tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701711888160224242024-11-08T10:28:59.229-05:00The New Hand Wingshooter FilesAlan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-44692198371105932902012-08-26T14:13:00.001-04:002012-08-26T20:44:06.474-04:00Opening Day is ComingIts been:
179 days since the season for quail closed,
220 days since the season for ducks closed, and
227 days since the last season for doves closed.
It's 6 days before the opening day of Dove Season. Everyone is getting ready. Wally world has the cheap boxes of shells out, my brother is calling with his plans, fields are being cut and raked for the big event, and the doves have Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-1129277332141333192012-08-21T09:00:00.000-04:002012-08-26T20:42:56.344-04:00The Poor Boy's Dove Field
It’s
been a while since my last post, and it might take days to catch up, but here
is the quick synopsis of the plans for this year’s dove field. I believe I gave some advice that if you don’t
have the cash to spend planting and working the perfect field, there are
options. When I was told in April that I
would be laid off this summer, those options were my only hope. So this Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-78579470613682930932012-02-23T21:41:00.000-05:002012-08-26T20:42:31.678-04:00Why We Hunt
The traffic to work is killing me, and the long hours at work tire me out, but still I can’t sleep. If my son keeps jumping through the house, or my wife tells me one more time about bruise on her foot ….
I’m going hunting
To see what’s in the field
To get away from this
And ignore this
To spend some time with friends and Family
Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-34271041436537795202012-02-17T23:29:00.000-05:002012-08-26T20:41:57.725-04:00A Little Help With My ShootingA few weeks ago a shot a miserable round of sporting clays (Don't Think, Meat) leaving me wondering why I sometimes shoot so bad in the field. One thing that helped my recently was to focus down range and look back to the clay or bird as rises. Perhaps this just keeps me loose, allowing the natural motion and shot to take place. Or maybe its as they explain in this Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-64802771904102270862012-02-08T23:09:00.002-05:002012-08-26T20:41:19.459-04:00Where's the Covey
Over the weekend, Johnny took us out to hunt a few birds released the week before and then to the wild coveys nearby. Most of the hunting on his land is over released quail until the wild quail catch up with all the habitat work he's been doing. So this was indeed a treat.
As we approached a great looking haunt, the dog started to get active. And then it happened.&Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-56632126821337235022012-01-30T00:02:00.001-05:002012-08-26T20:40:52.563-04:00A Gun for My Kid(s)
I’ve been looking for a shotgun for my daughter and son to shoot. I’ll probably have to buy two. Reading articles and surfing the web has given me a lot of ides, but no one has recommended the perfect gun for a small kid to learn on.
First: Click here to find out who is paying me for this post.
Sure they could use the gun Johnny is letting me use, but it’s a beast to Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-76049396590328838772012-01-22T22:16:00.000-05:002012-08-26T20:40:20.358-04:00Caw Caw to You Too
You know there are no ducks when someone says, “I just like being out here.” This was the case last weekend when my son and I woke up, layered up, and dragged gear into a small, icing over beaver pond in the hopes of a ducks landing in the decoys.
In the past, my son, 8, has come on these hunts only to complain “I’m ready to go now.” This time was different. This time he Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-12392116631692752812012-01-16T20:43:00.000-05:002012-08-26T20:39:45.523-04:00Quail Fry
Recently, I tried to search for a quail recipe on the internet that would be simple but tasty. What I found were long recipes that might require the assistance of sous chef. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure these recipes produce master piece meals delightful to the most discriminating palate. But for me, I just want it simple, easy and tasty enough for my simple taste buds.
So Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-40434764270181007192012-01-11T23:54:00.000-05:002012-01-12T01:23:31.750-05:00Don't Think, Meat
One of my favorite movies is Bull Durham. In it Crash Davis tells Nuke “Don’t think, Meat.” This advice was given to keep the pitcher from thinking too hard on pitching. Once Nuke cleared his head, he threw strikes. I don’t know about you, but for me shooting a shot gun is the same. When I start thinking about how to shoot, I start missing. When I am Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-51016154407981254692012-01-08T16:24:00.000-05:002012-01-11T23:58:37.975-05:00Teaching to Shoot?
I am not sure that I’m a qualified shooting instructor, but my Daughter is almost 10 and she’s been handling the BB gun with precision. She has proven to be safe with the BB gun and was encouraged to start learning the shot gun.
This has to be one of the most exciting times; the time of passing on the skills, knowledge, and joy to the next generation. My father taught me, and my Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-18379128400609975492011-12-28T22:24:00.000-05:002012-01-11T23:59:54.147-05:00What Does Quail Mean Anyway?
If you asked me what quail means, I would say hunting with my Dad, watching the dog work or waiting for my son and daughter to hit their first bird on a covey rise. Twenty some odd years ago, someone might have said “the vice-president” when asked what quail means. What do our youth today say?
Don McKenzie makes the point that kids today do not even know what quail are, not to Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-63185334152777346252011-12-21T13:22:00.000-05:002012-01-12T00:00:29.585-05:00First Steps
Most of us remember our first time shooting, for me it was at a clay pigeon with my Dad’s Browning over/under. Most of us don’t remember our first steps as a baby, but the parents remember it. I remember my Daughter’s first step. It caught us off guard, but there she was coming down the hall. We launched for our camera. Why do parents always want a picture and a Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-65754579726889129032011-12-05T00:01:00.000-05:002012-01-12T00:01:03.787-05:00A Bird in the Ravine is Worth Two in the Bush
Quail Season is here in Georgia and things have changed around Johnny's hunting camp. Two years ago, we were all sitting in deer stands every morning and every evening. Johnny's son kept that vigil this year, but no one else ventured out of camp with a rifle. There are coveys around and that's the focus now.
