“Behind you over the trees,” I yelled. When seven heads within earshot swiveled and 14 pair of eyeballs scanned the trees behind them, I realized I needed to be a little more specific. That taught me to say “Uncle Adron, behind you, over the trees.”

I was on my first dove hunt in a blind by myself and was about 12 years old. After many days in the blind with daddy over several seasons, acting as a retriever, then a season in the blind with him while holding my .410, I was allowed in a blind alone while dove hunting. Boy did I feel grown-up, and I was trying real hard to do like daddy taught me.

That dove shoot was on my uncle J.D.’s field behind his house in McDuffie County. Back in the 1960s almost all dove shooting was on family or friends’ fields and you always knew everyone in the blinds around you. That has changed a lot over the years and now, unless you pay to have a field or go to a pay shoot your opportunities are limited.

Fortunately, Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) have dove shoots all around the state of Georgia. Many have managed fields that produce good dove shooting while others are open for dove shooting over areas where you might find doves, like recent clear-cuts, power lines and old fields that are not planted for dove but have natural food sources like weed seeds.

What makes a good dove field? State wildlife biologist Don McGowan works in Region 3 but specializes in dove management and is coordinating statewide dove banding and wing studies. And he loves to shoot at doves. He shared some of his thoughts on what makes a good dove field and how to select a spot to shoot.

You need a minimum of five acres to have a good dove field, and hill top and hill side fields seem better than bottom land for some reason. A nearby water source helps as does perching places like power lines and dead trees.

But the key is the food source.

“Seed available for an extended time is the main key to a good dove field,” Don said. WMA managers try to plant a variety of crops at different times so the harvest will be over as many months as possible. This keeps seed on the ground over a long time and attracts and holds doves. You should plan your field like this rather than waiting until the last minute to plant.

It takes planning and work to make a good field. Some WMA managers place a higher priority on dove fields and spend more time making sure they have good fields. If you plan on hunting a WMA dove field past history of dove shoots on the areas will help you choose one.

Once you pick a WMA to hunt, how do you decide where to place your blind on the field? Many WMAs have open hunts where anybody can shoot on any open day while others have quota hunts to keep fields from being overcrowded. Make sure of the kind the area you want to hunt has and watch the deadline on quota hunts.

“Dove flying patterns are random from field to field,” Don said. The only way to find where doves fly on a particular field is to scout it. Spend some time before season watching the field. Locate corridors where doves enter the field. It might be a head of trees, a dip in the tree line or something only the doves can see, but if you watch you will pick up the pattern.

There are no assigned blinds on WMA dove fields so arrive early to get your chosen spot. Don says hunters are very good on management hunts about spacing themselves in blinds at safe distances and they seldom have problems, but be respectful of those arriving before you. It is first come – first serve in picking out a spot for a blind.

When you find the spot where doves enter the field, set up your blind far enough from the tree line that you can spot a dove and have time to shoot it. Someone in the middle of the field is not as likely to let you know about incoming doves as we used to do when it was all family. After all, if you shoot it the dove can’t make it within their shooting range!

Many WMAs have youth/adult hunts, an excellent opportunity to take your kids to a dove shoot. Doves are the most popular game bird in the US and in Georgia. They offer fast action and younger hunters usually love dove shoots. A WMA hunt won’t be exactly like hunts of my youth where everyone on the field was a relative but with the youth/adult hunts everyone on the field will understand the importance of taking young people hunting. This is likely to make it a better experience for the younger hunters.

Take a kid dove hunting this year!