Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire SC public dove field report for Rene and Slummer

Saturday 9/3 opening day in SC...went on my first ever dove expedition to one of SC DNR dove fields. I wasn't sure what to expect based on our Tennessee heroes' stories about their dove fields up there, but here it goes:

I was told spots were first-come, first-serve so get there early. They don't open it up until noon here on the DNR fields. I got there by 10:00 and was the second one there. Really wasn't any need to be there that early, but very good company, nice conversations, guys started arriving and, like I've met at a couple of draw hunts for deer last year, good people to hang around and kill time with.

DNR guy came and got us all signed in. Two field areas to choose from, probably 70 or 80 acres right around their operations/check in area and about the same down on an island a mile or two away. We were warned that if it rains, anyone out on the island will have problems getting back up the hill from the causeway if they have a 2 wheel drive vehicle. Actually, that didn't apply to anyone there, there was no sign of the mini-van crowd, It was all pretty much the same kind of outdoor people and all driving 4WD trucks. I chose to go out to the island so drove out there, and, at noon when the DNR guys said go, hiked out to the dove fields. (I thought it would be nice if they gave those of us over 70 a head start, but no matter, it wasn't an issue.

There was lots of room for everybody. Closest guys to me were 200 yards away. There was a lot of shooting. Some guys had decoys set up, some with wing spinners, they seemed to get more action. I lost two birds that went down, one in the woods behind me and one in the grass at the edge of the field. I was really missing my dog who died last year, he would have had a great time and I wouldn't have lost any birds. End of the day, a good time had by all.

On the way out, a task force of 6 DNR officers checking licenses and making sure those with repeaters were plugged to 3 shot max. Then check out with the biologists who were collecting wings and counting birds and number of shots taken. Limit is 15 birds and maximum number of shells is 50 per person. They only shoot that field Saturday afternoons, 5 times during the season. They have some other DNR fields around SC where they shoot Saturdays and some Wednesdays, also some that are only adult/youth, you have to have a kid with you to shoot there. I thought it was a good time, very well managed by the DNR, I'll go again and I think I've got it figured out a little better now.

To top it off, I got home about 5:30 and there in the kitchen is the most beautiful girl in the world, all dressed up and looking like a million bucks and telling me, you've got 45 minutes to get cleaned up, we've got 7:00 reservations at Waters Edge. Perfect ending to a great day.

That’s awesome

Good hunt, better homecoming. Glad you escaped NY

Sounds great

We got to get away from the crowds

300+ hunters on 50 acres is the norm for the few management areas we’ve hit.

I think the TWRA quit leasing any private owned fields this year. That sure didn’t help with the WMA crowds.
To much money spent on duck blinds I reckon

We do have good dove hunting here ... and plenty of it, always have as long as I can remember.

So you're down in Mt Pleasant ... a transplant to here.

We have the land to make our own fields, got tractors, flat ground, a pond scenario

And I wouldn’t even be bothered by No Skin In The Game cousins that would show to mooch hunt.

Just been lazy

I got get my ass off of Gateway Pundit and Gundsmoke

Wow... glad you had a good shoot. I'd just as soon not go anymore due the the MOBS and lack of control by DNR. I tried it one year a couple of times and said no more...

Did not put in for draw.
3rd day is open, got there around 4. Time diff so by their clock 3.
Signed up, 15th person.
Checked tally for opening draw days.....best field was barely over two dozen birds. TOTAL

WTH?

Had one come in and dropped him. Aint shot for 2 or 3 yrs. Had first 4 birds that came by, down.....in 7 shots.
Put the 26" bbl on my turkey gun.....normally run it w 23" bbl. And limit out ( same field ).

Left after 4 hrs. Had shots at 10 birds. Dropped 5. Had a few shells left in the box.

Got my first band, after all these years. Turns out it was banded same area, the yr before.

One guy hunting said the sunflower crop decimated by deer. Season seems late here, always. But have had great hunts there....been going since 80s.

Back then there were way more birds, and could use lead
Limiting out wasnt an issue and id drag a boat anchor 1100 out, to go for triples.

