Dove Hunting | Prepare for Opening Day Dove Season

Successful Dove Hunting Strategies!

SCOUT THE FIELD

When preparing for the upcoming dove season it pays great rewards if you have done your homework and familiarized yourself with the specific structures in the field. This is the only reliable tactic that can tell you where the birds are coming from, when they start arriving, and where they concentrate their field activities. It pays to be prepared. Don’t just show up “blind” and expect to have a worthwhile outing. Have two or three good spots in mind when you arrive. It is worth get there early. It is much better to sit and wait an hour or so gazing at a bird-less sky than to arrive and find the best spots are already taken and the little feathered “rockets” are already pitching in.

USE THE SUNLIGHT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

When picking a set-up spot on a dove field, take several factors into consideration. Let the sun and its relationship to where you are setting up be high on your list. Keep the sun to your back whenever possible. Doves are tough enough to hit under ideal circumstances. Don’t handicap yourself by having to stare into the glare of blinding morning or afternoon sunbeams.

KNOW THE TERRAIN AND STRUCTURES

The average dove hunter seldom pays enough attention to good dove hunting structure. There are always certain things, other than what they’re feeding on, that draw birds once they’ve arrived over the field. It could be a grove of trees, a power line cutting across the field, or even a contour change in the lay of the land itself. An added place to consider as a prime set-up location on many dove fields is an isolated patch of sandy ground. Like most birds, especially of the seed-eating variety, doves find a good supply of gravel or grit essential. A field often features a spot where rain runoff has caused an accumulation of exposed gritty or sandy soil. Coupled with an abundance of food on the ground, such locations can act as a magnet to birds that are naturally seeking both necessities in other similar locations.

Food on the ground all over the field will obviously scatter and disperse the doves. A hunter sitting near a visible patch of sandy/rocky ground will often get a concentration of birds headed for one place that offers more than one of the things they need. Following all of this information will be rewarding on your next Dove Hunting Season.

Share/Save

Hunting Knives | Lockback Hunting Knife

Buying Lockback Hunting Knife!

Every person that takes to the hunting woods needs a variety of hunting knives in their backpack to tackle any task that presents itself. One of the knives that needs to be in your arsenal is a midsize lockback knife. Carrying a high quality Lockback Hunting Knife give you several key advantages.

Lockback and folding blade knives are available with one handed opening feature that utilizes a small thumb lever to assist in the opening of the blade. Most quality folding knives have another feature that makes them safer to use, it is a locking feature that, after opening the blade stays locked to prevent accidental closing that could cause injury to you. When closing the knife you must depress a small locking lever and the blade will fold back into the handle. Personally the lockback hunting knife is the safest knife to carry if worn on your belt. These knives are generally smaller in size and will fit neatly into a pocket or a small belt sheath. Folding lockback knives are great for everyday use as well, but because of their smaller size, may not be the best choice to butcher larger game.

Lockback Hunting Knife Handles

Choosing the knife handle material for your lockback knife is a preference of the user. There is a wide range of materials available some better than others. Some materials are more for looks like the Rosewood and the cocobola wood handle. The wood handle is more susceptible to water damage if not kept dry and when butchering may get slick. The stag horn and composite knife handles are generally less expensive take less maintenance for the user. This, in my opinion makes these lockback hunting knives durable for years down the road.

When making your decision on which type of lockback hunting knife to buy keep in mind this knife is compact and less cumbersome to carry. I myself carry a mid-size lockback knife on my hunting trips. I use it as a general purpose knife around camp as well as field dressing smaller game.

Share/Save