Hunters find scarcity of doves on first day of season

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Posted 7:46PM on Sunday, September 8, 2002

DEXTER - James Malone sat in the shade, talked about football and waited on the first day of dove hunting season. But no doves were spotted against the clear blue sky at Malone's 20-acre field in Laurens County on Saturday. ``That's just the way it goes sometimes,'' Malone said. ``We'll just wait until it cools off some. Maybe they'll show up.'' The 20 hunters didn't seem to mind too much. Dove hunting is more similar to fishing than deer hunting in that it's a sport built on camaraderie. Dove hunters shoot in packs, trade a few insults and then spread out around the field. Deer hunting is more of a solitary sport. ``It's all about having fun,'' said Kenny Stewart. ``If you shoot some, fine. If you don't, you still have a good time.'' The group tried to stay patient, waiting around the field for a few hours with no doves in sight. They know that things can change quickly. Dove hunting isn't easy. Dedicated hunters plant seed crops to attract the birds, and even that doesn't always work. When the birds come, they have to be within about 40 yards to be in range. Anything beyond that is considered a lucky shot. Doves aren't easy to distinguish, either they look a lot like other small birds. Hunters say they learn to tell the difference. ``The first 'dove' I ever shot was a mocking bird,'' Joe Millican quipped. Many hunters will pay $50 to a landowner for a day at the dove field. But Malone invited friends and family, and didn't charge them. Even for $50 a day and a growing number of farmers cashing in on the dove market, there still aren't enough fields to meet demand. Hunters often prefer hunting deer, but doves are a good warmup, said Scotty Vann, while stopped at a Dublin sporting goods store on the way to a hunt. ``This is just something to get you started,'' Vann said.