The first day of September marks traditional start of the fall hunting season. Hunters across the nation will celebrate with the opening of dove season along with various states opening resident Canada goose seasons. Yes, the long off-season is over and it’s “game on” for the outdoor sportsman.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
Despite the continued warm temperatures across the nation, it only takes one day in the dove field to fire up that passion and excitement of the coming waterfowl season. In fact, it only takes one shot to blow the cobwebs out of the barrel and conjure up that giddy grin that simply says, “there is no place I rather be than in the outdoors during hunting season.”
For the seasoned hunter that spent most of the summer in hibernation, a midweek opener is often met with last minute preparations. Gear is quickly unpacked from the previous season, and met with a quick transfer of essentials from the fishing boat. GPS, bug spray, sunglasses and other items are moved from one bag to another and followed by a mad dash to the field.
The first day of the dove hunting season is often defined by hunting partners sharing supplies and taking inventory of their gear while in the field. This is not to say that there aren’t a number of hunters who were properly prepare for the opener. In fact, most hunting groups rely on that one person who has two of everything – all the way down to that spare, delicately pressed, camouflage shirt in the truck. Yes, the best of hunting relationships are not much different than most marriages, in that each individual fills various gaps in the process to make the entire event possible.
In the south, the opening of dove season is an event that transcends beyond a yankee-style quick evening hunt. Most southern states open the first Saturday in September to accommodate a long history of celebration. These large gatherings of family and friends mark the end of summer and the coming of autumn in grand fashion. The retort of gunfire in the nearby fields provides an ambient song that compliments the festivities and fine southern cuisine.
No matter how you greet the start of the hunting season, the good news is it has finally arrived. The count down to the opening day of the general waterfowl is on, and the time for planning and preparation is now.
As we await the first cold front to kick the teal migration in high gear, hunting pressure in the north will being to push doves south in greater numbers over the next few days. We encourage our members and readers to post their early season reports as often as possible, and input migration data on the MIGRATION MAP. Providing map data only takes a few seconds and the information is invaluable to the hunting community.
Waterfowler.com reminds our readers that you need to get HIP before hunting migratory waterfowl and doves. Be sure to obtain your registration number with the Harvest Information Program when you purchase your hunting license.
Until our next report, welcome to the 2010 hunting-season, we look forward to sharing it with you again this year.
