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Sept. 6, 2002
Charlie Farmer, Springfield Mo News Leader
Doves turn out in droves in the city
Last Saturday I woke up early in order to scout for doves in several spots near Stockton Lake that I had hunted many times before. A friend who wanted to learn how to hunt doves would accompany me. We met at my house and made the drive to dove land.
We no sooner drive down the congested pavement on Highway 14 heading west when Bill and I see at least a dozen doves perched on the powerline.
We swung north on U.S. Highway 65. Bill saw four doves cruising over a rock quarry. Doves do hang around quarries. Those in the know say the birds get their fill of grit after eating corn kernels, sunflower seeds and small grain. They also eat seed from pigweed, crotons, panic grasses, foxtails and ragweed.
Heading into Willard we saw several flights of doves and at least another 15 birds on the powerlines. Bill laughed. “You know Charlie it seems we see more doves in the cities than out in the boonies, how come?” he asked.
Having hunted doves for 30 years or more, I should have some easy answers. I could always blame it on fescue, a cool season, aggressive, perennial bunchgrass with grows to a height 3 to 4 feet. Doves are not fond of fescue and a lot of farmers plant it these days.
Conservation departments, like the Missouri Department of Conservation, actively manage for doves — conservation areas like August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area, St. Charles County; Bois D’Arc Conservation Area, Greene County; Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, Boone County; and Pony Express Lake Conservation Area, DeKalb County. There are also dove feeding areas on other MDC property throughout the state.
From Willard we wheeled into Ash Grove. Yep, there were doves in droves hanging onto the wires in town. It’s no secret that a lot of folks, including me, like to feed birds. Wild doves rank high on the backyard feeders.
Swinging our way out of Ash Grove, we never did see a dove on the line. However, that can be deceiving. At that hour of the day, doves can be content walking the fields, munching savory morsels without being detected.
The cozy hamlet of Everton did yield several doves in the quaint town park where picnic morsels were scattered over the grass.
From that point on it took 20 minutes to drive to a dove spot that I have hunted for several years.
In two hours we counted six doves. Most of them flew over the trees never to be seen again. The best thing that happened that scouting day was more about wild turkeys. We sat down in the shady part of the field and suddenly, we were hearing kee-kees, clucks and whistles from a timbered area behind us.
We sat still and waited. Ten minutes later the flock of adult and juvenile birds appeared. Heading for the sunny field, they never saw us in the shade. Twenty minutes later we abandoned the field and headed back to the truck.
Before heading home to Ozark, I wanted to show Bill three other areas that can be very good for dove hunting. Areas around Mount Vernon, Miller and Pennsboro are ripe with corn crops. When the corn is harvested and residue kernels are on the ground, it’s just a matter of time between September and mid-October when doves will descend on the fields.
It’s then that native birds and migrating doves stick in the boonies where they belong. Let the city doves have their gardens. The best dove hunting is still around the corner if you don’t mind driving.
Contact free-lance columnist Charlie Farmer at 1197 East Court, Ozark, MO 65721 or cjoutdoors318365@aol.com.
Charlie Farmer, Springfield Mo News Leader
Doves turn out in droves in the city
Last Saturday I woke up early in order to scout for doves in several spots near Stockton Lake that I had hunted many times before. A friend who wanted to learn how to hunt doves would accompany me. We met at my house and made the drive to dove land.
We no sooner drive down the congested pavement on Highway 14 heading west when Bill and I see at least a dozen doves perched on the powerline.
We swung north on U.S. Highway 65. Bill saw four doves cruising over a rock quarry. Doves do hang around quarries. Those in the know say the birds get their fill of grit after eating corn kernels, sunflower seeds and small grain. They also eat seed from pigweed, crotons, panic grasses, foxtails and ragweed.
Heading into Willard we saw several flights of doves and at least another 15 birds on the powerlines. Bill laughed. “You know Charlie it seems we see more doves in the cities than out in the boonies, how come?” he asked.
Having hunted doves for 30 years or more, I should have some easy answers. I could always blame it on fescue, a cool season, aggressive, perennial bunchgrass with grows to a height 3 to 4 feet. Doves are not fond of fescue and a lot of farmers plant it these days.
Conservation departments, like the Missouri Department of Conservation, actively manage for doves — conservation areas like August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area, St. Charles County; Bois D’Arc Conservation Area, Greene County; Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, Boone County; and Pony Express Lake Conservation Area, DeKalb County. There are also dove feeding areas on other MDC property throughout the state.
From Willard we wheeled into Ash Grove. Yep, there were doves in droves hanging onto the wires in town. It’s no secret that a lot of folks, including me, like to feed birds. Wild doves rank high on the backyard feeders.
Swinging our way out of Ash Grove, we never did see a dove on the line. However, that can be deceiving. At that hour of the day, doves can be content walking the fields, munching savory morsels without being detected.
The cozy hamlet of Everton did yield several doves in the quaint town park where picnic morsels were scattered over the grass.
From that point on it took 20 minutes to drive to a dove spot that I have hunted for several years.
In two hours we counted six doves. Most of them flew over the trees never to be seen again. The best thing that happened that scouting day was more about wild turkeys. We sat down in the shady part of the field and suddenly, we were hearing kee-kees, clucks and whistles from a timbered area behind us.
We sat still and waited. Ten minutes later the flock of adult and juvenile birds appeared. Heading for the sunny field, they never saw us in the shade. Twenty minutes later we abandoned the field and headed back to the truck.
Before heading home to Ozark, I wanted to show Bill three other areas that can be very good for dove hunting. Areas around Mount Vernon, Miller and Pennsboro are ripe with corn crops. When the corn is harvested and residue kernels are on the ground, it’s just a matter of time between September and mid-October when doves will descend on the fields.
It’s then that native birds and migrating doves stick in the boonies where they belong. Let the city doves have their gardens. The best dove hunting is still around the corner if you don’t mind driving.
Contact free-lance columnist Charlie Farmer at 1197 East Court, Ozark, MO 65721 or cjoutdoors318365@aol.com.
