ENJOY DOVE DAYS OF SUMMER, FALL

from Northwest Sportsmanmag - September 2021

MID-COLUMBIA SALMON ‘HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION’

Tasty morsels lie below the plumage of doves, whether they be native mournings (right) or larger invasive Eurasian collareds. Author Troy Rodakowski reports harvesting roughly equal numbers of both species last fall in the Willamette Valley. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

Migratory bird season in the Northwest kicks off this month with tasty doves.

By Troy Rodakowski

I’d never really concentrated on dove hunting until I came back from Uruguay in 2016. We had an amazing couple days hunting the sorghum fields, where swarms of doves and pigeons came in to feed.

True, I grew up hunting in Western Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where I shot my first bird at age 10. But nowadays I make sure to mark the dove opener – September 1 – on my calendar every season.

DOUBLE-BARREL DOVES

The mourning dove is the most abundant game bird in North America. Hunters harvest more than 20 million of them annually out of an overall estimated U.S. population of nearly 350 million.

While mourning dove numbers have seemingly increased the last several years, possibly thanks to very mild conditions during their migration and on their wintering grounds, Eurasian collared doves are also now thriving throughout the Pacific Northwest and spreading rapidly.

Last season it seemed as if nearly half of the birds we harvested were Eurasians. Remember, these do

Rodakowski’s daughter Reese has become his favorite dove hunting buddy. She loves retrieving them

for him, he says. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

not count toward your limit, so I consider them bonus birds. These game birds can have long lifespans, with the oldest recorded at over 30 years old. It was banded in Georgia in 1968 and shot in Florida during the 1998 season.

SCOUTING

As late summer mornings become crisp and that first sweet smell of the fall harvest swirls on the breeze, I find myself looking for prospective sunflower, corn, wheat, millet and other small grain production fields. These locations near small streams or rivers where doves can find grit in large amounts are excellent places to be in the evenings. I like to set up in a blind and just wait for inbound birds.

Water sources are critical to these game birds, so make sure to refine your searches to areas that have good amounts. Last season I set up near an open-limbed dead oak tree in the mornings and evenings where doves would perch to rest and scope out the land before descending to feed.

Obtaining access on private lands is your best bet. However, public areas like the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Fern Ridge, Sauvie Island, EE Wilson and other wildlife areas have excellent numbers of birds, as do public waterways that border agricultural lands. Old grain silos and barnyards are also excellent places to look and landowners are usually very receptive to most dove hunters.

DROUGHT CONDITIONS

Good dove forage has been abundant throughout the valley in recent years, but this season we are experiencing severe drought, with many water sources drying up and production crops yielding far below average in many cases. That’s something hunters should really consider.

The importance of water is often an overlooked factor when it comes to doves. This season, finding not only good food sources but nearby watering holes will be the key to your success. Scouting places like this will make your hunt that much easier.

Last year I also used about half a dozen decoys, both on the ground and attached to limbs, to grab the attention of passing birds. They worked great. I was able to take my 3-year-old daughter and she truly enjoyed being my bird dog. We even had a Cooper’s hawk swoop in and take one of our downed birds before we were able to retrieve it.

BEST TIMES TO HUNT

The first cool mornings in September prior to the season’s first rain are fantastic times to plan a hunt. Mourning doves will begin to migrate in good numbers once the weather begins to turn more autumn-like.

Both morning and evening, when birds are flying from the roost to feed and gather grit to process their food and get water, are great times. We have also had some solid hunts during midday, though that’s when feed has been very plentiful.

My favorite thing to do is find

The author’s dove poppers.

(TROY RODAKOWSKI)

DOVE POPPERS

Here’s a great way to serve up dove, whether you prefer to cook on the grill or in the oven.

15 dove breasts off of the bone 1 cup brown sugar 2 to 3-plus teaspoons chili powder (flavor to taste) Thick-sliced pepper bacon Honey

Mix brown sugar and chili powder in large bowl, then add dove meat until covered in mixture. Wrap in bacon and grill on barbecue for 10 to 15 minutes or bake in oven at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle with honey. For extra pop, add jalapeño peppers and cream cheese. Stuff peppers with meat and cream cheese, then wrap in bacon. Serve as an appetizer or snack. –TR

roosting or perching groups of doves, either in dead trees and limbs or even power lines near food sources, in the early to midmornings and afternoons. They use these sites to digest food and also stage to feed on the ground nearby. Doves eat 12 to 20 percent of their body weight in seeds per day, so they spend a large portion of time filling their crops with seed. They’re also prolific birds, raising a handful of broods of two to three each year.

STOCK UP ON SHELLS (IF YOU CAN)

Be prepared to have plenty of ammo on hand when dove hunting. Last year my favorite gun was my trusty 28-gauge loaded with No. 7 or 8 shot. Smaller game loads are perfect for doves and patterning your gun is very important prior to season. With recent ammo shortages your favorite brand or load may not be available, so settling for what you are able to order or find on the shelf may be the new norm.

