calls for two things - a long
lead and tight pattern.
Water Hole Important
Veteran hunters have ia
yorite fields to which they re-
turn year after year, first
scouting them, of course, to be
sure the doves are there. Like
trout fishermen with their IA
vorite holes, they are under
standably reluctant to reveal
the locations, so the newcomer
must find his own.
A water hole is of prime i'm
portance. This can be a farm
pond or small lake. In late
afternoon after gorging them
selves on waste grain or weed
seeds, the doves visit the wa
tering places, so wise hunters
station themselves between the
fields and the water hole.
Next look for a picked over
corn field. It's strictly illegal
of course, to bait a field, but
legal enough to hunt where
commercial harvesting has left
a few kernels. A field fringed
by woodland is ideal.
Fond of Grain
Doves are very fond of corn
but they also like wheat, oats,
buckwheat and cowpeas as we'll
as all sorts of weed seeds.
Final step ist o obtain the
property owners permission, in
writing, to hunt on his land.
Shooting hours are noon to
sunset and in both Maryland
and Virginia the daily bag lin
it is IL and possession limit "a.
When the appointed day
comes, the hunters should sta
ton themselves around the
edges of the field to await the
doves. Some like to throw to-
gether a few sheaves of grain
or grass for a blind. Others
may lie or sit at the edge of
the field or just inside the ad-
jacent woodland.
Bring a Stool
Sitting on the ground puts
one in poor shooting position
and kneeling is tiresome, so
many veteran hunters bring
small stools or a box. If they
remain motionleSs. they can re-
lax in comfort without much
chance of alarming the birds.
To give the doves a sporting
chance, don't place yourself too
near the water hole. When the
birds come in they will be slow
ing down and in some cases
actually alighting.
Sometimes, for one reason or
another, the doves refuse to
fly. That's god time to try
walking them up in field of
stubble. It's the most sporting
type of shooting because the
birds usually flush at long
range, then fly low and err
radically.
No. 8 Shot Good Choice
Chokes for dove shooting
should be modified or full for
the dense patterns usually nee
essary and No. 8 shot is a good
choice, although sizes can very
between 71a and 9. In the
lighter gauges, Is or 20, mag I
mum loads may be useful.
Finding a downed dove is
often difficult, especially in
tall grass, so a good retriever !
can help. 1t will help to sharp
en- the dogs nose for later ,
hunting.
Doves are now legal game
in more than half the States.
Despite the vast numbers taken {
each year, they continue to
multiply so that no shortage
is forecast.
One reason is their breed
ing habits. Doves breed
throughout the country and
are the only game birds known
to raise two or more broods a
year.
The season opened Septem-
Der in Pennsylvania and hunt
ers reported varying success.
In the southern part of the
State, the best area, some
bagged their limits, but others
said hunting was lust fair"
Two Drawbacks Found
The latter noted two draw
backs, the late start of the
growing season which caused
grains and weed seeds to ma
ture two or three weeks later ]
than usual and a wet" sum-
mer which has made vegeta-
ton unusually green for this
time of year.
Pennsylvania's season closes
November 9 with hours and
bag limits the same as in
Maryland and Virginia.