Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am in West Texas working on law projects. However, in the morning and evening I am out scouting for dove. Since it is 102 to 105 outside, during the middle of the day I escape inside and play lawyer.
The number of doves flying into my tank this morning was really encouraging. There were several hundred doves in groups of 10 to 20 flying into my tank (aka pond). I believe the dove currently like my tank since it has about 7 feet of bare surface all around the tank to the water (drought – 7 inches of rain in the last year). The winter wheat fields (220 acres) on my place have doves in them. The trees are NOT hot, heavy and loaded with dove yet. I love to see ten to twenty dove in every tree in the evenings, but we are not there yet. However, I am seeing way way more dove this year than last year (which is not high hurdle as last year there was nominal, if any, local dove – see freeze February 2021). I will be going to different locations every morning and evening for the next four to five days scouting.
The number of doves is not yet to the stage where I say “get your mule out here, it is hot and heavy”, but is way better than the “don’t come here, we have no dove” (see my last year’s September 13, 2021 report on 24 Outfitters LLC website). Needless to say, I take it personally when you do not get your limits of dove and it drives me NUTS. Unfortunately, I have not figured out how to control weather, dove, and migration habits of birds. I do know who does control such items, so I pray to the Living God, for favorable results. Thank God, we have some dove right now.
Regardless of number of dove, please pray for these farmers and ranchers, they need rain NOW and good amount of it thereto (slow steady rain for about one month at about 10 inches over such period – maybe a tropical storm will come up out of South Texas and stall over West Texas). Many tanks are dry. Many farmers are selling their cattle. You want to talk about a profession relying on God, talk to a farmer (I have the ultimate respect for these men and women).
I have some availability for day hunters most all the weekends in dove season (on some weekends, to the extent large enough groups coming thereto).
In addition, I have openings for the full package:
- House and cabin to some extent, opening weekend (September 3rd to 5th - Saturday afternoon to Monday afternoon),
- But full August 31 to September 3 (Saturday morning);
- Cabin, second weekend (September 9 to 11);
- Cabin, third weekend (September 16 to 18);
- Open rest of weekends, except October 14th to 16th and October 21st to 23rd.
Now going on my 7th year of doing this business, please read the following.
The first three weekends of dove season we are normally killing the local dove.
Last year we were not killing many, if any, local dove because of the freeze.
A few years ago, we had black oil sunflowers all over my fields and no dove.
Other years, we have absolutely slaughtered the dove the first three weekends.
Then a front will come through with rain, and a field with 5,000 doves in it prior
to the front will have 10 doves in it the next day.
After the first three weekends, we are relying on cold fronts to push down Northern dove.
No cold fronts, well you get the idea.
Cold fronts, come now come all.
Book accordingly.
Ryan
