Afield: Get out, scout for mourning dove season | StarTribune.com

By BILL MARCHEL, Special to the Star TribuneLast update: August 23, 2009 – 12:55 AM How about a robin hunting season?Or sparrows, or cows? They’re just as challenging to hunt as mourning doves are. — To a farmer a “dirty field” is not a good thing. A farmer’s dictionary would tell you a “dirty field” is one with weeds sprouting between neat rows of crops. How many weeds are necessary for a field to be designated “dirty” is open for discussion.To a mourning dove, a “dirty field” is a good thing. A weedy field can provide a hungry dove a smorgasbord of delectable seeds such as foxtail, Johnson grass, pigweed and others.Thus, to a mourning dove hunter a “dirty field” is a good thing, too.Last week, on an evening cool enough to foretell the coming of fall, I searched for just such a field.The Minnesota mourning dove hunting opener is slightly more that a week away Sept. 1, and scouting for a prime hunting location is by far the most important aspect to ensuring a productive first-day hunt.My evening foray began at a familiar location. I initially found this particular dove hunting spot while scouting before the 2005 season. Back then the area had everything a mourning dove requires: food, water and shelter.  Click link below for full story!

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