Sydnie and Rube
Some of you may remember that I Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-73301689091796130552011-09-26T00:04:00.000-04:002012-01-12T00:01:49.590-05:00Back in the Field
It has been well over a month since my last post and I could make some excuses. Busy at work, few doves in the field, procrastination, etc. etc. With the field full of weeds and the drought keeping us from burning, the field did not look that attractive to the doves that we hoped for. Enough of the excuses, the season is in for crying out loud.
Labor Day Weekend - There were Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-88740128071717761592011-08-01T21:41:00.000-04:002012-01-12T00:02:33.642-05:00Dove Field Update
Finally, after waiting for the dove field to grow, it’s about time to start mowing, burning and preparing for a hunt. Dove season is only one month away. We took a look at the field last week to plan what we would do for mowing. The Millet was a little stressed and suffering from a drought, over planting and weeds. But there is still plenty of seed production, so not bad.Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-61638494959084367972011-07-22T21:28:00.000-04:002012-01-12T00:02:56.661-05:00Ridiculous Dove RetreiveAlan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-44863362050213916542011-07-17T22:35:00.001-04:002012-01-12T00:04:06.562-05:00The Economics of Dove Hunting
Years ago, my father and uncle would walk out their front door, head down the creek and hunt ducks, quail or some other game. Before then, people depended on fish and game to help feed the family. Even today, I see folks with cane poles lined up at the river to catch a meal, and I hear about families depending on squirrel hunts to provide food. My father actually justified the Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-6093348625043248152011-07-12T22:10:00.000-04:002012-01-12T00:06:06.681-05:00A Little Bragging
A little over a week ago, Johnny, his son George, Sydnie and I met at the fields to plant a couple of quail plots. Afterwards, we shot a few clay pigeons. George was on, I was off and for some stands, way off. I need a lot of time on target before the seasons start. Even so, I do have some bragging to do.
A couple of years ago, some friends of ours visited us from out ofAlan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-4985590231289991482011-07-08T03:59:00.000-04:002012-01-12T00:06:59.991-05:00Rain is a Good ThingI know floods have devastated parts of the country and the folks affected by these floods don’t want to see any rain, but in Georgia a drought over the past few months has ruined lawns, crops and the Dove Field. Finally, the rain has started to fall here, but when I go to the radar on the internet, it seems as if there is a black hole around Johnny’s land. Storms approach only to break apart justAlan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-3191906577593842852011-06-28T21:22:00.002-04:002012-01-12T00:07:33.038-05:00Millions of DOVES in ArgentinaI found a few Dove Hunting videos on youtube to tide me over till the season. Here's one:
YouTube - Millions DOVES in Argentina
Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-40578712722469882962011-06-20T00:38:00.000-04:002012-01-12T00:08:10.417-05:00Planting a Dove Field - Should I Bait
Now that the dove field is all planted, my thoughts have turned to managing the field. There will be work to do this summer; fertilizer to add, weeds to spray, crops to mow, landing zones to make bare, and countless other tasks to complete to prepare the field for dove hunting. Fortunately, I’ve received some advice from a few people I know who have done this before, and part of thatAlan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-53438361102039468312011-06-14T18:46:00.001-04:002012-01-12T00:08:45.251-05:00Planting the Dove Field - Again
Some of the best memories of my childhood are of my father taking us hunting and fishing. I remember when it was hot, I remember the long walks to that far covey, and I remember wading through countless briar patches. But I don’t remember anything bad, just the fun we had sitting in a field or watching our dog point. And I remember the enjoyment of being in the field with my Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-7768428608461381832011-06-02T23:00:00.000-04:002012-01-12T00:09:25.396-05:00Planting a Dove Field - What I've Learned So Far
It’s that time of year. Dove Hunters are starting to think about the next season and a few are wondering if they should plant a Dove Field this year. I was amazed to find that Google has this Blog listed in the top 15 sites when you search “Dove” “Field” and “Planting.” Then I realized that a few people looking for information about planting their own Dove field had somehow Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-71847151665019488952011-05-31T22:57:00.004-04:002012-01-12T00:10:01.782-05:00Post Planting - Dove Field Worries
I was a little worried after planting the Millet and Sesame. Worried because the fertilizer was not down, worried that there would not be enough rain. There’s not much I could do about the rain, but hopefully, applying the fertilizer a couple days after planting would be fine.
Preparing the Dove field Before Planting
I called the farm and garden center on Monday; they were backedAlan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70171188816022424.post-12825479844807198922011-05-24T23:02:00.000-04:002012-01-12T00:10:27.512-05:00Planting the Dove Field
Finally, the time came to start planting the Dove field. I gave Johnny a list and some cash a few weeks before, and he kindly went to the seed store to purchase the seed. There was a poll on this blog for a few weeks asking what I should plant and I believe the Brown Top Millet won out. I actually chose a combination of Brown Top and Proso Millets with Sesame. The idea is that I can Alan Roberdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078134951152597436noreply@blogger.com1