Kevin and Steveoh had an epic day of dove hunting on the family dairy farm using the shooting / hunting chair. It’s a target rich environment loaded with Eurasian Collared Doves, Pigeons, Starlings and other grain eating pests. Grain for the dairy cows is very expensive and the number of pests all competing with the cows had gotten ridiculous.
We set up in the shade with both of us using the Born Wild Shooting Chair as our comfortable and stable shooting platform. The Shooting Chair rifle cradle swivels 360 degrees and can be used either while sitting or standing. Simply loosen the vertical support and raise for standing, or lower for sitting. Swiveling from the power lines 48.5 yards away to the grain storage 90 degrees and 25 yards away made for a very flexible setup that insured the demise of many pests.
Sitting in the shade and waiting for doves to land made for a enjoyable and relaxing day. If we had done all of our shooting off hand I don’t think we would have stayed very long as it is exhausting work aiming and shooting a fairly heavy rifle offhand over an over.
We finished the day with a bunch of pigeons, starlings and doves. I took home 22 Eurasian Collared Doves, mostly taken with Kevin’s brand new shiny .22 JSAR Raptor, and my .25 Eun Jin Sumatra, and my .25 1st generation Marauder.
It took about an hour to breast out the 22 doves. I packed them up in a plastic ziplock and chose four to marinate in olive oil, salt and pepper overnight so I could have a taste treat the next day. I thought I’d keep the marinade and cooking simple so that I could taste the dove. I love the idea of doing a dairyman a favor by reducing his grain costs, and taking home game to feed my family.
Essentials for Dove Hunting
When setting up for dove hunting on a hot summer day, I recommend taking a lot of water. I went through 4 bottles of water and wanted more. Hydration can make a huge difference in your endurance, and clear thinking. Having plenty of water means you can shoot longer and be safer.
Having plenty of ammo is important. Both Kevin and I had a ton of pellets so there were no worries on that front. With PCP air rifles having plenty of Air on hand is equally important. We used our smaller caliber air rifles that consumed little air and so we were able to shoot all day and have plenty left over. I carried a big tank and a 91 cubic inch 4500 psi air tank and could have shot many more hours on that tank alone.
The Dove Hunting Chair, which is what I called it on that Saturday, was perfection. I was able to set up in the shade, and quickly change my point of aim with no muss or fuss, swiveling freely up and down and side to side in response to the constantly changing perches of the doves.
Other essentials are comfortable clothes. We both wore camouflage, but I wonder if that was really needed, as the doves were used to workers coming and going. A hat is essential to keep the sun off your face and to keep the glare out of your eyes.
I get a bit loopy at times while hunting as my blood sugar gets low, and so I carry some protein bars in my backpack.
One thing I left in my truck was an Allen wrench set. I needed that to secure the moderator on my marauder. I forgot it, and was unable to tighten it down, which affected the point of impact. I won’t forget that again.
Contact Born Wild to purchase one of these amazing Dove Hunting Chairs. Currently the Born Wild Shooting Chair sale price is $1195.00.