That said, with season running through the end of October, I know that I will most definitely be ready for some fast-flying birds that are not only fun to shoot, but very tasty! NS

Building a well-trained, healthy gun dog begins the moment you bring it home and a great place to start is avoiding common mistakes. Here, author Scott Haugen and his pudelpointer Echo are elated with an afternoon limit of ducks, valley quail and ringneck pheasants, an outing in which Echo performed flawlessly. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

Bad Master! 15 Dog Don’ts

I’ve been around a lot of pups and first-time dog owners throughout the pandemic, an event that’s seen more people investing in hunting dogs than ever before. With many new owners comes a learning curve, and based on what I’ve acquired over my years of working with dogs and observing others, here are 15 mistakes to avoid.

1) TUG O’ WAR Puppies play tug of war to establish dominance within the litter and they’ll want to do the same with you. Don’t do it, ever! That’s because the last thing you want is a mature dog trying to prove who’s GUN DOGGIN’ 101 boss. It may seem fine at home, but in By Scott Haugen the field it can be a catastrophe. You’re the boss and always will be, so avoid even putting yourself in a position to have to compromise your leadership role. training. Toys are used for play. Don’t mix them up, as this sends mixed messages to a dog.

As your pup matures it will distinguish the difference between the two, but to achieve this only use toys during play time and only do formal training with bumpers. You’ll see the difference in your dog’s demeanor the moment you grab one or the other.

3) FAST EATING One of the worst things you can do is encourage your dog to eat fast. It may seem funny, but it can lead to bloat,

Body gestures, hand signals and verbal commands are all important when training a pup, but eye contact could be the most critical of all. Don’t wear sunglasses when training or playing with your dog so as to ensure they can see your eyes in order to anticipate your

next move. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

indigestion and stomach twist, which is highly fatal in some deep-chested hunting dogs. (See my April column for more.)

If your dog eats fast, use special bowls or add water to the dry kibble to slow its intake.

4) RUNNING OUT THE DOOR Never let

your dog burst in or out a door ahead of you. There’s no telling what they might encounter – from other people to other dogs, snakes, skunks, or the worst, oncoming traffic.

Keep control of your dog at all times, letting them through house and car doors only when you have given the command.

5) CALL THEM TO YOU AND SCOLD Dogs

remember the last command given, so never call them over with the intent to scold them for something they’ve just done. In their mind they did the right thing by coming to you. But scolding them for doing that can do long-term damage and quickly make them lose trust in you.

6) TEASING Never tease a hunting dog, as this will send them mixed messages, resulting in their loss of trust in you, and it will greatly frustrate them.

Gun dogs are highly intelligent and our communications must be consistent and predictable at all times. Playing is different than teasing. Playing is great. Teasing is not.

7) NEGLECT PLAY TIME Dogs love to play. You should spend much more time playing with your dog than training it. This is when strong bonds are formed, communication lines develop, and when they learn to trust, appreciate, even respect you.

A great deal of training is actually achieved through playing; just keep communications fun and consistent.

8) USE LONG SENTENCES Gun dogs are

smart, but not that smart. Speaking to them in lengthy sentences only confuses them.

Keep communication to single words or two- or three-word sentences in order to avoid confusing them and frustrating yourself.

9) CONFINEMENT Gun dogs need space. If you live in an apartment with no big yard to run them, this is not the place to

have a hunting dog. Gun dogs are not designed to be confined to small kennels every day either.

The more room they have to run, the more relaxed, happier and healthier they’ll be.

10) WEAR SUNGLASSES Dogs rely on

reading your eyes. A great deal of training is built on body language and eye contact, not verbal cues. Never cover your eyes when training or playing with your dog.

While dog owners often say, “Dogs can read minds,” what that really means is dogs anticipate your next move or what you want them to do, largely based on eye contact.

11) OVERREACT Never overreact to a dog’s lack of performance or disobedience. Save those reactions for when they’re about to run in front of a car, attack a porcupine or wrestle a snake.

Calm communication is often all that’s needed to get a positive response from your dog.

12) ISSUE MULTIPLE COMMANDS Never

layer your commands. Give one command at a time and don’t issue another until the first is achieved. Don’t be the one who hollers, “Whoa, back, sit, come on, get over here, no, go back and get it!” The dog has no clue what you’re trying to convey.

Whoa it first. Then send it back. Then make it sit. It’s simple. Be patient and clear in all communication.

13) TREAT TRAIN Dogs that perform for treats often disconnect from their owner. Such superficial bonds result in a lack of respect and drive by the dog.

A gun dog should always carry out a task to please you, not for a treat.

14) PLAY ON HARD FLOORS Never play with

a dog on wood, tile or linoleum floors. While it may seem funny to watch them spin their wheels, it’s a sure ticket to costly hip, back, leg and foot problems. 15) OVERFEED The worst thing you can do for your dog is allow it to overeat and gain weight. One pound of extra weight can deplete your dog’s life by up to a year.

Keep them lean, healthy and feed them the best quality food you can afford. Avoid cheap foods packed with filler and inflammatory ingredients. Poor quality food is one of the biggest obstacles for dog owners to overcome, so do the research. I’ve done loads of fact-finding in this area over the years and only feed my pudelpointers NutriSource dog food, for a reason.

AVOID DOING THESE 15 things and you’re on the way to developing a lasting, genuine relationship with your dog. You’re also increasing its level of happiness and extending its life, and that’s the ultimate goal as their time with us is so precious. NS