Dove season's a wrap .....

[Stan Hillis]

Got a call yesterday morning about 10 am to inform me of a dove shoot about 6 miles from my home that I was invited to. Six of us gathered at a big sunflower field at 1:30 pm, decided where to take our stands, and got set up. I put up my portable burlap camo blind and set out some decoys nearby. Action started almost immediately, with me missing my first two shots. I had decided earlier to take my 12 ga. Sterlingworth Ejector on which I had totally reworked the buttstock some seven years ago (The account of that work, with pics, is in the "Technicana and Restoration Forum" under the title "The shape of things..."). Sadly, the gun had never been to the field since then, so a dove shoot with it was long overdue. It has 30" barrels, and the chokes had been opened before I got it, and at some point in time it had been across the pond and been through a proof house in England. Lots of "graffiti" on the barrel flats as evidence.

I was using one ounce of no. 8s, reloaded in Remington STS hulls, at about 1175 fps and under 6000 psi. They, and the opened chokes, worked great for the conditions I had. I shot about 63%, killing 15 with 24 shells. I actually shot 25 but one was a blooper. Maybe three-fourths of the doves would swing by and take a look at the decoys giving me a chance with the .006" right barrel. I used the tighter left barrel on a few occasions, effectively. I was first one to limit out, and pulled up my "kit" and watched the rest of them finishing shooting from my Jeep, enjoying a cigar and a sip.

The proof marks:



The results:

[Jeff S]

Nice shooting Stan and thanks for the pictures. I especially appreciate the picture of the barrel flats.

[ROMAC]

Great morning this late in the season.

[44whiskey]

thanks for post and pics,glad SW got back in the field.british do like proof mark regards my friend ,Fred

[Jim Cloninger]

Stan, how much longer is the dove season open? What's the weather like this late in the season? California should have a later season as there are still doves around even though the temp gets down to freezing at night here. Those late season doves are sure bigger. Jim

[Stan Hillis]

Hi Jim, dove season went out as the sun set yesterday afternoon. That shoot was my last until September. The weather was very warm. I had on a long sleeved synthetic cloth tee-shirt and a camo collared shirt over it, and I got so hot I was sweating. It went to about 70 degrees. This time of year you never know if it will be drizzling rain and cold, or sunny and warm. Not long ago we had lows of 12 degrees. Georgia winter weather is constantly changing. It was 74 on my truck thermometer this afternoon.

[Stan Hillis]

Nice shooting Stan and thanks for the pictures. I especially appreciate the picture of the barrel flats.

Thanks, Jeff. Not on the flats, but the 2550T stamped on the bottom of the left barrel has eluded me. No one has been able to tell me what it might mean.

[J. A. Early]

Nice job Stan. Our season went out on the 21st of January. I miss dove hunting. But I couldn't find six dove hunters here within a hundred miles in January. Like the Hawkins pad. I have to lengthen my guns and that is a good looking pad to me. Who makes your blind? I use one but mine has heavy wire rods and flaps in the breeze.

[Stan Hillis]

Thanks, J.A. I thought about trying to describe how I build my blinds but decided it would be easier, and better, to just show some pics with a little narrative. I built the one you see in the pic about three or four seasons ago, AIR. I begin with a piece of camo burlap that measures about 10-12 ft. by approx. 52". I fold the top edge and staple it with a simple office stapler so that I have a "hem" about 1 1/2" wide. I then install seven brass grommets into that hem, evenly spaced from end to end. I take 7/16" solid aluminum rod and cut it into seven pieces about 60" long. Then I cut some shorter pieces to bend at right angles and weld onto the long rods for "foot pegs". The bottom ends of the long rods are ground to a point on a coarse belt grinder. The top end is drilled near the center to a accept a roofing metal screw, which is allowed to protrude from the top of the rod by about 3/4". The grommet on the hem of the burlap is hung over this screw head. The rest of the way down the rod the burlap is secured to it with medium sized plastic tie-straps. When assembled it is lightweight and handy. The rods are pushed into the ground quickly via the foot peg about 10" inches up from the pointed end. The burlap is pulled snug, and the next rod is pushed into the ground. This goes on with the rods and burlap creating a circular area. In practice you will learn how big a circle to make so that you have a space between each end rod large enough for you to walk in and out of. The height is just right, when you are sitting on a dove stool, for you to see over the top, but it hides all movement from turning on the stool. When the approaching doves get close enough that they can't flare out of range I quickly stand to shoot.

I hope the pics help explain my description.

The inside



The outside



The working end



The grommet, and screw in the top of the rod