# Officially Done with Dove Day Hunts



## lonniewalling (Jun 9, 2011)

I'm done with wasting my money. I've been on 3 day hunts over the last 4 years and have killed a total of 11 birds in those 3 hunts. What blows my mind is that they can stand there, take your money, bond with these people about your family, express your concerns and hopes, take you out to where your going to hunt, and flat out lie to your face about how many birds they killed in that exact spot the day before. It's crazy. I understand birds move around and change patterns but there is just know way they totally disappear over night. I've hunted just about everything there is to hunt in the U.S. and your not going to lie me to me no more. I grew up with plenty of property to hunt here in the south zone but love to hunt doves so have always tried to find a place to go in the central. My first attempt was with my wife near Navasota. I received multiple emails all week of how they were riddled with birds and even got a phone call the day before telling me everyone that day limited out in 45 minutes. Well what you know it, between my wife and I we got a grand total of 1 with 2 shots fired. Me being naÃ¯ve I blamed it on the rain storm that had come through that night. The second time wasn't as bad. The wife and I traveled all the way to San Antonio. Same ol'bull, received emails, phone calls telling me how great it is, and he has so many properties to choose from, "we can go where the birds are". That should have been a clue. lol. We were able to bag 7 between the two of us in a day and half hunt. The birds were so far and few between the second day we decided to leave early to get a head start back home. And now we come to the hunt that I had to endure Thursday. It was just me this time. Woke up at 3am to make the drive to Waller to meet by 5:30am. Was excited to find out there was just one other guy I was hunting with instead of an over crowded field. The man also said he had another group that would be in the field to the south of us. We followed the man to field where he preceded to say that 2 guys hunted it the day before and one limited out and the other had around 12, "but could have gotten his limit if he was a better shot". That's just funny to me now. From daylight until 11am I was actually able to down every dove I saw but 2 that were too far away and still only had a total of 5. What really made me mad was the field I was hunting was a hay field that hadn't been cut in a long, long time. Therefore, even if you dropped a bird, that wasn't the hard part, finding it was the hard part. I spent hours looking for birds. So needless to say, out of the 5 I shot, I only found 3. The afternoon hunt was a complete joke. From 4pm until I couldn't take it no more at 6:30, I saw about 3 doves a half mile away on a power line. Not one bird anywhere near the field I was in. I don't know how the guys the day before did it, they must have some long shooting shotguns or imaginary minds. Its just crazy how people can lie to your face like that. It makes me think I should start running day hunts out of my familys land. We haven't had many birds come through there in years but if all you have to do is take people's money and lie, I could get rich. It seems so many other people are doing it. Just put on a smile, tell them how there's birds everywhere, and wait for the money to roll in...


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## capone (Feb 25, 2013)

Dude, if you only hunt once per year you really can't expect to be successful. Dove move out when pressured. Do your homework and get with an outfitter that manages the land for birds. Everyone things you just show up and poof, birds appear. But I am with you on the shady folks running day hunts. There are plenty out there. 


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

doves are fickle and will move out in mere minutes... especially w/a front or rain...also there are less than honorable folks out there..


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## tropicalsun (May 21, 2004)

Yep. With one or two notable exceptions that's pretty much how it goes. My favorite...three of us drive to vocal outfitter west of San Antonio. Covered in doves...
Opening morning we were place up in a field against a baseball field. We saw one dove. 1.
Field below us was blasting away. Outfitter showed up. We asked the outfitter and he says, "Oh, that's my nephew." Got it...lesson learned.


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## Kenner21 (Aug 25, 2005)

I've been burned a few times locally, drive west and don't stop until you get west of San Antonio. I don't know Chris Crocker personally but his hunts near Sabinal have always been pretty solid for us.


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

goes both ways...
I did a little foot-work long ago scouting and such...
then when a woman from Houston told me how the place sucked and she expected better while white-wings were flying all around, soured me w/dealing w/the public.


