Have any of you noticed better results in a dove field with a camo or matte finish gun versus a glossy finish? Early season birds seem not to notice, but later season birds seem to be more wary.
Have any of you noticed better results in a dove field with a camo or matte finish gun versus a glossy finish? Early season birds seem not to notice, but later season birds seem to be more wary.
Late season birds notice a lot more of everything. They are more worried about you than that gun.
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I have hunted with a matte finish/black gun for the last 11 years and I deffinitely noticed the difference.
I hunt doves with a bright-blued Beretta that has a chromed bolt. I find that, if I conceal myself the way I want to, I conceal the gun as well. I HAVE, when practical, turned the gun so that the bolt was not in a reflective orientation, when birds are approaching. Other than that, I don't sweat it.
"Only accurate rifles are interesting " - Col. Townsend Whelen
movement seems to have more effect than camo. Late season birds will flare as soon as you turn your head, if you try to pre mount the gun,,,,,,forget it. I just try to stand into the corn and be still. At the last possible moment turn, mount and fire.
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It's movement..
Move and flare em at the right moment and the shot/bird ratio goes up......
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late season doves don't care what youre wearing if it's cold.
Yup Many a times ive seen the sun light flash off a gun barrel or action from across a field but if you keep them down so that its not acting like a mirror then all should be good.
Late season birds are without a doubt more wary and movement will flare a bird but they have got to eat sometime.
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I currently hunt with a camo benelli 20 ga, but have noticed the same flash of a high gloss gun acroos a field. I agree that movement seems to have more effect on turning birds though.
I try to distance myself away from those people that come to the field at the last possible minute wearing light colored clothing and sitting on a white or bright yellow plastic bucket and sky blasting at birds that need oxygen masks.
20guages are for pussies...
Dale Jr owns nothing but 20 gauges.
Warning: The Surgeon General has determined that turkey hunting is an addictive activity that will disrupt normal sleep patterns!
Good points on the late season birds.
Even in the first split, pay attention to blending in. Camo all over (albeit lightweight!), and will often wear a face mask as well. Put the brightly colored shell boxes out of sight.
And be STILL...
"Only accurate rifles are interesting " - Col. Townsend Whelen
You may need 4 dozen dove decoys
Dale (pussyface)Jr still shoots a BB gun
Last edited by Turd Ferguson; 08-16-2009 at 12:47 PM.
Conservation Permit Holder #2765
Retired Porn Star
For me One mojo dove decoy seems to do the trick. A camo umbrella turkey blind helps me and my lab blend in when in the middle of a large field.
20 Guages in a dove field are for those who can pick their shots, hit the intended target and give the lowly dove a sporting chance. Call that pussyfied if you must.
Some of my best days in a dove field have been spent on my bright orange bucket with my pump 410 in my hands. When I've got my mirrored lense Costas on and my lucky neon green nascar t-shirt on I find it hard to miss a bird. However, on the days when it's overcast and I don't need my Costas, and my neon t-shirt didn't make the cut on laundry day, and my bright orange bucket is so deep in the grass that you can't really see it, and my trusty pump 410 is at the gunsmiths for a tune-up, I'm not quite the shooter I normally am. I have to bring 16 shells to the field instead of the usual 15 for my limit.
Since 1998 I have hunted the same dove field in North Georgia on the opening day. The "top field," which is where I take the same stand year after year is the hottest of four "areas" which make up the dove field. Year after year it is a true barn burner. For several years I wore full camo and concealed myself well in the bottom left corner of the field. However, I started to notice the flight pattern of the birds. For the past few years I've worn carhart shorts and my 2003 scducks poker run t-shirt (supersticious thing). I know what the flight pattern of the field is (for the past few years) and I use that to my advantage. Last year I had my limit in about 45 minutes because I knew how the birds wanted to come into the field.
Bottom line, if you've hunted the same field for a few seasons you should know the main flight pattern of the birds. If you position yourself in that flight pattern camo is much less of a concern.
Because my hair is thin on the top of my head I wear a hat. I'm an instinctive shooter so I shoulder my gun half a second before I pull the trigger. As long as I'm still and in the right spot, filling my bag isn't an issue. The real issue is figuring out my target picture/sight picture and connecting with dastardly doves .
For two years (2006/2007) I hunted a very large dove field (about 35 acres). The flight pattern changed every hunt it seemed. I had the best luck when I put the sun in my face with a mojo 50 yards in front of me. I wore full camo and concealed myself well, with the exception of my sunglasses. I had better luck than the rest of the guys on the field.
If you have previous years' knowledge of the hotspots on the field (flight pattern) do what you can to get in the right spot. If you just can't get in the right spot make sure to keep movement to a minimum, keep shell boxes and empties covered with burlap or in your dove stool/seat and keep an eye on the guy(s) who are in the flight pattern. When they limit out and leave take over their [previous] position.
I tend to stick to my sidebyside and the sunflash off of the gun has nothing to do with the number of birds I fell, in my opinion.
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