Howdy - class of '12 here

I'm in Allen and have two boys I'm getting into dove hunting. We've spent the last year hunting public land without much success, and I'm trying to find somewhere closer to home where I can take them for short morning hunts before work/school or evening hunts.

I'm not looking for someone's secret spot or expecting free access. I'd gladly pay a reasonable amount to a landowner for permission, help around the property, or work something else out.

Ideally I'm looking around Allen, Fairview, McKinney, Lucas or west toward Friscosomething within 1020 minutes if it exists.

We're respectful, clean up after ourselves, follow property boundaries and hunting regulations, and it would just be me and my boys.

If anyone owns acreage nearby or knows someone who might be open to a conversation, shoot me a PM.

FSGuide said:

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i haven't found any decent places to go up here in North TX and the public land around here is horrible. But I do have an afternoon hunt for 8 and a morning hunt for 8 reserved down in Dilley in late September with Dilley Dove.

It will be me, 3 buddies and 4 veterans from the veterans organization that I volunteer with. The outfitter said it's looking like a good year for the birds. He also said it's a record year for stickers.

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Have you hunted with Dilley Dove before? How were they and did they put you on birds pretty consistently?

I went on the SE side of San Antonio with another outfitter Memorial Day and it was pretty marginal. Looking for other options.

Lit em up in Hondo yesterday. Limited in about 45 minutes.

Absolutely insane amount of birds. I could have limited 3 times yesterday evening.

Great hunt.

ATX_AG_08 said:

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FSGuide said:

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i haven't found any decent places to go up here in North TX and the public land around here is horrible. But I do have an afternoon hunt for 8 and a morning hunt for 8 reserved down in Dilley in late September with Dilley Dove.

It will be me, 3 buddies and 4 veterans from the veterans organization that I volunteer with. The outfitter said it's looking like a good year for the birds. He also said it's a record year for stickers.

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Have you hunted with Dilley Dove before? How were they and did they put you on birds pretty consistently?

I went on the SE side of San Antonio with another outfitter Memorial Day and it was pretty marginal. Looking for other options.

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I've hunted with them before, and I wasn't terribly impressed. That being said, I didn't organize the hunt so I don't know the particulars of their service. I just showed up to shoot. We stayed in the house on the property and hunted the two fields available on the property. No meals were provided. Most of the years were marginal, but I got a limit two years ago. Didn't go last year due to my kid being born. Can't go this year due to a pre-planned family vacation with the in-laws.

I wouldn't say they "put us on birds" like the outfit I hunt with on opening day every year. That outfit houses, feeds, and then takes us to a new field every hunt.

Gotcha. Thanks for all that information. I called them earlier and they're booked through mid October anyway.

I went with another outfitter on the SE side of San Antonio Memorial Day. I got a limit (barely), but I worked my ass off for them. Walked the field through blistering temps kicking up birds multiple times (like quail).

The guys who aren't great shots and didn't work got a couple a piece. Now I'm taking them again and trying to put them on more birds this time.

If anyone knows of a good outfitter between Austin, Dilley, Hondo, etc. please let me know.

Thank you

Went outside Uvalde yesterday, was really slow in the morning, but pretty good last night. Even got 2 birds with one shot.

There are still mourning dove up here in Sundance, Wyoming and Spearfish, South Dakota as of today. They'll wind up in Texas sooner or later. Several Eurasians seen in downtown Rapid City yesterday. Guessing that they'll be heading south soon as well. Forecast low is 46 tonight

Don't get me wrong I love home in San Antonio but the browns are biting and it's not hot here.

"We" ended up getting about 30 in bosque county this weekend. 3 hunts 6-7 hunters….Friday's rain did not help

2 man limits all weekend again. McMullen Co

Towns03 said:

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Brookshire area yesterday - got 11

El campo corn field this evening and got 20.

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Ah The old WInchester Ranger Youth 20ga, I had one as a youngster until I upgraded to a 12ga 870 Wingmaster at 13 yo. I Handed the 20 ga down to my oldest daughter when she was 12, she didnt start likeing hunting until about age 11, and she still has it for one off her kids.

