Hunting Pictures
[Dove]
[Waterfowl]
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[Other]
Dove Pictures
[Overview]
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[2003]
[2004]
[2005]
[2006]
[2007]
[2008]
[2009]
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Old veterans. Yep,
there was no denying it. The King
and
Rooster had somehow become old veterans at
the bird hunting thing. So, when we embarked on our seventh season of dove hunting, we figured we'd seen it
all. We were wrong. On opening day 2004 we took a gamble on a
new hunting site and honestly expected, at best, a small return. What we got,
however, was a surprise of the best kind. A day of the finest dove shooting in K&R
history that produced 14 doves. Heading to our traditional sites in the following weeks, the trend
continued with days of 8, 14, 1, and 8 more doves. We ended the season with
45 doves, the most we have ever put
in the freezer. The main reason for the record season was the King,
who put on a wicked two week shooting display.
|
9.01.04 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/dove04.JPG)
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The
spoils of a great day of dove hunting. We saw more doves on
this day then we had ever seen on any day afield. |
9.03.04 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/roos_Mcl04.JPG)
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The Rooster
showing typical dove hunting gear. The weather was - as
usual - hot in early September 2004, and light camo clothing was a must. |
9.03.04 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/dove04(2).JPG)
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Eight
more doves ready to be breasted and put in ice. As usual taken
doves ranged from small, young doves to older, large, and plump
birds.
|
9.04.04 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/k&r_gb04.JPG)
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Good shot
of the K&R in the middle of the dove field. A post-hunt
shot showing some birds on one of our home-made "dove
buckets."
|
9.14.04 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/kng_gb04.JPG)
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The King
examining a just downed dove. He came into the season
without a shot of practice and yet hit just about everything that
flew by.
|
9.14.04 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/roos_gb04.JPG)
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The Rooster
showing a lid full of doves taken on a hot and hazy day. The
Beretta Pintail again was flawless, and never missed a
recycle.
|
9.14.04 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/dove04(3).JPG)
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One of
the K&R's favorite shots - the weapons and the wounds.
|
9.14.04 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/k&r_gb04(2).JPG)
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Sunset on
another amazing start to the hunting season.
|
10.06.04 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/dove_meal04.jpg)
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One can
almost smell the doves from this picture. As is out
tradition, we feasted on the hard work of early September in early
October. And what a feast it was.
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Nature operates in
cycles. Up one year, down the next, and
the reason? Sometime it is easily discernable, other times
it is hidden in the flap of a butterfly's wings a hundred miles
away. In the end, however, we are all slave to the tyranny
of the bell curve. So it was in 2005. Only a year
previous, doves had filled the sky and we had our best dove
season. A year later, with conditions almost the same the
birds were down in number. Numbers, however, don't indicate
success in our book and we had another great season. In all,
we got out 6 times and put 20 doves into the freezer with 10
brought down over the first two days.
|
9.01.05 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/kng_pc05.jpg)
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The King
in a weed patch waiting for an unsuspecting flyover. Weather
on opening day was perfect - sunny and hot. |
9.01.05 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/k&r_pc05.jpg)
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The
K&R on the evening of the first day. The birds had not
been as thick as the year before, but we still took ten home to
the freezer. |
9.05.05 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/roos_gb05.jpg)
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The Rooster
with 3 doves taken on a very hot late summer day. This old
traditional hunting ground was set up beautifully again, but the
scarcity of loafing birds made afternoon hunting hard.
|
9.10.05 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/roos_gb05(2).jpg)
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The Rooster
with 3 more doves taken on a solo run. The King's
busy schedule makes it hard for him to get afield as much as he
would like.
|
9.10.05 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/gb_05.jpg)
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Sunset on
dove season means sunrise on duck season.
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10.06.05 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/dove_meal05.jpg)
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Twelve
doves ready to provide the energy for the next day's duck hunt.
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The feeling usually first bubbles up into
one's consciousness around the middle of August; always during a
hot, humid day and always accompanied by the steady hum of
crickets and cicadas. A feeling of heavy oppression for
most, but a feeling of liberation for the dove hunter. For
it means only a few weeks remain until one is sweating among the
sunflower and buckwheat, waiting for a group of impish doves to
dart over (or, for the K&R, more likely stalking a group
of impish doves). It is
the feeling we crave by the end of every summer, one we wait for
impatiently. So, after weeks of waiting, while the weather
was just as described above; finally, mercifully, opening day
arrived... cold and wet. Yes, the temperature never reached
60 and it rained all day. But, as value is set by
overcoming, we just looked at it as an opportunity to make a
legend, rather than just a memory. We succeeded, and were
rewarded later in the season with the perfect dove day, the one we
had been waiting for since the end of the previous season.
Overall, another great start to the season. While the
weather handicapped planting and mowing enough to push the State
setup to about a B-, there were still enough birds for us to get
out a total of 7 times and to put 27 in
the freezer.
|
8.31.06 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/pre_meal06.jpg)
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Is there
a better way to start the hunting season than to grub on some wood
duck and potatoes? I can't think of any. |
9.01.06 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/k&r_mclintic06.jpg)
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We
adapted to the cold and rainy weather by breaking out the
waterproof gear and getting off our ass. If they were not
going to fly, we were going to go look for them. |
9.01.05 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/k&r_mcclintic06(2).jpg)
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Overcoming.
After a long day of driving (our first hunting area choice turned
out to be devoid of any preparation) and slogging through wet and
muddy fields, we came home with 5 doves. A crease of sunset
in the background seems to portend better weather ahead. |
9.02.06 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/roos_gb06.jpg)
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The Rooster
with a dove taken on a solo run the second day of the
season. The weather was a little better, but still cloudy
and cool. |
9.07.06 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/kng_gb06.jpg)
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Finally,
the weather turned hot, humid, and dovey. It was the day we
were waiting for. The King
is here enjoying a real Mt. Dew - a K&R tradition when the
weather gets brutal and hoople-heads run for the
couch. |
9.07.06 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/k&r_gb06.jpg)
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An excellent
day of dove hunting ends with 9 more headed to the
freezer. We shot well this day and didn't let many
opportunities get by us. Notice the new Jeep in the
background, a whole new era in K&R transportation. |
9.07.06 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/birds_gb06.jpg)
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The
weapons and the wounds. |
9.20.06 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/doves_06.jpg)
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Three
weeks into the season and doves are still going into the
freezer. |
9.15.06 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/mcclintic06.jpg)
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Sometimes
man and nature can combine for something sublime. Here is a
shot of one of our favorite doves chutes at sunset. |
10.05.06 |
![](../pictures/hunt_pics/dove/dove_meal06.jpg)
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Are you
salivating yet? Can you smell the cooked dove and fried
potatoes? Another year's hard work in dove season pays off
in the continuing tradition of the pre duck-season feast. |
More Dove Hunting
[2007] [2008] [2009]
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