Deluxe dove hunt!
I was invited on a dove hunt at a private place near Bend, on the condition that I bring elk horns and pictures. Game on!
The hunt actually started the night before, with a steak dinner, hunting videos and stories swapped amoung a dozen guys. Fairly early to bed in the bunkhouse, up at 4:30. The coffee would peel paint--perfect to go with muffins and donuts. We had a safety briefing, complete with a map and stand locations, then were dropped off at our spots. This guy manages his property for hunting as well as agriculture, there are grain strips, juniper tree lanes, fallow weedy areas and ponds throughout. To say the doves liked it is an understatement..... It sounded like a war zone. Several neighbors were also taking advantage of the flight on their places. I like long passing shots, with all the action it was easy to pass up hundreds of birds coming by close, or where safety was a question. There was even a cart making the rounds with cold drinks and shells for those that needed more! If only the limit was higher..... When the carnage was over we were picked up and moved to the barn, where we set up an assembly line to process the birds. Breasting, cutting wings, rinsing and bagging. While the bagged meat cooled on ice we were treated to hors d'oeuvres and barbecued burgers for lunch, with more stories and hunting videos.
It was a great group of guys, fantastic shooting, and the best, most genteel dove hunt I've ever had. We have a few doves here on the place, but I didn't even bother them this morning. Maybe tonight. I'm still savoring the experience. Everyone deserves to do this once, now I see why people pay big bucks to go to Argentina and be pampered.
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baltz526
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