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## 1971snipe (Aug 9, 2012)

I've certainly been on hunts when I ended up very suspicious of the outfitter. That said, in my experience, central zone September dove season is pretty much a 1 or 2 hunt affair, before the birds generally move to less-pressured areas, such as the south zone, especially in areas just north of I-10. 

Where I hunted this past Tues morning, there was plenty of action, with ~100 or so hunters spread out across several fields. I didn't go Tues afternoon, but I heard that it slowed down considerably. 

There were no hunts in those fields on Wed-Thurs-Fri. I went back to the same spot Sat (yesterday) morning, and the birds were basically gone. There was no shooting to be heard anywhere in the distance, so obviously the birds have left that whole area, probably to the south of I-10. My guess is that's how it is, at least until late Dec/early Jan. 

For day-hunts, you pretty much have to stick with an outfitter you trust, and otherwise it's simply trial and error.


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## Swampstomper (Apr 19, 2010)

There,s so much pressure on the birds around Waller that day hunt land will only hold up for the first day or 2. If you,re not going the first couple days be prepared for disappointment. Best bet is to find an outfitter who,ll warn you off if the birds quit. I had a hunt booked with Tim Crawley for yesterday and he called to warn me of slow action the day before. I,ll be calling him to book again next season.


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## Swampstomper (Apr 19, 2010)

Central zone opener will be on a Thursday next season. I see a five day weekend coming. Book those hunts early, the best outfitters fill up fast.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

Very true about birds moving out. The north and central zones are only going to be good the first two days. After that you will only see local birds. The mass majority is headed south to the Valley.


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## Gap (Jun 4, 2004)

Anyone have any recommendations for outfits for the South zone opener within an hour or so of Houston? Would like to get my youngster on his first real dove hunt. Like many are talking about, our duck lease near Brookshire has some dove on opening day, but almost none just a few days later.


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## AggieCowboy98 (Feb 25, 2007)

I understand everything you are saying, I've lived most of those experiences myself as a hunter. 

Let me play Devil's advocate for a minute though. As an outfitter, I do all I can to stack the deck in my clients favor. We're hunting cut milo with lots of seed on the ground. Have other pastures that are full of sunflower and goat weed. Lastly, have 10 huntable water sources. So I've controlled food (with multiple sources), water, and we also control pressure.

What I can't control is weather and the migration pattern / factors of the birds.

We have had a very slow season thus far. We have had limits shot but the hunters who shot them had to work for it. Friday evening I was in the field working on a water pump for one of my duck ponds and saw at least 100 - 150 birds. Saturday morning we had about 20 hunters on 780 acres and only a handful of shots were fired. The things I could control were still the same. However, We got an inch of rain the evening before, the temp was a few degrees cooler than the morning before and we were under a heavy fog until about 10am. So sometimes, yes the birds do vanish overnight.

That's not to say there aren't some crooked outfitters out there. Just don't lump us all into one big category because some of us really do work to give our hunters the best chances.


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## Jamie (Aug 2, 2011)

As an avid dove hunter and a former outfitter, I've experienced both sides of this issue

Barring a weather change, if you don't shoot at least 20 times...you deserve your money back

Doves aren't that hard to pattern, if you see some the afternoon before (again, barring a weather) change and they haven't been shot the day before...they will be there tomorrow 

An outfitter should know that 

PM me and I can give you some good day hunt outfitters


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## lonniewalling (Jun 9, 2011)

Finally someone says what needs to be said. Thank you Jamie. It is the outfitters job to know these things and not put hunters in fields thats impossible to even find the few birds that you do kill. I failed to mention that the other group to the south of us, which was a local group, sounded like they did pretty good. Imagine that. Take care of your people but the guys that drove over 2 hours just stick them somewhere. And like Jamie said, unless weather is a factor, a outfitter should be able to pattern these birds and put you somewhere to atleast have the opportunity to shoot at something. I am not new to hunting and probably spend more time in the field then most, so dont **** on my boots and tell me it's rain.


