...the only GOOD dove reports I read are from outfitters???

Just wonderin

you think, marketing? nah

I call them as I see them. I sell dove hunts here and will tell the truth about what I'm seeing here and around me, but it can change in a hurry. Sometimes there is a lot and sometimes not so much. Sure I want to sell hunts, but I'm not going to lie to do it...That's me, can't speak for other outfitters. I always tell my guys to come and enjoyed the time spent with family and friends, birds are a bonus. I've had times you can shoot a limit in 15 minutes and 3 days later you couldn't shoot a limit all day...Just hunting,,,

Around the Haskell area we have a crap lot of dove at the water holes that we have left. Not an outfitter.

Yep, its marketing. Still big outfitters with lots of land and different fields like sigfan and udamdan or ones that manage for dove like stompy, may all not have dove everywhere and may have up and down years, but they are usually going to have some dove somewhere opening day. Past history and hunter reports with them has shown that pretty much. I do notice a lot of outfitters in that section just don't say one way or the other. One just before your post here was an outfitter talking about a significant decrease in dove, so your analogy is not always the case.

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2519807

IMHO, wonder, your foolish if your taking dove reports from anyone with more than a grain of salt, considering opening weekend is still two weeks away. Anyway you look at it your better to go with who did you well in the past or scout the new rather than going in a place blind opening morning.

Amen Stompy & well said,

that's why they call it hunting for sure !!!

Can't blame em, it's hard to make a dollar these days.

Hey wonder, I gots plenty o birds and I ain't an outfitter

area is south of Austin

You could not have said it any better. I scout a lot and I always give my clients a honest report. Im a hunter myself and my father and I go on a dove hunt every year in South Texas with a different outfitter, I would hate to have a bad hunt so that is why I am up front with my clients.

I'm not an outfitter either, just a hunter. We have been checking the fields and have birds. Can't say for sure if there will still be as many come Sept 1st but I'm always hopeful.

I got birds and I am not an outfitter.

And yet another outfitter's report of not seeing dove like usual.

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2495073

I'm obviously not an outfitter and I did report a few days ago that I saw one field on DJ Farms that was covered in dove. Now not all the fields I saw were, but one in particular was about as good as it gets.

Unless I planned on using that guide I wouldn't worry about what they say. I do my own scouting. I gotta see it with my own eyes.

....no biggie, its just that I've heard of many, many landowners and outfitters both calling hunters and cancelling hunts due to the drought.

Glad to hear that a few of ya'll do have birds, ....I hope you slay um.

Our lease owner is an honest man and he told us not even bother with coming to Throckmorton.....said the whole country is burnt up. We are still lookin.

I'd like to throw in my two cents worth, for all it is worth. There have been a few guys mentioned by name in previous posts on this thread, which I would have to say, that if they tell me a rooster can pull a freight train, I'm going to put a harness on that chicken and turn him loose!

Any of you that have EVER hunted birds know that it can be feast one day, and famine the next. Just like fishing............you should've been here yesterday!!! Hunting is dynamic, things change by the minute.

I know there are probably some outfitters that may tell you they are covered up in dove, deer, hogs, chupacabras, or whatever. BUT, that is where looking at past history, references, and such come into play. The guys mentioned previously are not first time posters, and have a great reputation on this board. I'm sure they wouldn't want to EVER give any cause for doubt on their honest reports.

I do know that one of the outfitters in west Texas, told me he was not going to put any guys on certain fields he has had for many years, because it had been SO dry, the fields just didn't produce sunflowers and such. That gentleman is a straight up guy, that I will take his word in the future, because I KNOW he has his hunters best interest in mind.

1 YEAR WONDER, I hope you find you a great, reputable outfitter. Just like has been said before........do your research, and do a little scouting. I think there are really good, HONEST outfitters, and gentlemen out there. Sometimes they take a little work to find, but it's well worth it. I'm very happy with where we have ended up now, and hope you can get to your happy hunting ground as well.

This is Les.............signing off.

I have field of shredded sunflowers next freshly plowed corn field with a pond thats has water and trees . And I am not having the normal amounts of birds there. Why ??? I have no ideal 4 weeks ago it was loaded Is the heat ? high pressure ?

All the variables. They could be back tomorrow!!?!??

why are you reading dove reports....internet scouter????

Of all the names I have heard for new, inexperienced, and in recent years the internet scouting hunter going back in my 35 years or so of hunting such as nimrod, yahoo, barney, donut (guy's term ), and a few names that can't be said here, I think topwater wonder is about the silliest I have heard, but giving credit where due if topwater is his new name for an internet scouting duck hunter, what is the name for an internet scouting dove hunter?
Topgunner?

You better get there on the 31st or at noon on the first cause that place will fil up fast. The first year I hunted there wasnt a sole around after that it was like WWIII even during the week.

P.S.

Last year I camped there, the trucks started rolling in at around midnight on the 31st, I couldnt sleep cause all the trucks coming in....

Well said 6.8SPC Hunter as it's just huntin

That is some good advice, the anxiety of opening morning in an unfamiliar spot is not fun.

now you have me debating on going to DJ farms field or my place in young county.... good reports about DJ field and my father said there wernt too many at the family place this last weekend.. things can change so much in two weeks though...

I'll be honest...

We are driving many miles everyday seeing if we missed anything...but we aren't...

WE are finding pockets of dove here and there, but nothing like years past.

We have water, and we have food...just lacking the main ingredient... "DOVE"


WE have about 50 guys coming out to hunt the first couple days, which they will get some shooting in, but I don't think it will be a barn burner... But who knows...

It won't be a lack of looking!!!

J.J.

It's gunna be fun!