Didnt even try for a double yesterday. Never had a chance.
Was 7 of us on that field. Actually the emoty end proly had the most birds. #2 spot was maybe 75 yards left and cuz and I guarded the gap, usually the best spot in field.

So i ended up w most shooting, and I let some run down to other guys. Within range but near edge of it. Theyd pass running the line of mowed/ standing sunflowers. Lots of em do that. Think the guys were sleeping as half of em gave better shot opps.






.

I hear ya...I feel ya...

I've never been on a good DNR shoot, and have gone plenty. Most, I've fired 3 to 5 shots all day. The final straw was about 4 years ago. We went to a shoot down in Santee at one of the canal fields. We got there about two hours early, in hopes of being at the "front of the line" and getting a decent spot. The field is several hundred yards from the parking area and you have to follow a narrow trail along the canal to reach it. By 11:30 there were quite a few guys waiting but at least we all had an equal chance at getting a decent spot, or so I thought. At 11:45, four trucks pulled up with about six guys in each and two to three bicycles in the back of each. They had their teenage sons load all their sh*t in buggys that they attached to the bikes and as soon as the clock struck Noon and the warden gave the go ahead, the boys jumped on the bikes and hauled ass to the field, leaving those of us on foot in the dust. I said something to the warden and he just shrugged his shoulders and said "There''s no law against it." By the time we made the trek and got checked in with the wardens at the field, there were hardly any spots left without sitting in somebody's lap. As you said, no more...

Was maybe 4 or 5 yrs ago last decent shoot. Diff field, draw day, sky busters way down. Still did good, had to let a bunch coming at me go, as dumping em in the hell hole behind me wasnt gonna happen. Learned to not do that yrs ago.

And we even had a dog.

Think it was 2010 last of the limit out in 2 hrs om state ground. 2 to 4 hrs and done, was common going back.

Guys going out roasting in sun all afternoon for 5 birds thinking its a blast.......good on them I guess.
Sad to think folks consider that a good day.

My goal every time is to limit out shooting 50 percent w no cherry picking. This yr i shot a little better than 33%.
Was 50 % half way through but so few shot opps never could get into a groove. Took some toughies to try to make a meal and only killed my average.

And i was nowhere close to limiting out. CO checked the line at 5 and didnt even check coolers for birds. He knew nobody was gonna limit out. 😂

Cra1948 did you shoot Mary's Island in Donnelly WMA. Been many years since I shot that field it used to be an excellent place to shoot doves.then one year it seamed like every dove Hunter in SC showed up.I haven't been back.

I’m sure fortunate that we have a farm in Ks to hunt. Usually 5-8 family members make the opener. This year, only three of us. We limited day 1 and 2, quite easily. Two brothers using 410 O/Us.

Oh yeah!

Take on of those 10x10 EZ-Up tents and make a hospitality area…

Generators running fans. Ice cream moochine.
Grills going, cooking red skin wieners.
Michelob Ultra and Twister Tea iced down….

Speakers blaring Luke Combs…..

Not true, I hunted a TWRA leased field in Bledsoe county. One of the best shoots I've been to in years public or private. No more than 20 hunters in the 20 acre field I was in. There was another 8 acre field that I don't think anyone hunted. Everybody there got there limit. Wardens were very chill all they wanted to know was your bird count, didn't even look.

Yeah, that was it. Closest I can estimate, there were no more than around 40 at the island, not sure how many stayed up above. Neither spot was crowded at all. From all I'd heard it had the potential to be a real circus but it wasn't. I, personally, didn't shoot a lot of doves, but next time I'll have a better idea how to go about it. There was a lot of shooting going on and I left happy. I got some shooting in, got to experience something I'd always wanted to do.

Curious,

50 shell limit to discourage sky busting??

Cra1948 if you are a bow Hunter that WMA is excellent, I have killed several hogs and deer in that beautiful block of hardwoods you drove through to get to the check station..

Correct…although nobody checked

Not a bow hunter. It is a beautiful piece of land. After the weather cools I’m going to take my wife down to walk the 3 mile hiking trail and look at all the old historic stuff.

Some of these WMA’s are real treasures.