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## ccrocker1313 (Oct 23, 2005)

Call me I'll give you a FREE Dove Hunt ...
I didn't read your whole post but I can tell ya 1 thing you get what ya pay for and with me its a Great Hunt ...
www.ChrisCrockerOutfitting.com

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## gnspeed (Jan 31, 2012)

Crocker has some of the best fields i have ever seen,took my dad there last year and we hammered them(dad is 78 and was tearing them up).


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## Dino (Jan 10, 2008)

Way to go Chris , nice offer


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## Jamie (Aug 2, 2011)

I need to give CC a try....love that Sabinal/Hondo/Uvalde area


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## [email protected] (May 24, 2004)

Hunted Sabinal Central Zone with Chris Crocker yesterday and today - family group - son and stepson and I with our three wives and my grandson. First time with Chris. He and Chris Jr. are on top of everything and they have good country with plenty birds - producing excellent numbers! I heartily recommend his services and we will be coming back. One more hunt in the morning and we are moving to a new field with continued high hopes.


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## broadonrod (Feb 26, 2010)

ccrocker1313 said:


> Call me I'll give you a FREE Dove Hunt ...
> I didn't read your whole post but I can tell ya 1 thing you get what ya pay for and with me its a Great Hunt ...
> www.ChrisCrockerOutfitting.com
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Heck of an offer. Very nice of you!


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## Johnny9 (Sep 7, 2005)

With all the rain we have had since spring all my birds moved out months ago west of Houston. Outfitter says they scattered but I saw them move out back in May


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## jimmyjames4900 (Mar 19, 2007)

ccrocker1313 said:


> Call me I'll give you a FREE Dove Hunt ...
> I didn't read your whole post but I can tell ya 1 thing you get what ya pay for and with me its a Great Hunt ...
> www.ChrisCrockerOutfitting.com
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I think I'll book with you for next year just because of your reply to this fella.

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## castnblast4life (Jun 12, 2007)

Who was the outfitter in Waller that burned you


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## Bayduck (May 22, 2004)

*Most Excellent*

Thumbs up !



ccrocker1313 said:


> Call me I'll give you a FREE Dove Hunt ...
> I didn't read your whole post but I can tell ya 1 thing you get what ya pay for and with me its a Great Hunt ...
> www.ChrisCrockerOutfitting.com
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Main Frame 8 (Mar 16, 2007)

lonniewalling said:


> I'm done with wasting my money. I've been on 3 day hunts over the last 4 years and have killed a total of 11 birds in those 3 hunts. What blows my mind is that they can stand there, take your money, bond with these people about your family, express your concerns and hopes, take you out to where your going to hunt, and flat out lie to your face about how many birds they killed in that exact spot the day before. It's crazy. I understand birds move around and change patterns but there is just know way they totally disappear over night. I've hunted just about everything there is to hunt in the U.S. and your not going to lie me to me no more. I grew up with plenty of property to hunt here in the south zone but love to hunt doves so have always tried to find a place to go in the central. My first attempt was with my wife near Navasota. I received multiple emails all week of how they were riddled with birds and even got a phone call the day before telling me everyone that day limited out in 45 minutes. Well what you know it, between my wife and I we got a grand total of 1 with 2 shots fired. Me being naÃ¯ve I blamed it on the rain storm that had come through that night. The second time wasn't as bad. The wife and I traveled all the way to San Antonio. Same ol'bull, received emails, phone calls telling me how great it is, and he has so many properties to choose from, "we can go where the birds are". That should have been a clue. lol. We were able to bag 7 between the two of us in a day and half hunt. The birds were so far and few between the second day we decided to leave early to get a head start back home. And now we come to the hunt that I had to endure Thursday. It was just me this time. Woke up at 3am to make the drive to Waller to meet by 5:30am. Was excited to find out there was just one other guy I was hunting with instead of an over crowded field. The man also said he had another group that would be in the field to the south of us. We followed the man to field where he preceded to say that 2 guys hunted it the day before and one limited out and the other had around 12, "but could have gotten his limit if he was a better shot". That's just funny to me now. From daylight until 11am I was actually able to down every dove I saw but 2 that were too far away and still only had a total of 5. What really made me mad was the field I was hunting was a hay field that hadn't been cut in a long, long time. Therefore, even if you dropped a bird, that wasn't the hard part, finding it was the hard part. I spent hours looking for birds. So needless to say, out of the 5 I shot, I only found 3. The afternoon hunt was a complete joke. From 4pm until I couldn't take it no more at 6:30, I saw about 3 doves a half mile away on a power line. Not one bird anywhere near the field I was in. I don't know how the guys the day before did it, they must have some long shooting shotguns or imaginary minds. Its just crazy how people can lie to your face like that. It makes me think I should start running day hunts out of my familys land. We haven't had many birds come through there in years but if all you have to do is take people's money and lie, I could get rich. It seems so many other people are doing it. Just put on a smile, tell them how there's birds everywhere, and wait for the money to roll in...


