With the upcoming opener of the Wisconsin dove season on its way, we need to think about grabbing the can of mosquito spray, a bottle of water, and the dogs and head out on a little jaunt to the public hunting grounds for a scouting trip.

One early August morning brought my two labs and I out at our favorite public marsh we’ve been waterfowl hunting for thirty plus years. It has a dike that holds the water in and a pump station to let water in and out. As we started onto the dike the sun was just peaking through the trees. It would be a hot day but at this point in the early morning it was quite cool. A low fog hung over the marsh. We were a couple hundred yards out onto the dike when two doves almost went head on into my hat. They heard the dogs and I walking but couldn’t see us until they were a foot or two away.

They were roosted in a twenty foot tall dead tree below the dike which made the branches they were in almost in-line with my head. I made a note of the spot and continued on. A mile into my walk I had marked another three or four good spots for an early morning hunt on the opener of the dove season. I also did see a few ducks. On opening morning three of those doves went home in my pocket.

On numerous waterfowl scouting expeditions in August I’ve stumbled onto dove hang outs. Obviously I’m near water when I’m scouting for ducks and the doves are there too. Why? Doves also need H2O. Typically they even will roost very close to the waters edge. A drink in the morning and in the evening is nearly guaranteed along with occasional sips throughout the day depending on temperature.

Down south dove hunters know of the importance of water holes and hunt near tanks regularly. But hunters up north are used to seeing these birds on telephone lines and along the road edge. Wisconsinites couldn’t hunt doves until recently and we just didn’t have any "dove hunting areas". That is until now. We sometimes for what ever reason over looked our duck hunting spots.

You can find water at almost every public hunting area. I like to concentrate on public areas with dikes that hold water. These areas have the needed water doves like and also have grit the doves need to digest grain. The erosion along the waters edge of dikes creates easy pickens of small gravel and shells.

Also look for public grounds with leased crop fields on them or nearby. They typically grab a quick drink and head to the fields. An early morning scouting trip should determine these flight paths off the roost or the spots they pick to drink.

I prefer hunting them in the evening as they are more predictable. You can watch the early doves arrive first and get a good idea how their coming in, than sneak over to pick off a few of the later arrivals. If you haven’t scouted the area recently you might want to hunt in the evening. This way killing two birds with one stone. You still should scout before the season to guarantee there are birds in the area. If hunting in the morning, get out earl before the doves take to the fields and stick close to the waters edge.

You won’t find many hunters by the water either because a lot of dove hunters feel they don’t need a dog. A good retriever is necessary when hunting near water. So try hunting doves in your duck area, you just might see more doves than ducks.

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