Wing shooting prep

Aug 03, 2023

Friday will once again be the opening date of both the Pennsylvania resident goose season and the dove season.

With both the dove and the resident Canada goose season opening on Friday, it is time for wing-shooting enthusiasts to get serious about their last-minute preparations.

Have you been practicing your wing-shooting skills? If not, you still have time to bring out that favorite shotgun, and spend a little time at your local gun club shooting clays. A few rounds of trap, skeet, or sporting clays will go a long way toward helping to dust off your shotgun shooting skills. Practicing your swing and follow-through now will mean more success in both the dove field as well as the goose blind.

What other preparations should you be attending to? Have you done any pre-season scouting? It is a must if you are hoping for early-season success. Locating feeding areas, travel routes and roosting locations will ensure plenty of action once the season opens. If you can locate an early harvested grain field, odds are good you will be in for some fast action as both geese and doves are drawn to such areas as if they were a magnet.

Have you considered what camouflage you will be using? Both of these birds have sharp eyes and can quickly spot something out of place. Depending upon your hunting locations, you may wish to have several different styles of camouflage available. For example, a hunter hiding along the edge of a cut cornfield would need a different color of camouflage than one sitting up an ambush along a tree line where a darker color may be more suitable.

Regardless of which species you are pursuing, keep in mind, September can see some very hot and humid days. With this in mind, bring plenty of water. Not just for yourself but for your canine hunting companion as well. Hot, humid weather can be tough on a hunting dog. If possible, keep the animal shaded with water available. Many dogs, once having learned how to, respond well to drinking from a squirt bottle. Such bottles are easy to carry and fit well into a hunting vest pocket.

Should game be bagged, field dressing the bird and then placing it on ice or in a cooler is the best way to care for the meat. If this isn’t possible, at the very least find a shaded spot out of the sun for your harvest.

While very different meats, both goose and dove can make excellent table fare if prepared properly.

Whether choosing a large quarry such as a goose, or something a bit smaller like the dove, properly prepared, your family can be provided with some very tasty as well as healthy eating.

Many species of migratory game birds receive leg bands from biologists as part of ongoing studies of the species. Should you harvest a banded bird, please report it following the instructions on the band. Simply log on to www.reportband.gov. The information you provide is highly valued and appreciated by biologists studying the species.