Author Topic: September 1st! Opening Day of Dove Season  (Read 739 times)

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Online Dee

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September 1st! Opening Day of Dove Season
« on: August 31, 2025, 11:59:14 PM »
In my younger days I can remember calling in sick to make opening day. It used to be a huge day for any Texan with a shotgun.
Where i grew up, you hunted where you pleased, because you knew every farmer and rancher in the county. Then the Dallas boys came in waving $100.00 bills, and even the feral hog hunting dried up.

Now, here I sit, with over well 1,000 acres under my control, cows, calves, everything, and I haven't even bothered to get a huntin license.
I see bobwhite quail everyday, probably have 5 to 7 big coveys on the ranch. I see turkeys every day. In the winter I might see over a hundred. The muley bucks have just about lost all their velvet, I've got dove everywhere, and all I want to do is look.
None of the above are afraid of my ranch truck, the deer will stand there and look, the quail will move out of the way, and the turkeys will run for a ways in front of the truck until one of'em thinks to duck off to the side.
I d keep a rifle handy however, and the coyotes after my calves, know to vacate immediately, as they are shot on sight.
I guess what I used to wonder about, concernin old men, has finally became clear.
Old age changes your perspective. On just about everything. :-\
Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.

Offline Goldie

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Re: September 1st! Opening Day of Dove Season
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2025, 12:14:57 AM »

I guess what I used to wonder about, concernin old men, has finally became clear.
Old age changes your perspective. On just about everything. :-\
. Ain't it funny how things work out ?

Online Dee

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Re: September 1st! Opening Day of Dove Season
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2025, 12:43:20 AM »
Right now I'm wondering why I got up at 3am. :-\
Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.

Offline DDZ

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Re: September 1st! Opening Day of Dove Season
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2025, 12:48:24 AM »
Yep remember those days of hunting doves. Sitting in some brush near the edge of a corn field in the morning or evening. Been a number of years since I hunted doves. Just dont have the gumption anymore, nor are there near as many doves as there used to be. Old age does change your inner being.
Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.    Wm. Penn

Offline AtlLaw

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Re: September 1st! Opening Day of Dove Season
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2025, 06:03:46 AM »
For the last few years I still went deer hunting, but I had no intention of shooting one.  This year I don't think I'll even make a pretense of going out.  I just have no desire to kill anything any more.   :-\   Sure is a turn-a-round from back in the day when anything that walked, crawled or looked like it was gonna attempt to fly was "fair game!"
Richard
Former Captain of Horse, keeper of the peace and interpreter of statute.  Currently a Gentleman of leisure.
Nemo me impune lacessit

                      
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Offline Ranger99

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Re: September 1st! Opening Day of Dove Season
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2025, 08:04:25 AM »
No place to go for me.
Most of the places I used to go have been
sold off by the kids after pawpaw died and
are now high rise office complexes and
luxury condominiums and farther out
gated luxury subdivisions and mini ranches.
Unfortunately we should have been building
border walls around the rest of the state
as well as along the Rio.
Oh there's still places to go bird hunt
for $100 a day if you feel like it.
It's mostly those who buy a new shotgun
and 2 boxes of shells and pop
off their 3 shells at whatever flies by
no matter how far away. They go
just to say they did and make a few
selfies to show at the sports bar.
I could write a similar narrative about
the current state of affairs of wt deer
hunting, but I'm ready for either another
cup of coffee or a sandwich
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Online Dee

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Re: September 1st! Opening Day of Dove Season
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2025, 09:15:57 AM »
I enjoy watching the quail slip through the weeds, with the younguns following. Jack rabbits also seem to be making a comeback here also. We've had a lot more rain than normal here, and the weeds are unusually thick, and tall. The jacks will slip along and think their hid. I'll stop next to'em and just look at'em. They'd be an easy shot with a pistol, but I don't.
When the turkeys are breeding I can stop about 50 feet from'em and watch the toms strut.
Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.

Offline Goldie

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Re: September 1st! Opening Day of Dove Season
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2025, 11:23:20 AM »
Yeah, I don't know if it's an old thing or what, but killing God's creatures now is an afterthought for me. Haven't been hunting or fishing in a long time. If I can't buy it at HEB, then I guess I don't need it. We spend hours watching the Dolphins and various birds on the Texas coast. It would be hard for me to kill anything anymore. But I'm not an environmentalist, and if people want to hunt or fish, then by all means go at it. 

Online Dee

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Re: September 1st! Opening Day of Dove Season
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2025, 12:57:31 PM »
Agreed
Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.