Southern California Dove Season

Its nearing the start of September and while that means the start of school and the end of summer it also means that hunting season is in full swing. While there are seasons for something during anytime of the year September 1st has a special place for hunters. It marks the opening of dove season. Now dove are not the biggest game animal but they are the most commonly hunted. Many a hunter had their first outing on an early September morning.

Dove season means different things to hunters. Some 'serious' hunters look down on it, seeing it as hunting that's done by riff-raff; when every serious hunter should be out scouting for the coming deer season. For others it may be the only thing they hunt all year long.

Dove hunting in California makes for an interesting proposition. Decent public land is available but getting there is a whole other story. In southern California, no place competes with the Imperial Valley for attracting dove hunters. Getting to this corner of the state can be interesting though. For most the schedule goes as follows: wake up at 1 AM, drive four hours, sit in the 100 degree sun, then turning around, drive another four hours, get home and clean birds. It is easily a 15 hour endurance run. Yet, year after year droves of hunters descend on the valley. So either there must be something about dove hunting that makes it worth it or hunters are just crazy...okay fine, maybe its a little bit of both.

I know I'll be there.

If you go, please remember:

- Pick up all your trash and empties
- Save the beer till after the hunt is done
- Don't hunt private property without written permission from the landowner
- #7 1/2 shot can travel over 200 yards, don't "rain" on someone else's hunting day
- Be safe and have fun

For those of you looking for more info check out:

Desert Wildlife Unlimited