This weekend it was off to Crowell, TX for a little dove hunting. It’s the third time in the last four years I’ve been and the hunting was the best it has been. There was 10 to 11 of us. My dad and I were the only ones from out of state, the others were from around the Dallas area. We got into town late morning on Friday and met up with the others for lunch. About 2:00pm we made it out to the grounds, it was about 95 degrees not much shade and a little breeze. We where there till 6:30pm and then headed in. Tally for the day was only two. Dinner was boiled shrimp with potatoes, onions, corn on the cob, and other vegetables…. excellent.

Saturday we started early, about 6:45am just before daybreak. The birds were flying better and when we went in for breakfast I had two more. Not stellar numbers by any means, as the limit is 15, but I did shoot more so maybe the practice will pay in the afternoon. Weather this morning was great 65 when we got there and maybe 75 by the time we went in at 9:45. Breakfast was eggs made to order, hot cakes, corn bread, sausage, bacon, and home made rolls. We had some time to kill before going back out in the afternoon some of us just hung around and chatted and others went fishing.

Saturday afternoon would be the best of the two days. One of the other guys let us borrow his MoJo which really helped bring in the birds. Four was all I got for the afternoon but i did take a lot of shots, 50. I wish I could say it was the wind that contributed to the large number of misses but more than likely it was the operator. I may need to take some lessons <grin>. Dinner was steak, potatoes, and a few veggies… again excellent

Sunday was an early day as we headed out at six, my drive would be 14 hours and just over 12 for my dad. It was a good trip we saw a lot of dove and had plenty to shoot at. Now if I can just get better to bring up my average.

Last year was my first time Dove hunting. I didn’t land many but it was a good time. This year’s trip was Sept. 11th-15th, same place, and met with similar results. The birds were flying on Friday afternoon as I was one for one with my first shot, but that’s where my luck ran out. I hit one more before we headed in and that would be all I’d get. So for the second year in a row I come home with only two birds.

Regardless of the quantity it was still a good time. Saturday came and went with very few birds getting hit by the whole group, they just weren’t flying like Friday. So I may have to brush up before next year, practice couldn’t hurt the numbers by any means !!!!

On Thursday morning I left for a long weekend of dove hunting with my dad, uncle, and friends in Crowel, TX. My dad has been going for a number of years now but this was my first time. In fact it was the first time I picked up a gun since I was probably 8 or 9. Needless to say it was going to be an interesting couple days.

As dad was driving down from IL we met in Springfield, MO and I left the truck at an office the company I work for has there. It was a nice drive through MO on route 60, I didn’t realize they grew cotton ???? We drove to Chickasaw, OK stayed the night and went on to Crowel, TX Firday morning. After checking in to the motel and getting some lunch we headed out to where we were going to hunt, about 15 minutes away. When I use to travel for work I’d hit some rural areas every once in I while, it brought back the memories !!!

Thanks to my uncle who provided the gun and the box of clay pigeons for practice I got in a few shots before we went out. Weather was good but the birds weren’t flying that much, by 6:30pm I had shot about a dozen rounds but only pegged two. The two were questionable since one was wounded fluttering my way which made for an eazy shot. We headed back to camp for dinner that was deep fried fish, fries, hush puppies, a few dove, and apple cobler…. excellent.

Saturday morning it was up at 5:30am and out to the grounds by 6:00am. As we drove out on the property it started to rain so most of us came back to camp accept for a few die hards. Once the rain let up we headed back out about 8:00 but their wasn’t much action. We all came in for a late breakfast of eggs and ham, eggs and sausage and hashbrounds again food was really good. After drying out and new socks we went back out in the early afternoon. The rain in the morning did nothing to cool things off as it got very warm. Sitting in the field with little shade made for a roasting afternoon. So much so at about 3:00pm I headed back to the truck to cool off in the shade for about a half an hour. What made it worse was I maybe saw two or three dove the whole afternoon. By 5:00pm things started to pick back up and my dad got two late and I again hit a wonded bird fluttering by so maybe that was half a bird for me.

As we sat on the truck watching the sun set we had a visit from the game worden, very nice guy, and the dinner horn sounded. We headed back in for steak, veggies, and apple cobler… need I say it again. The birds may not have been flying, of course I really wouldn’t know as this was my first time, but spending time with my dad and the others was great. Everyone had to get back Sunday so we left for home about 6:30am. I was back in Nashville at 11:30pm, a long day driving but worth it.

In the end I probably watched them fly by more than actually hunting but you’ve got to start somewhere.