# They're gone!



## Burly1

Well, the marching cold fronts and the strong Northwest winds have gotten me again. Out before dawn at my favorite spot and.......nothing! Once again the weather has conspired to end my dove season before it started. As I have gone about my business today, I notice that there are very few even left in town, the last stronghold. Best of luck to those hunting further south, the birds should be dumb and hungry. I don't have to clean my shotgun  , Burl


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## nodakoutdoors.com

The area we goose hunted this morning was surprisingly void of doves too.....hmmmmm..

Going to have to go check my other spots.


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## Duckslayer100

I noticed that too...I did manage to see maybe a half dozen or so...but sure not out like they usually are...figured with my bad luck with geese maybe I'd make up for it in Dove...guess I'm outta luck on both accounts... :eyeroll:


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## Van Wey

What area of the state were you guys hunting in?? I was planning on going home this weekend to Larimore to get some dove hunting in!! Last year the first couple weeks were outstanding!!


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## holmsvc

Simonson and I shot 7 of them tonight, saw about 30, and spent about 45 shells...horrible shooting, but fun!


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## The Dak

Just like everything else, you need to find, via scouting, the concentrations. 2 of us 1/2 limited today, but if we could have gotten onto private land, it would have been short and sweet.

Basically, we were "running traffic".


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## muskat

The wind really made it tough hunting yesterday. 3 of us spent 2 hours walking some valleys and abandoned farmsteads, we saw good numbers, spent over 80 shells, and had 13 birds to show for it!!!
We were in SE ND.


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## nodakoutdoors.com

Go east Burl, I saw a ton this morning out scouting.


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## tgoldade

Me and a buddy went out yesterday and decoyed a wheat stubble field that we had saw a bunch in before, got 15 between the two of us in about 2 hours. Had a pretty good time. I've seen a ton of dove everywhere!


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## njsimonson

Yup, my guess is that the wind made it tough to hunt the daytime hours, I mean it was blowing good at 7 a.m. yesterday, and didn't settle down until sunset.

It sure was fun, Holmes put us on a great puddle in a huge valley surrounded by wheat fields, the birds came in from every angle and I just blasted and blasted and had one bird to show for it, but it was nice to feel the combination of wood and metal in my hands again!


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## Burly1

Maybe next week. I might fit a hunt into one of those "gotta go to Bis." days. Or maybe the hot weather and winds this weekend will blow 'em back over here! I have not packed the decoys away....yet, Burl


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## weasel73

I went out the other night and im from sd and i got my limit...


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## wtrfwlr

[siteimg]2174[/siteimg]

Not a limit by no means but it was fun. This is the first time my grandpa has been hunting in 15 years. He brought the double 16 ga and the old model 12 from home to hunt with because they were used by my great grandpa hunting years ago.

[siteimg]2175[/siteimg]


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## buckseye

how did you cook them? I like'm fried in butter and onions.


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## Leo Porcello

We were done with our goose hunt at 8:15 this morning and then did some driving. We saw plenty of doves. May have to give them a try in the afternoon. 8)


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## The Dak

Didn't even get out of the vehicle last night. Found 2 absolute gobs of doves, but couldn't get access. Guess I coulda ran traffic again, but was spending time trying to contact landowners.

Oh well, still got 5 boxes of Steel 6s to burn in the next few days.


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## Gohon

Is that a poly choke on that pump. Haven't seen one of those in years......


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## jp

Out in the eastern part of ND. Managed to get 10 the first night. Then downhill from there for the rest of the weekend. In this area we are not seeing the dove populations of lets say 4 weeks ago. What is strange is you do not even see a dove on the wires in town now?

You may find small pockets of doves but no where near the numbers of years past opening days.....


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## Ron Gilmore

Looks like a PolChoke to me on a Mod 12! Got one of those and it is a great dove and upland gun! Should go back to shooting it over decoys for ducks it is so much fun!!!!


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## nodakoutdoors.com

We finally tapped a field close to home I was watching the past couple weeks and 4 of us shot about 40 in under and hour. It was really picking up too when we left but we had to go scouting for geese.

I guess there had to have been at least 3K doves in this bale field. Every bale had about 20-40 on it with another couple hundred around the bale on the ground.

Time's a ticking...better get out soon!


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## Van Wey

When back home to Larimore this weekend and it was horrible. Got there Friday night and seen lots of birds, thought it was going to be a good weekend. I couldnt of been more wrong!!

Its a little tough to find the birds when the wind is blowing non-stop!!!!!


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