6/15 Dove Report

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 The winter wheat is starting to fall to the ground.  Therefore, there should be thousands on thousands (or millions on millions) of acres of winter wheat heads on the ground on and around our hunting areas.  Again, as I told you in the past report, the winter wheat was too short in most places to make hay and also too short to combine.  Therefore, the insurance adjuster was called, then the cattle were turned in for grazing thereto.

 The wild sunflowers were 5 feet tall before the 2 plus inches of rain last week.  More rain is expected this next week.  Therefore, I expect the wild sunflowers to be 7 feet tall or taller when the other farmers and I start mowing strips in the fields. 

 The following is what I have available right now:

     a. August 31, September 1, 2, and 3 (M, T, W, Th): 

1. Day hunts ($175 pp),  
2. A few more full package hunts ($1,125 pp), and
3. Includes:
   1. 3 nights lodging,
   2. 8 meals, and
   3. 5 potential hunts,

     b. September 4, 5, 6, 7 (F, S, S, M): 

1. Just had a group cancel on full package, 
2. 15 more spots give or take for day hunts ($175 pp),
3. 24 spots open on full package hunts ($1,225 pp), and
4. Includes:
   1. 3 nights lodging,
   2. 8 meals, and
   3. 6 potential hunts,

     c. September 11, 12, 13 (F, S, S):

1. Day hunts ($150 pp),  
2. 18 spots open on full package hunts ($850 pp), and
3. Includes:
   1. 2 nights lodging,
   2. 5 meals, and
   3. 4 potential hunts,

     d. September 18, 19 and 20 (F, S, S):

1. Day hunts ($150 pp),  
2. Full packages are all taken ($850 pp), and
3. Includes:
   1. 2 nights lodging,
   2. 5 meals, and
   3. 4 potential hunts.

Pending the number of birds, we could open the last two weekends in October for additional dove hunting.  Normally, we need some cold weather to push down more northern birds after September 20th, and I am not booking hunts unless we have good numbers of birds.  Based on the grain I see in West Texas right now, we could have an amazing dove season with birds non-stop (yes, Byron, think a few years ago and 15-minute limits).  I don’t control birds, but I do control the land rights and desire for winter wheat fields, wild sunflower fields, and/or winter wheat with wild sunflower fields to chase the birds.

Ryan Gardner