ATX_AG_08 said:

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FSGuide said:

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i haven't found any decent places to go up here in North TX and the public land around here is horrible. But I do have an afternoon hunt for 8 and a morning hunt for 8 reserved down in Dilley in late September with Dilley Dove.

It will be me, 3 buddies and 4 veterans from the veterans organization that I volunteer with. The outfitter said it's looking like a good year for the birds. He also said it's a record year for stickers.

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Have you hunted with Dilley Dove before? How were they and did they put you on birds pretty consistently?

I went on the SE side of San Antonio with another outfitter Memorial Day and it was pretty marginal. Looking for other options.

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I have hunted with them the past 2 years and are going back this weekend. I feel like the bigger your group the better the field you will get. First year was eh but we scratched out several limits each hunt. Last year we were in a Sesame field and you can' beat the birds out of the field, you shoot them going into and out of the field and they come back for more the next day. We shot limits all 3 days, he told us to stay on the perimeter of the field and he woulldbe able to hun it all season. That was mid October 2025 and he had been hinting that field every weekend since opener, so apparently that plan was working.

lol…good catch. Thanks. I was so mentally flustered from the mediocre hunt I couldn't think straight apparently.

Thanks for the review. I looked them up. For $250/ hunt it better be a barrel burner.

I ended up going with another guide hunting by Devine over the weekend.

We didn't get put on the best part of the property, but I still got a limit pretty easily.

Then once the guys on the best spot limited the guide called us over and the rest of my guys finished out theirs.

It all ended up working out.

We previously paid $500 2 days/ 2 nights hunting including lodging but meals were on our own, usually a farm house with bunk beds on the property that you were assigned to hunt. their Website shows $150 for Day Hunt........

Weekend hunts consist of Friday PM, Saturday AM &/or PM, Sunday AM

Dove Hunting Prices:

Lodge Dove Hunts

• Catered Lodge Hunts: $750 per person for a 2-day/2-night
• Non-Catered Lodge Hunts: $550 per person for a 2-day/2-night

Each lodge will have a minimum head count that will need to be met. Please view our lodging page to see each lodge's minimum. Lodging can be booked with fewer people, but will be billed as the lodge minimum.
***Lodge Hunts check in Friday noon, check out Sunday noon.

Day Hunts:
$150 per person
***Afternoons Only on Friday and Saturday. Mornings only on Sunday.
What's not included:

• Personal items (toiletries)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Gratuities for guides/staff

I need you to come hunt with me near Elgin, just so I can pet JW again!

How do the day hunts work? Just show up at the lodge and follow a truck somewhere?

6 of us hunted with Dilley Dove this afternoon. We were 10 birds short of all 6 having a limit. It wasn't for a lack of birds either.

We saw some white wing but every bird that hit the ground was a mourning dove

We will be back with them in the morning, 8 people this time

All limits today with Rock House Ridge. 30 birds yesterday with 4 of us. Hoping for another good hunt in the AM.

Good hunt this morning again. 30 birds amongst 3 of us.

We murdered north of 120 birds this weekend. Not a single Eurasian or white wing.

Did get some fat breasts though. They were well fed on wheat.

Just 7 birds shy of a 4 man limits yesterday morning in Atascosa County. There were a lot more birds than our previous hunts.

I need to check out the evenings to see if they've gotten better. I wish I would have done that yesterday instead of wasting my time watching that football game.

DargelSkout said:

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Just 7 birds shy of a 4 man limits yesterday morning in Atascosa County. There were a lot more birds than our previous hunts.

I need to check out the evenings to see if they've gotten better. I wish I would have done that yesterday instead of wasting my time watching that football game.

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We did and it was glorious.

Didn't get back to the lodge until half time and by then, it was essentially over.

Well I guess, legally I couldn't shoot more anyway since I got my limit in the morning. But it would have been more fun drinking beer watching the sun go down in the field than watching us lose in our usual fashion.

Yup. We sat and watched the sunset and pounded beers after a 4 man limit.

Was down in Banquete last weekend and it was a slow hunt. Finished with six birds. Going to be hunting in Eagle Lake this weekend and hoping for more action.

Is that a turtle box mounted on a mojo stake?

It's on a Dove Wrangler