Mount Pleasant Magazine Nov/Dec 2017

82 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestofMP.com feature On one occasion, a landowner and I were having a casual afternoon conversation when a pair of birds flew right in front of us. Our chat was interrupted by two shots: one from her and one from yours truly. Her bird dropped into the field. Mine was merely stunned, backed up in mid-flight, lost a few feathers and continued on its merry way into the tall pines at the end of the field behind us. My friend politely remarked: “Well, that’ll teach you to use light loads in late season.” During the late, cold season in January, doves have a thicker layer of feathers. Lighter, less powerful shotgun shell loads typically used in the hot early season can sometimes “bounce” off of the late season birds, as my hostess so politely reminded me. One of my favorite parts of dove hunting is the midday meal. Traditionally, shooters gather at the field around noon or 1 p.m. and enjoy a meal prepared by one of the club members. I have eaten gas station fried chicken on the tailgate of my truck with a glass of sweet tea and roasted swan served in a red wine sauce in the formal dining room of an old plantation home. To me, they were equally enjoyable and all part of the experience. Regardless of the venue, or menu, the end result is the same. All wing shooters have their own rituals, favorite gear and long gun of choice. THE GUN There are those who shoot the same shotgun for multiple sports – dove, duck, deer or sporting clays, they will use the same gun with different choke tubes. Others will have a different gun for each game animal. Some, like me, are all over the map and use the one that fits at the time, changing whenever the wind blows. Just because the gun cost a great deal, was your granddaddy’s, looks pretty or received great written reviews does not mean that it is the right choice. The key is finding the right tool for the job and tailoring it to your body mechanics and shooting style. Practice and using it properly will make it an extension of your body and provide the confidence and level of skill needed to close the deal. Proper fitting, instruction, mechanical knowledge, practice and patience will pay large dividends in the field and freezer. THE FIELD Taking the field is another interesting aspect of dove shooting. The typical dove field is rectangular in shape and planted with a wide variety of crops such as corn, sunflowers, brown-top millet, wheat or sorghum. The shooters receive stand assignments from the hunt master or host, oftentimes using the lottery system. Numbered coins or chips are placed in a bag and drawn at random by each shooter. Those numbers correspond with numbered spots on the field. The number you draw is where you hunt that day. Typically, there are combinations of groans, big smiles and a little horse trading. The folks in the shady spots usually walk away with the biggest smiles. Regardless, the field needs to be adequately covered so that the incoming birds don’t escape through a part of the field not covered by a gun. THE BIRDS Scanning the skyline for birds takes up the next couple of hours. This is no time to check text messages or the score of a football game you chose to miss. Many