2019/20 South Ga.Dove Club

[Turkeytider]

As someone that lives in SW GA, a landowner, and hunts about all that you can in the area, it's important to appreciate the challenge of running a dove club. So many things come into play, from land access to weather and to the limited numbers of hunting days and how they happen to match up with bird numbers and migration. Having a few good shoots is one thing; trying to do it regularly is completely different.
It takes scouting, counting birds, and usually some sort of manipulation to the field, which includes burning, dragging, and often some sort of post-harvest planting (among the legal things).
Standing around a peanut field talking to people can be enjoyable for a bit, but if you're there with high hopes to shoot birds, that isn't necessarily the best way to spend an afternoon. Doing it right once or twice takes some effort; doing it a lot and consistently well takes work, contacts, and a lot of luck.
Another factor is that they've finally shifted the limited number of legally available hunting days to the end of the season. To me, this is great since that's when the migratory birds are there. Problem is, most of the food is gone from the vast majority of fields. You can have some of your best hunts during the latter part of the season, but you have to have a field that still has food. Doing that legally is tough. Can definitely be done, but often takes preplanning and some investment in that field long before the hunting day.

Excellent post. No guarantees, for sure. I`m personally very appreciative of Ray and anybody else who puts out that kind of effort. I`ve personally always actually enjoyed the uncertainty of dove, wild quail, ducks, turkey, etc. as opposed to "guaranteed" hunts. In no way condemning the folks who hunt put birds, mind, it`s just not my cup of tea.

 

[bigbonner]

I grow a 24 acre dove field for KY Fish and Wildlife I make $325 per acre . I have to plant half in sunflowers and half in millet .
I use Clearfield sunflowers and spray but with all the early rain we have had the past two years I can not get the millet to grow and the weeds out of the sunflowers. Last year my dove field and several corn and soybean crop fields flooded. My field is flat and is 45 acres total with 24 acres in food plot.
One year I had the best and only good food plot in KY . My field was packed with over 150 hunters. So a private club would be more better as you would bot be over crowded.
If Fish and Wildlife ever quits supporting my field I have thought about finding a sponsor for making it a veterans only field , youth only field or a pay field . My field is flat and easily accessed by handicapped persons.

 

[Hooked On Quack]

I'd love to go down there and shoot dove.
Little Jose loading my gun for me and opening my cervezas as needed.

Mexico is awesome, but doesn't hold a candle to Argentina, best $$$ I ever spent.

 

[Raybo1]

Spring I really liked your words of wisdom. I have been hunting doves for over 45 years and been involved with a dove club for over 37 years. I believe what makes a good hunt is scouting all the way up to the time that everybody shows to hunt. I always have a backup plan if the birds leave. You can't see the birds on Sunday and show up the next Saturday and hope the birds are still there. I have over 30K acres of harvested fields to find the birds on multiple land owners in 5 counties. We have several scouts that watch fields every day up to the day of the shoot. This still is no guarantee that the birds will show up. Dove are migratory and will leave. When they leave you go find them and hope they end up where we can shoot them. Thanks for all the support and kind words. If you expect to kill your limit or more every time you go then Georgia is not for you. Like a couple others have mentioned you need to go to Argentina or Mexico.

 

[Hooked On Quack]

Hard to do, but when you got 'em, choot 'em. Been playing, spending $$$ on this for many 'o year.

 

[Turkeytider]

Spring I really liked your words of wisdom. I have been hunting doves for over 45 years and been involved with a dove club for over 37 years. I believe what makes a good hunt is scouting all the way up to the time that everybody shows to hunt. I always have a backup plan if the birds leave. You can't see the birds on Sunday and show up the next Saturday and hope the birds are still there. I have over 30K acres of harvested fields to find the birds on multiple land owners in 5 counties. We have several scouts that watch fields every day up to the day of the shoot. This still is no guarantee that the birds will show up. Dove are migratory and will leave. When they leave you go find them and hope they end up where we can shoot them. Thanks for all the support and kind words. If you expect to kill your limit or more every time you go then Georgia is not for you. Like a couple others have mentioned you need to go to Argentina or Mexico.

If I had to shoot a limit each time I went in order for it to be a successful day, I'd have quit many years ago! Just thankful to be able to get out some during a season.

 

[groundhawg]

I drive 2-2 1/2 hours from Atlanta for these shoots. Ray's a stand-up guy.

Very true. Have hunted with Ray several times over the past 5 or 6 years. He does his best to insure everyone has a safe, great time. Can not make birds fly over your head or that someone (me) can hit them but he sure tries to make everyone welcome, safe and get a good chance at shooting at some birds.

 

[Turkeytider]

Very true. Have hunted with Ray several times over the past 5 or 6 years. He does his best to insure everyone has a safe, great time. Can not make birds fly over your head or that someone (me) can hit them but he sure tries to make everyone welcome, safe and get a good chance at shooting at some birds.

That`s all you can ask IMO. Hunting wild birds equals no guarantees.

 

[Mark K]

That’s probably why they have so many shoots...you’re bound to get on a few barn burners!
I have been on guided hunts for wild birds where people pay BIG money and have a crappy day. That’s just hunting.

 

[trad bow]

If I wasn’t having knee surgery in two weeks I would be all over this. Hope everyone has a great time

 

[Dennis]

If I wasn’t having knee surgery in two weeks I would be all over this. Hope everyone has a great time

Get that knee fixed I'm thinking next year I want in on this club. What do you think

 

[trad bow]

I am planning on it.

 

[twtabb]

How much does one pay to attend a dove shoot? I have a 70 acre peanut field located in sw ga.

 

[firebass96]

do you shoots mornings afternoons or both