im going to Royce this saturday, anyone ever hunt there before? Been on two dove hunts my entire life, first one was in georgia a couple decades ago, dove were everywhere.
Last year I got a dove hunt at Punta gorda, only saw like 5 doves the entire time! 🙁
Just got back from Royce dove hunt this Saturday.
Let me tell you there were some doves! I unfortunatly got to shoot at all the bulllet proof doves, only killing 2 of them.
I was at the end of the line where the doves were flying, as there were serveral (problably a dozen or more) hunters ahead of me.
They all seemed to begin flying at the front of the line, and by the time the doves got to me, they were either bulletproof(had flack vests on) or where in afterburner mode and moving like a rocket.
Needless to say of the ones I shot at, I only bagged 2. I must have shot at over a dozen birds.
I am going to blame most of my misses on my really bad cold/broncitus I am suffering with at the moment.
Otherwise i am a very decent shot at sporting clays hitting 80 out of 100 clays in a day of shooting. And my best score at skeet was 24 out of 25, so I am no slouch with a shotgun. Which is Why I think they were bullet proof birds 🙂
Anyways I had a good time, I got to spend some good time in the field and while I missed a mess of birds I did enjoy shooting at them.
G
yep they move pretty fast after being shot at a bunch of times and also further away most likely, wouldn't you. btw what ga/choke and shot size were you using? some " fast" handloads in 7 1/2 or 6's, if really far away may have helped. I never hunted them on a pay basis, just when the grains were on the grass in colo they would come in by the 100's and be so full they could hardly fly and with no hunting pressure were low and slow and would burst like confetti when hit.
Well I use the same shot I use for sporting clays.
Winchester White box target load 2 3/4" number 9 heavy load
My 12 ga mossburg 500 28" , barrel with accu-choke system, improved choke installed, m-4 pistolgrip adjustable stock.
Now for part of the time I did switch out to my modified choke with no difference.
I did my best to wait for the last possible moment to shoot the birds (as close as I could get them) so as to not have to reach out and tag them.
Doves just move in ways those clay pigeons can't! I don't care how good the shooters are, more dove escape the dove hunt than ever get harvested, I'll guarantee it!
