Dove Hunt

[x101airborne]

Last Thursday as I was coming out of the fields late I saw around 100 doves fly up out of a wild sunflower patch on our place. I asked my son if he wanted to hunt them since we havent had any doves anywhere else. Of course he said yes and he chose my Stoger 20 gauge semi-auto and I took my old Winchester 37 single shot in 16 gauge. The next afternoon he went through a box of shells in the 20 without hitting a single bird. I had dropped 4 out of frustration trying to get him on a bird. This was his first dove hunt so I wasn't expecting much, just gently encouraging him not to get frustrated and quit. 

To my surprise, he asked to switch shotguns. I thought that I couldn't believe someone of his generation would want to try an old antiquated single shot shotgun that doesn't have any plastic or holds more than one shell, but sure son, you can use it. First two shells fired dropped two doves. By then the hunt was pretty much over as I still had a lot of work to do before going home. 

On the road between ranches and other stops we talked shotguns and hunting. It hit me like a brick when he said when he mounted the Stoger he had to lift his head to find the bead. When he shouldered the Winchester as his face touched the stock, the bead was already centered and on top of the receiver. I have to crush my fat cheek into the wood stock to get a good bead. It was the fit of the shotgun for him, not that he cant shoot! A little more talking down the road and I mentioned I had bought the little Stoger 20 for him to hunt with. He responded that he would like to trade me for that Winchester 16 gauge. I giggled that they were both mine so I dont know how a trade was going to work out; but yes son, you can have the Winchester if you want. 

Makes me proud that Winchester is going to be well taken care of and used for another generation. Plus he had the pride of eating dove poppers that he and I harvested together. I think he glowed most of the evening. 

[bula]

First, YUM ! Doves. My first gun hunting was with shotguns. Dad got me a little Savage 410 single shot. My best friend had a Marlin bolt action 410 , a clumsy thing. When we moved up to pheasant we learned to pick the same rooster as best as possible. But doves ! So fast, and with afterburners.. I'm glad you figured out the problem and solution close to hand. 

[x101airborne]

My son liked the poppers so much he ate the bacon and the dove and threw away the jalapeno and cream cheese. He asked if we could make dove breast jerky. I said yeah, if we could ever kill enough to matter.

[contender]

Your son found out the importance of having a gun FIT the shooter. Kudos on giving him the gun that he desired.
I bet those doves tasted extra sweet thinking of the memory behind them.

[bigbrowndog]

Fit is so often overlooked these days and in a shotgun it is very important. I had so many competitive practical shotgunners overlook or ignore the importance of fit. Many of the issues of hitting with a SG can be attributed to fit. Which is why the bigger names in SG sports insist on fitting the shooter before selling them a gun.

Trapr

[x101airborne]

I couldn't see it, but I bet I glowed more than he did just getting to hunt doves with my son. Glowed a little more when he wanted that Winchester.

Like a cast bullet in a revolver, shotgun fit to the shooter is king. I knew this but I had let it slip memory. They hammered us on this in 4H and FFA shooting sports; but hell, that was only 35 years ago. LOL.

[flyfisher66048]

Shotgun fit is important! Back in the day I was on the national team as a skeet shooter. My mom was a state champion, and Dad was inducted into the state skeet shooting hall of fame. I tell you that to tell this story about my first trip with a new SKB shotgun.

There we were hunting pheasants with my uncle in KS, and we noticed a lone Canada’s goose sitting on a small pond. I dumped all my lead shot, and went to jump shoot that goose. I sneaked up close enough, and stood up to flush that goose while under the watchful eye of my family. I let the goose get to the appropriate range for my choke, and confidently fired the first barrel, and missed. No problem, just a little embarrassing. I fired the other barrel, and missed again. I ducked down, and reloaded. To my amazement, that goose circled around, and passed within an easy 30 yards. Station 4 on the skeet range with a GOOSE as a target! Too easy! I fired both barrels and missed both shots. I almost died of embarrassment. Needless to say my family offer heartfelt encouragement on my shooting abilities…

When I got back to Fort Hood, I went to to see the gunsmith to have him look at the shotgun fit. His comment was “of course you missed, the shotgun isn’t pointed where you are looking”. He went to work on the stock with a rasp. After a couple of tries, he deemed it good enough to try. I took that shotgun to the skeet range and shot a very nice 25 out of 25. All the hits just crushed the target with IC/M chokes. I came back to tell the gunsmith the results, his comment was the price went up $25. Worth it!

Yes, shotgun fit is very important.

[x101airborne]

I certainly wish there was a known 'smith who could fit a shotgun locally here. Seems like a lost art.

[45MAN]

WOW, I THINK ALL MY SHOTGUNS NEED FITTING.

[woody]

Nov 1, 2022 21:10:35 GMT -5 x101airborne said:

I certainly wish there was a known 'smith who could fit a shotgun locally here. Seems like a lost art.

Where are you located?

[bula]

Understand for many, game birds are breasted, and only meat saved. For us, young hunters and a Britt pup, they were precious and too few due to habitat and bycycle range. Then I forget which winter, mid '70's blizzards and then freezing over the top, wiped out the quail and knocked numbers of grouse and pheasant down some too. Point being, we kept, cleaned, cooked whole birds, even dove. I forget what we stuffed them with, but wiped with butter, a pat on top, rolled in foil. Into oven or fire they went. The BnB we got to in northern Allegheny Forest Penn., has smoked BBQ duck wings on it's app menu... A Yuengling on the table with, Bula a happy man. 

[seminolewind]

Dove hunts used to be a fall ritual after the peanut crop had been picked where I grew up in SW Georgia. Smother fried birds with rice and gravy, biscuits and butterbeans, and the birds all had their little legs and wings still attached for the miniscule amount of meat they provided. Chew softly so you don't break a tooth on lead shot.

[x101airborne]

Nov 2, 2022 6:20:41 GMT -5 woody said:

Nov 1, 2022 21:10:35 GMT -5 x101airborne said:

I certainly wish there was a known 'smith who could fit a shotgun locally here. Seems like a lost art.

Where are you located?

Victoria, Tx. 

[45MAN]

I MOSTLY SHOOT WHITE WING DOVES, BUT WHETHER WW DOVES, MOURNING DOVES OR THE OCCASIONAL FERAL EURASIAN DOVE, I PLUCK THEM ALL. BREAsTING AIN'T BETTER ITS JUST EASIER.

[flyfisher66048]

Nov 2, 2022 6:20:41 GMT -5 woody said:

Nov 1, 2022 21:10:35 GMT -5 x101airborne said:

I certainly wish there was a known 'smith who could fit a shotgun locally here. Seems like a lost art.

Where are you located?

At the time I was at Fort Hood, but that was 2 decades ago. The gunsmith doesn’t have to be known, just skilled..