Dove prospects may improve

Pickup trucks were parked in front of every door of the Hereford Motel last Saturday night, most of them undoubtedly owned by some of the many dove hunters that flocked to Shackelford County for the opening weekend of dove season, normally the best bird hunting time of the year. 

The hunters were here, right on schedule, and provided their typical boost to the local economy, according to business owners.

“It was great, and we were busy,” said Prairie Star owner Treca Edington. “There were a lot of folks in town. We were very pleased!”

Blanton-Caldwell was open on Sunday and Labor Day to accommodate the visitors, and many hunters shopped, ate, and spent the night in Albany, 

“We stayed busy at both locations on Friday and Saturday nights,” said Darshita Bhakta with the Hereford Motel and the Albany Inn.

However, the weather and the dove were not as cooperative.

“For the opening weekend, it seemed like bird numbers and hunter success were down compared to normal for Shackelford County,” said game warden Jacob Mort. “I’ve talked to wardens in the counties around us, and only a few hunters reached their bag limits. There were guides who had to cancel hunts because they just didn’t have enough birds at some locations, and a lot of the hunters pulled out on Sunday when the rain moved through.”

According to Edington, even without the bumper crop of birds that this area is known for, most of the hunters she talked to seemed to be in good spirits.

“We saw lots of familiar faces including some groups that come back year after year,” Edington said. “A lot of them, especially some of those from the Metroplex area, didn’t seem to mind that they didn’t get as many birds as normal. They were just glad to get out in the country and enjoy nature.”

Good Prospects

Although the rain put a damper on outdoor conditions during opening weekend, the moisture and resulting cooler temperatures are expected to boost dove numbers.

“Opening morning was pretty slow, with the hot dry weather,” said Stasney Cook Ranch wildlife manager Billy Hill. “But with the little front and the rain, more birds started drifting in and things started to pick up and were better that afternoon and the next day. Although it is still a little slower than normal, it looks like things should be picking up over the next couple of weeks.”

Dove typically drift south in August as temperatures cool, but so far this year there has not yet been a really strong cold front to give the migratory game birds a good push, according to Mort.

“I just got off of the phone, and the Kansas and Nebraska game wardens are still seeing some birds,” the local game warden said. “I think that there are still a lot of dove up north of us. With the rain that we’ve had, I expect next weekend to be good.”