Photo by Mike Searles

It's happened to most dove hunters at one time or another. There you are, through poor choice or luck of the draw, at the wrong place on the field. Frustrated, you watch fellow shooters enjoy fast-and-furious shotgun action as you sit there, lamenting your fate and praying that one or two birds may unwittingly blunder close enough to afford a shot before the end of feeding time or legal shooting hours.

Too often hunters show up at a dove shoot, leave their vehicles and dash away to set up in the first available patch of shade found. They give little or no thought to a number of factors that could ensure the time is occupied with more shooting than fruitless waiting.

Often hunters accept invitations to a first-come/first-served shoot on the field. In such instances, the trick is to be prepared to recognize certain strategic set-ups on the dove field that can work to your advantage. Let's look at a few of these "ideals."

SCOUT THE FIELD
First, it pays great dividends if you have done your "homework" and familiarized yourself with the specific nuances of the field. This is the only reliable tactic that can tell you such vital things as where the birds are coming from, when they start arriving, and where they concentrate their on-the-field activities.

It pays to be prepared. Don't just show up "blind" and expect to have a worthwhile outing. You might be successful, but the odds are against you, especially if others are better prepared. Have two or three good spots in mind when you arrive.

If it's permissible, get there early. It is much better to sit and wait an hour or so gazing at a birdless sky than to arrive and find the best spots are already taken and the little feathered "rockets" are already pitching in.

MANAGE THE LIGHT
When picking a set-up spot on a dove field, take several factors into consideration. Let the sun and its relationship to where you are setting up be high on your list. Keep the sun to your back whenever possible. Doves are tough enough to hit under ideal circumstances. Don't handicap yourself by having to stare into the glare of blinding morning or afternoon sunbeams.

KNOW THE STRUCTURE
"The average dove hunter seldom pays enough attention to good dove 'structure,' " said Will Jester, a self-proclaimed dove addict who hunts almost daily during the season, as well as organizing and staging numerous shoots.

Jester believes doves, like certain fish species, habitually and instinctively relate to certain types of physical topographic features, manmade or otherwise.

"There are always certain things, other than what they're feeding on, that draw birds once they've arrived over the field," Jester explained. "Maybe it's a grove of 'loafing' trees, a power line cutting across the field, or even a contour change in the lay of the land itself. Like fish-holding structure in a lake or river, every dove field contains certain things in certain specific locations that will draw and hold birds. If you've got an option, set up within shooting range of these sites or in a location where you can catch them as they approach."

An added place to consider as a prime set-up location on many dove fields is an isolated patch of sandy ground. Like most birds, especially of the seed-eating variety, doves find a good supply of gravel or grit essential. A field often features a spot where rain runoff has caused an accumulation of exposed gritty or sandy soil. Coupled with an abundance of food on the ground, such locations can act as a magnet to birds that are naturally seeking both necessities in adjacent spots.

"These areas can be ideal," Jester agreed. "Food on the ground all over the field will obviously scatter and disperse the doves. A hunter sitting near a visible patch of grit will often get a concentration of birds headed for one place that offers more than one of the things they need."

DON'T BE SEEN
When it comes to proper camouflage as a major dove-hunting consideration, Jester downplays its importance.