# HUNT ?



## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Sound of rain on a tin roof - Scent of gun oil - muddy boots & tired PUPS - Bourbon neat in a plastic cup - End of Day - Family & Friends - PIKE's world !!!!!!!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

45 days till were back in the field, and Cash has a dove in his mouth.
REM how are your dove fields looking?
I think I'm going to drive out this weekend and check on some of ours, then head over to a field were I can hear the quail call. I have missed that sound over the summer, but heard they had a good hatch.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Tex - the sunflowers were at their peak a week ago - the down side is the farm pond is in corn & they just cut over a 1000acs of winter wheat in our area - will be hard to get large flocks 2 come in - + side my friends fields in horse country with very few crops in the area will V fantastic !!!!! the farm pond is always great late in the evening when the doves come in to roost in the willows - this is why I have PIKE - almost imposible to find downed birds in the corn without a pup !!!!!! it has been a fantastic breeding season 4 doves - they are just spread out !


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

If the Heart is a Lonely Hunter ? I Take my PUP !!!!


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Tex ? is PIKE Ripped - a life off lead & hunting - returns these PUPS into what they were bred 4 - PURE ATHLIETS !!!!!!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

No doubt he's in great shape, lots of lean muscle mass.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Tex as U know - a wounded Canada in the water - your V has 2 V on it's A GAME - LOL


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

That's one thing I haven't hunted YET. We do get a few of the lesser ones near the coast, but not the one like you shot. The only time I had a chance at taking one, they left the pond 15 minutes before legal shoot time.
I play by the rules, but it sure is tempting when they fly right over you.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

With all the rain we have had it looks like the crops will be harvested early than normal. The dove may clean up the fields, and move along before the season starts. Ill just have to do some scouting closer to September.
I did run the dogs yesterday, and heard the sweet sound of quail calling across the field. A lot of the cover is between knee and thigh high. I got kind of caught up in the sound and enjoying the dogs covering the field. Then I caught some movement ahead of us, that brought me back to reality.
We weren't the only predators in the field. There was a large coyote eyeing the dogs only about 30 yards from them. 
I whistled them back to me, and made a change in direction.
He wasn't worried about us and finally decided to trot off in another direction.
Most of the time coyotes will keep a good distance, and I didn't care for how comfortable this one was getting that close.
I'm debating going back out with a predator call, and trying to get a clean shot on him. If he starts to bother the young calves, they will put donkeys in the pasture to protect them. A donkey will stomp a dog if given the chance, and I'd like to keep having a place to run the dogs on wild quail.

Picture of how green the field is right now.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Tex - in KY - great spring 4 crops - then dried up - the wheat got cut a mo early - the + side - the corn will V great late in the season 4 Ducks - sometimes u win - sometimes u loose - have never lost with PIKE in the field - no birds - who cares !!!!!!! - feathers in the mouth - PIKE hunts every day like it will happen !!!!!!!!!!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I'm not stressing over it. It may make for a little tougher dove hunt, but the quall have had a near perfect breeding season. Good cover and lots of insects for the babies. Just keeping my fingers crossed that mother nature keeps up the good work.

I've gotten a little spoiled by the last 2 years dove hunting. You could limit out in 30 minutes. This year just means I may actually do some hunting, instead of just shooting.
The down side is with the September heat, I can only keep Cash working in a field so long.


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## sniper john (Jun 17, 2010)

Not stressing over it here either. Whatever happens with the Dove for this year, I will be out there on the 1st hunting them no matter what. It will be the first leg of one long challenging hunting road trip. After a few days Dove hunting, I will be leaving Texas for the southern CO Mountains to hunt Blue Grouse, then to the Northern CO sage desert and nearby wetlands to hunt Sage Grouse, Snipe, Rail, and who knows what else, then to the Western Kansas prairie and lakes to hunt Prairie Chickens and Teal. Can't wait.


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