 I've NEVER called or met an outfitter or landowner that said I should save my money because there was a lack of game. I recommend getting references. If not, just understand it's no different than going to Vegas, thinking you're going to win.


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## Michael Dill (May 27, 2004)

Call Chris! Take him up on his offer! Excellent fields, lots of dove and easy to work with. These guys know what they are doing.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

So we have a year long lease near Victoria.....*after the opening weekend*.....there are few if any of the members that take full limits......

It's all about the pressure....there are fly zones that birds use to migrate but they can be changed due to...ready....hunting pressure.....

You need to vary the place being hunted and day hunts are hard to make that happen as you don't know how hard it was hit prior day/ week.....


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## AggieCowboy98 (Feb 25, 2007)

Muddskipper said:


> So we have a year long lease near Victoria.....*after the opening weekend*.....there are few if any of the members that take full limits......
> 
> It's all about the pressure....there are fly zones that birds use to migrate but they can be changed due to...ready....hunting pressure.....
> 
> You need to vary the place being hunted and day hunts are hard to make that happen as you don't know how hard it was hit prior day/ week.....


Bigger factor than some think. Why some of us rotate fields. After opening weekend, we use a field 2 days and rest it 5.


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## AggieCowboy98 (Feb 25, 2007)

ccrocker1313 said:


> Call me I'll give you a FREE Dove Hunt ...
> I didn't read your whole post but I can tell ya 1 thing you get what ya pay for and with me its a Great Hunt ...
> www.ChrisCrockerOutfitting.com
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Heck of a gesture Chris!


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## TatterTot (Jan 6, 2006)

ccrocker1313 said:


> Call me I'll give you a FREE Dove Hunt ...
> I didn't read your whole post but I can tell ya 1 thing you get what ya pay for and with me its a Great Hunt ...
> www.ChrisCrockerOutfitting.com
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


very nice. I don't know you. Or ever heard of you but that is stand up right there.


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## KDubBlast (Dec 25, 2006)

ccrocker1313 said:


> Call me I'll give you a FREE Dove Hunt ...
> I didn't read your whole post but I can tell ya 1 thing you get what ya pay for and with me its a Great Hunt ...
> www.ChrisCrockerOutfitting.com
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Might have to book a hunt with this guy next year. Heck of a gesture!


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## [email protected] (May 24, 2004)

I agree completely with dove activity dwindling under pressure but no matter how accurately you believe you can predict what they'll do and how well you scout new fields during the season, you can still be surprised at times.

We hunted the same field Saturday and Sunday with Chris Crocker at Sabinal this past weekend with great results. Expecting the pressure to take its normal toll, he moved us to a nearby field they had not hunted yet for our Monday morning shoot. Didn't take long though -- Chris was out and about checking on things as a good outfitter does and, when the new field was surprising slow, he moved us quickly to another location and the result was a nice recovery! We did not all get limits but some of us got real close before we had to exit the field and head back up to Concan and get everything packed up for the return home. We'd have probably limited had we stuck around another hour or so as they were still flying. 

