I’ve always looked forward to this time of year. The month of August is normally hot and it’s been plenty hot lately, topping the century mark regularly as September nears.
Some areas across the state have seen muchneeded rain. Others not so much.
I used to say if August temperatures were just in the 90s it really needed to heat up between now and the end of the month.
That’s because Sep. 1 is the opening day of dove season, and, while it doesn’t need to be 100 or more, the mid to high 90s on that day and throughout the Labor Day weekend would be about right.
The hotter it is, the thirstier the doves will be and that makes hunting doves around a pond a lot better.
But as I’ve grown a little older, maybe even somewhat wiser when it comes to dove hunting, around 90 -92 is plenty hot.
I just don’t tolerate the hot sun like I use to in my younger years.
The month of September also signals the start of the fall hunting seasons. I still enjoy hunting. It’s something my late dad taught me. I was picking up the doves he and others downed from the time I was 3 or 4.
September 1 used to be an all important date. I rarely missed opening day of dove season. But I haven’t hunted on Sep. 1 since our grandson Liam was born on Aug. 31 five years ago.
I found that being available for whatever might take place around his birthday, since it’s near Labor Day weekend, was much more important. I generally can still get out in the season since the first part continues through Oct. 31 and the second season is the month of December.
Last year I had the opportunity to join a couple of my first cousins, Danny Snare and Dave McCormick, on a dove hunt during early September on land that is owned by another cousin and that we’ve been hunting most all of our lives.
At the conclusion of the hunt, we agreed it may have been the worst as far as the actual dove hunting went. We were there for about 3½ hours and the three of us didn’t fire a shot. We saw some birds in the distance, but none came close to within range.
We spent our time primarily in the shade just visiting and reminiscing about old times.
That was worth it, though, this year, unless it looks like it’s going to be really good, I think we will look for a little cooler day.