In most of the southern states, the opening of the first real hunting season for the year is like a national holiday. Experienced hunters, along with rank novices, will be taking to the dove fields with loaded shotguns and boxes of birdshot in anticipation of the opening guns of autumn.

With only a few days remaining before the opening day, now is the time for hunters to be sure that all the necessary rules, regulations and safety training are accomplished.

It’s not unusual for some novice hunters to wait until only a day or so is remaining before dove season opens before they remember that they don’t have their licenses and, in order to purchase that license, they have to have completed the hunter safety training. Don’t forget that you must also have an HIP permit in your possession too.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission website (www.ncwildlife.org) has a complete listing of places where the hunter safety courses are being taught. The site shows where the courses are being taught and how many spots are left. Many of the spaces for students are already filled so be sure to sign up for the classes while space is still open.

Other things to think about and have accomplished before the opening day of dove season are to be sure your gun is “plugged” to hold no more than three shotgun shells. Also, make sure you have your hunting licenses or permits in hand, have permission from the landowner where you’d like to hunt and be sure that the field isn’t baited with food to attract dove.

The NCWRC website list numerous public dove hunting fields, but it is necessary to apply for a special permit ($5) to hunt there. Many hunters have had a good dove shoot over these NCWRC-managed dove fields.

The baiting laws having to do with shooting dove over bait are a bit different than the baiting laws for waterfowl, so be sure to check the field for indications that there is evidence of grain (or other food such as cracked corn) as a result of normal agricultural practices. If you’re in doubt, don’t hunt there.

Weather conditions are often very hot during this early hunting season, so be sure to take along plenty of water for not only yourself, but for your dog as well. A small camouflage icebox is very handy for not only water, but also to store the dove you take where it’s cool. Dove that lie out in the broiling hot sun all day are spoiled. It’s a shame to see these delicious birds go to waste.

The bag limit on mourning dove is 15 birds per day with no more than 45 birds in your possession. Remember, if you should accept dove that some other hunter has killed and doesn’t want, the must be individually labeled with the gifting hunter’s name, date and hunting license number.

Some older dove hunters are accustomed to hunting in the afternoon. Not so in these days. The dove season opens daily at 30 minutes before sunrise and lasts until sundown. During these hot days the early mornings make for a much cooler hunt.

Dove hunters often take a few minutes before entering the dove field to observe any flight patterns the dove seem to be exhibiting as they fly to and from the field. Setting up your shooting station on or near one of these established flight patterns will usually result in a more productive hunt.

Don’t forget to take along plenty of shotgun shells for your dove hunt. You’ll find a few dove hunters that can bag their legal limit of 15 dove with a one box (25 rounds) of shells, but the average dove hunter will do well to take his limit with two (or more) boxes of shells. If a dove hunter can hit one dove out of three shells fired, he’s usually considered to be an “average” shot. If a hunter takes his limit by shooting four or five boxes of shells, then it’s time he goes to a sporting clays range to polish up on his shooting skills.