All in all it was a great trip with plenty bird activity in excellent country. Chris' recommendation to rent a house at River Rim Resort was also right on the money. His attention to detail and the quality of his hunting is no doubt the reason his booking calendar fills up so early in the year. We are already booked for Central Zone during Labor Day weekend next year.


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## GSMAN (May 22, 2004)

I totally understand your frustration. I never have had much luck with day leases around the Houston area. I have even hunted with guys that advertise on here and they were a bust. Tons of hunters and not much birds. I have learned it pays to pay a little more with an outfitter PLUS make sure they have sunflowers, milo, or something planted to attract birds. Again, this has been my experience so your mileage may vary.


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## Bharvey (Mar 24, 2013)

Purchase a $48 public hunting permit. There are TONS of places to walk-in dove hunt in Texas...


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## JonWayne (Jan 7, 2011)

Our fields hold the "sabinal dove slam" morning whitewing and ring necks. My dad offered a free hunt already or I would have done the same to show you not all outfitters ******** about their hunting. We have plenty of references from 2 cool and other outfitters. Call us and we'll get you on the birds. No hunting on fields during until friday this week. We left them flying yesterday also. Call us
CCO Jr 5125873791
CCO Sr 2817873783
Chriscrockeroutfitting.com

















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## JonWayne (Jan 7, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> Hunted Sabinal Central Zone with Chris Crocker yesterday and today - family group - son and stepson and I with our three wives and my grandson. First time with Chris. He and Chris Jr. are on top of everything and they have good country with plenty birds - producing excellent numbers! I heartily recommend his services and we will be coming back. One more hunt in the morning and we are moving to a new field with continued high hopes.


Thanks everett we had a blast this weekend. Glad your group had fun. Always good seeing successful hunts with us. CCO Jr

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## grman (Jul 2, 2010)

Used to help an large outfitter north of Winnie on openning day for several years but it was not ready a day hunt. All the fields were reserved by companies and their clients. We mowed and signed parking area for each party. We would meet everyone in a ranch barn for a catered breakfast. Each party would have a guide that would lead their party to their field. Catered lunch too. My "guiding" consisted of driving around the field on an ATV with my dog and a cooker full of drinks. 
Some years it was good some it sucked. Most of the customers had hunted several years so they understood that. Only really complaint I remember is one salesman that only shot 3 birds but was on the phone in his truck for the entire morning. 


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## MLK (Oct 5, 2009)

For 15 plus years we hunted on the west side of lake Mathis ( now Corpus Christi lake) with customers (oil field service) I hunted every weekend of dove season putting customers out with my dad , we would watch the birds move around. If we had a great 2 days on a field or stock tank, come the week days or next weekend that same field would produce no birds. We would rotate hunters around on the 3500 acres we had leased. If we moved people around correctly we would maintain good numbers all season. I you over hunted one field, the birds would move off that field or stock tank. If they were slaying the birds 1-3 days prior to your hunt on the same field, might be the problem you did not see any. We would also hunt a good number not over crowded but enough hunters per field to keep the birds moving. To many and you have issues not enough and the birds will settle in the field and find the holes with n hunters. When I hunt alone it usually takes longer to get a limit than when I have a few friend strategically placed around a field.


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## Brian10 (Sep 6, 2007)

Main Frame 8 said:


> I've NEVER called or met an outfitter or landowner that said I should save my money because there was a lack of game. I recommend getting references. If not, just understand it's no different than going to Vegas, thinking you're going to win.


Actually, we were set to hunt opening weekend at the Moody Ranch this year. Michael called me and advised that the week before they were covered in birds and after the rains there were not seeing barely any at all. He gave us the option of postponing the hunt in which we did. There are good outfitters out there, but you just have to find them.


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