Four officers, 11 members, three guests, and two sons (20 total participants) had a good hunt on opening day but poor to fair hunts on 9/2/06 - 9/4/06 at the First Ever Fall Dove Hunt (central zone) on 9/1/06 - 9/3/06 at Louis and Gary Drott's season leases in the Buda, Mustang Ridge, and Creedmoor areas. David Chalmers, Warren Hoke, David Quijano, Nick Quijano, and Jim McGee all limited out on opening morning. I, Randy Rowley, got 10, Kenneth Kidd got eight, and Dick Matteson got four. Jim, Kenneth, and I hunted the middle of the large sunflower field. David and Nick Quijano, David Chalmers, Warren, and Dick hunted along the edge of the field. The hunting started pretty slow, especially in the middle of the field. By 8:30 AM I had only two birds (one was a pigeon) and had only fired 10 shots. Jim and Kenneth had a couple more than me. The guys on the edge fared better, especially David Chalmers and Warren. At 8:30 AM Dick, Kenneth, and I moved to the barn area. As soon as we got there we were swarmed by dove. I picked up nine more dove and Kenneth got about four.
Kenneth and a neighbor of his who is on the lease hunted Friday evening but didn't see hardly any birds and left by 5:30 PM.
Saturday morning saw fewer birds and a greatly reduced harvest. Ken Miller found a spot on the School Yard property and limited out on Saturday afternoon. Everyone else did considerably worse.
Sunday evening was worse still. I shot only seven times and got three birds. Ken, Derrich, and Charles did a little better at Ken's spot from Saturday.
Dick and I hunted the Turnersville property on Monday morning. Other than two low flying morning dove, all we saw were white wings flying with the jets. I only managed four shots. Derrich, Eddy, Larry, Charles, and Ken hunted on the school yard property at the marker by the tree line near the school (we later found out that that is the property line marker, not a 1000 foot marker; so the only places that we can legally hunt at the school yard are at the 1000 foot markers and beyond them). Ron hunted near the trees next to the maze and cotton fields and got a few birds. Dick and I joined them and we then went to the Von Quintas property. We saw a few birds and Ron got one, but it was nothing to write home about. Nine of us then went to IHOP for a good breakfast and fellowship.