GUNDOG CENTRAL - HUNTING DOGS FOR SALE

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Edgar Castillo | https://linktr.ee/hunt_birdz | All Hunting Articles

Posted 09/12/2024

It’s that time of the year when we find ourselves gathered with family, friends, and strangers positioned around a cut grain or sunflower field waiting for those September gray birds to come screaming in. Dogs will sit idly by, panting as they await anxiously for doves to be interrupted in midflight with shot. As the first flight comes in, a barrage of gunfire will thunderously erupt, signaling that hunting season has arrived. Dove hunters will instantly feel the excitement by the heat of expended shotshells, yells from strangers saying “Comin’ at ya!”, and the sweat running down backs and necks as sun rays pour from the blue sky as summer still holds on tightly.

FIELD CARE

Dove hunting takes place during the hottest days of the hunting season, so proper field care is essential in order to keep those doves fresh, tasty, and ready for the grill. Once the action starts and doves begin to fall from the sky, the birds require proper field care. Every dove hunter knows the utility of a plastic bucket or chair in the field. Besides comfort, they provide storage for gear, ammo, and yes…doves. Those sit on-top swivel buckets that are insulated with a Styrofoam pullout and come with built in storage compartments are excellent to place doves in to keep cool and fresh. Throw in a frozen gel pack to keep the temperature low. Some field chairs also have functioning mesh storage areas to keep birds in and air flowing through.



September can be HOT and the dove action even hotter. Piling doves into a vest when the temperature is above 80 degrees or more doesn’t allow the birds to cool properly, especially if hours are spent trying for a limit of doves. Those piled in birds will start to “cook”! However, there is an alternative method to keep birds cool. Doves can be hung using a handy game bird strap or carrier. Straps come in various sizes and materials to accommodate different sized birds. The concept of the game bird carrier is to place individual birds through loops either by the neck or feet.

Carriers usually come with removable clips or straps that can hold up to eight birds each. Placing doves utilizing fame carriers allows the birds to cool in the open air. They can be worn from the belt or hung in a nearby tree or fence. However, the easiest way is to bring a cooler and get those doves on ice as soon as possible. One way to do this is by gutting the doves using a sharp knife while still in the field or at the very least immediately after the hunt. Once the entrails are removed, there’s little risk of spoilage.




Remember, everyone prepares doves differently. Some dove hunters like to skin, pluck, or breast their birds. Here we are going to provide the reader with how-to breast doves out. This is more due to personal preference. No matter how doves are prepared, they are among the tastiest of upland birds, so recipes won’t be too hard to find to satisfy the palette.

CLEANING IN THE FIELD VS AT HOME

The next important question is how long do you usually go between shooting and cleaning a dove? If you choose to wait until home, some doves will have been riding in the back of a vest or in some type of container (if no cooler is used) for several hours. If you are fine with this, then there is nothing to be concerned about. However, many believe birds are better if they age for a few days before cleaning. This is a decision that will have to made by each dove hunter.

Some hunters choose to clean doves out in the field as it can be easier. There are benefits to this as it avoids the mess of feathers all over the truck bed, garage, or kitchen. Most believe the key is to cool them out ASAP. Some go as far as to removing the entrails to help keep birds from spoiling. A few hours are really nothing to worry about.

DOVE CLEANING STEPS




So, you have a bunch of doves. Now what?
1. Start with the dove lying breast up.
2. Pluck only the breast feathers. Gently peel the skin from the breast.
3. Take your finger and pull the breast upwards. This will pop it from the body and allow it to lift free.
4. Using a pair of sharp game shears, scissors, or thin-bladed knife, cut the breast from one of the wings. This will leave you with a separated breast with a wing attached and a carcass to discard. Federal law requires hunters to transport migratory birds with one fully feathered wing attached to the carcass for identification purposes.
5. Once the doves are breasted out, lightly rinse to remove loose feathers.
6. Use Ziploc plastic bags or vacuum pouch to store doves. Use plastic bags that come with write-on labels to document date, location, and species taken.
7. Do not overfill bags. Make sure to get a good seal in-order to prevent freezer burn.

FIELD TIP: It’s important to maintain field cutlery; gamebird knives, game shears, and scissors sharp throughout the season.

RECIPES

Chances are many will return from the field with a few, or maybe even a limit of prized dove meat. Now comes the exciting and most satisfying part – turning that tender, lean, dark meat into an enticing culinary recipe. With its subtle and sweet taste and minimal fat, dove is a favorite amongst wingshooters to dine on. Without a doubt, the most famous and easiest way to fix dove is the tasty…Bacon-Wrapped Dove Jalapeno Poppers!
There’s nothing wrong with that combination, but how about this year try something new and fresh with those delicious doves. A cursory search on the web found nothing short of twenty-five concoctions. They ran from a Spanish inspired Grilled Dove A La Mancha, to Louisiana Cajun Dove Gumbo, to an Asian-styled Crunchy Cream Cheese Dove Wontons, and everything in between. Take those doves and make something special and unique as part of the dove finale!

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