We’re 11 days away of the start of Dove Season on Friday, the first of September. There is going to be a lot of last minute purchases made this week, even more next week, and we’re likely to see the equivalent of a small nation’s GDP spent on Opening Day itself.
Waiting until the last minute is all part of the experience, when it comes to dove hunting.
If you are still preparing for everybody’s favorite opener – and by everybody I mean mine but I assume I’m not the only one – then here are a couple items to consider buying.
First up, and this is one I completely overlooked because I’m not going out into the field with a whole crew, as one should when hunting doves, is a cooler. A good cooler. Dove hunting is social and there’s nothing better than hunting in the morning and then eating lunch on the bed of a pickup truck and talking trash with your fellow hunters.
If you haven’t already, now’s the time to invest in a cooler. They are not cheap, unless you go with one of those ‘single-use’ styrofoam things that screams I didn’t plan ahead and don’t believe in buying good gear. But a good cooler is well worth the investment.
Getting a cooler will take you through the dove opener, then onto football season tailgates, and through countless backyard barbecues. Not to mention the other hunting, or fishing, excursions where a cooler comes in far more than handy.
If you’re shopping for a cooler, then check out those from Mammoth. They offer a full line with their Cruiser series going from a 12 quart to 27 quart capacity, and their Ranger series, which offers much larger capacities, starting at 25 and going up to a 125 quart three-foot long cooler that holds 104 cans (I’m guessing beer but I could be wrong) and retains ice for up to 8 to 10+ days.
Mammoth also has a cooler rack available for each of the Cruiser and Range models that you shouldn’t overlook when planning for larger events. For greater portability and versatility, Mammoth has soft coolers. And for those that want some variety, several Mammoth coolers are available in Mossy Oak patterns.
This next item is one I definitely needed and will be going out into the field with this year. The Max Star 1200 Lumens LED Headlamp from Nextorch is just what the doctor ordered when it comes to finding your way when your hands are full of gun and gear and the sun has yet to show itself.
I like this headlamp for a couple reasons. First, it has plenty of illumination with 1200 lumens and up to a 200-meter throw. It’s rechargeable and with its type-C direct charge design can be recharged in the field using a power bank. Though, if you use it on the low 20 lumen setting you have a run time of 40 hours, as opposed to 4.5 hours at 1200 lumens.
Another feature I like is that the light itself swivels 180-degree up and down and is easy to adjust. But, the light can also be detached and used as a handheld, if needed.
I am not someone who thought I’d need a headlamp, opting instead for small handheld tactical-style lights. But with more gear comes the need for more hands, and going hands-free with your lighting while hiking to your hunting spot is a no-brainer.
Because the average temperature here in Arizona gets up to 102 on September 1, having a plan to deal with the heat is essential. Having the right clothes matters, but being able to cool down is a must.
I am a huge fan of the Chilly Pad Cooling Towel from Frogg Toggs. At an MSRP of just $14.99, this might be the best and easiest purchase you make for a hot day of hunting. The 33” by 13” towel is made of a hyper-evaporative material, so all you need to do is wet it, wear it and let evaporation cool you off.
These work great, so if you are hunting in somewhere like, say Arizona, then pick one up and make your life a whole lot better.
Hearing protection is something we all go to the range with, but sometimes people forget that hearing protection is a real good idea for hunting. Since dove hunting is social, and you want to hear when you friends miss a bird with all three shots, then having a pair of electronic ear muffs are a good way to go.
Walker’s Razor Slim Electronic Muff comes in a variety of color and camo options to fit your style. Their noise reduction rating of 23 dB means you can hear all the cross field trash talking without wrecking your hearing. The Razor Slim runs on two AAA batteries, which are thankfully Included.
The slim, low-profile design makes them more comfortable than the bulkier sets you often find. Having used electronic ears now for most of my outdoor shooting and all of my indoor shooting, going electronic is, well, the way to go.
Finally, I always seem to think about what I’m carrying my shotgun in at the last moment. I have a couple long gun padded zipper soft cases but many of those are pulling storage duty. Having a convenient go-to soft case for transportation makes a ton of sense.
And one case that fits that bill, to a tee, is Plano’s Stealth EVA Shotgun Case. When going through their firearm hard case line at SHOT Show this past January I came across this product. It’s a hybrid gun case in that it is a soft case but with a structured shape.
It is also slim in profile. The shotgun case has an exterior dimension of 53.75”L x 8.5”W x 3.25”H. It isn’t a heavy travel case, for sure, but it is ideal for that daily run to the local shooting range or, in my case, the easy drive out to where I’ll hunt doves.
Plano makes a lot of cases for a lot of outdoor activities, and though I was focused on their air-travel capable hard cases, the Stealth EVA cases stood out as a great choice for more casual transit use.
In 11 days I’ll be walking out into Arizona’s early morning desert to find my dove spot, hunker down and await the legal shooting time. I’m hoping that when that time comes, so do the doves. If you’re headed out on Opening Day, I wish you the best of luck, but more so that you have a great time dove hunting.
– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network