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2nd Annual Family Dove Hunt A youth dove hunt was held over labor day weekend in northern Nevada, giving young hunters and their families an opportunity to create lasting memories and traditions.

For the 10 lucky, young dove hunters and their parents, the hunt didn’t begin at 5 a.m., it began in a Hunter Education class in the spring or summer. At the completion of the class, applications were passed out and the students had the foresight to fill them out and send them in. Late July, the drawing was held for the dove hunt and the pheasant hunt to be held in November.

All of the invited hunters (kids and parents) attended a clinic, August, 30. They were instructed in the rules of the hunt and given an opportunity to show their gun handling and shooting skills. Dove hunters were assigned a morning or afternoon hunt and paired up with an instructor who guided them with a dog for retrieving birds.

The morning hunters showed up by 5 a.m. First light was just showing. The early start gave hunters an hour to get into position. Spread along the tree line and the edge of the habitat area, hunters saw action almost immediately. The dogs were busy retrieving birds. For some dogs, it was a tough tangle of cover that made retrieving a chore. But, every bird that was downed was retrieved. By the time the morning flight trailed off at about 10 a.m., a total of 90 doves were taken by 12 hunters.

The afternoon hunt started about 4 p.m. The later flight was not nearly as productive as the morning flight and one of the "strategic" positions failed to provide many birds. But, the hunt went well and everyone had a great time.

The young hunters did exceptionally well this year. As with last year, new ideas and approaches have come to mind, so that it will get even better next year.

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