Luke Clayton

During the lull between shots, I was lost in thought, contemplating some of the hunts I’ve enjoyed during the past 5 decades and, the wonderful times I’ve had with family and countless hunting buddies shooting dove from the rolling prairies of North Dakota to the brush of south Texas.

Twenty years ago, the booming shotguns in the distance would have sparked me to move to where the action was but not this morning. I was perfectly content to remain there on the edge of the big mesquite flat that overlooked the vast sunflower field and shoot at the occasional dove that came my way.

It's funny how we learn to savor the time we spend doing things we love as we grow older. Not too many years ago, a dove hunt was all about shooting a limit.  I still like the heft of a heavy game bag and later, the dove breasts wrapped in bacon and grilled over hot mesquite coals but, just being there to savor the sights, sounds and smells of the changing of the seasons is more than enough to cause me to drive a couple hours in the predawn darkness to arrive at a favorite dove hunting spot in time for the morning flights.

The air had that hint of fall. Early September in Texas is definitely still summer but the smell of dead weeds and the occasional falling leaf fortified the fact that Fall’s cooling touch would soon come to the woods.

After ten minutes without firing a shot and reliving vividly the details of a dove hunt with a favorite uncle and aunt on a corn field near Hockley, west of Houston back in the sixties, my tranquility was disturbed by a Kestrel that came sailing in on silent wings and landed in the upper limbs of a dead oak, about thirty yards from my position.

I remained perfectly still and, dressed in camo for the hunt, I’m sure I blended well into my surroundings, but not so well as to avoid the eyesight of the little raptor that can spot a mouse blink while  soaring high overhead at 30 miles per hour!

A pair of mourning doves came whistling by. I caught their movement out of the corner of my eye but the little falcon was the object of my interest. He too watched the passing dove and something engrained in his predatory nature told him the birds were moving too fast and the cost of pursuing them would likely expend way too much energy for the ‘iffy’ reward of a dove brunch.  He continued his vigil watching for easier prey.

After a couple of minutes, he totally ignored me and I watched his head turn ever so slightly as his telescopic like eyes fixed themselves to the ground. Then he spread his wings and lifted into a slight west breeze, make a quick semicircle over the area and bore down to the ground in a flash. He then flew back to his vantage point in the dead tree, a mouse impaled in the talons of his right foot.

Reality brought me out of my daydreaming of many dove hunts past. I had just watched a wonder of nature that left me in awe. There I was with my 20-gauge over/under shotgun that, in the right hands,  had the capability to down a fast flying dove at 35 yards. Had I been hunting strictly for food, I would have gone hungry this morning. The little falcon, armed with swift wings, amazing eyesight and razor sharp talons was by far the best hunter stalking this little patch of sunflowers!

I wish now that I had taken the time to better savor the sights and sounds I witnessed while spending time in the outdoors as a youth but such was not the case. The impetuousness of youth has its own rewards and in hunting situations, they usually equate to bagging birds and game and seeing what’s over the next hill rather than observing nature! I’ve had the distinct please of being in some awesome hunting and fishing country during my life and, thankfully I absorbed enough of the experiences to recall more than just the weight of my game bag or size of antlers.

FREE PORK FOR THE TAKING - Many of us that lease land for hunting deer have discovered our hunting property is also host to a very healthy population of feral hogs.  Most hunters wait until winter and the close of deer season to put their pork in the freezer, concentration on deer during archery and rifle seasons. I began trapping hogs last year and plan to put a couple of smaller porkers in the freezer this month rather waiting until the close of deer season.

Luke uses his Gater Boy aluminum hog trap to collect his pork during deer season. photo by Luke Clayton

Traps can be baited during midday and checked after the morning hunt. There’s absolutely no reason why we deer hunters should not take advantage of all the free ranging pork and still enjoy setting on stand during early morning and late afternoon. It’s hard to beat a slow smoked ham or backstrap from a young and tender wild hog. I often smoke an entire small hog and make chopped BBQ. The meat can be frozen and brought along to serve as the main course for the evening meal at deer camp this fall!

I purchased a lightweight aluminum trap (53 pounds) last year from Gater Boy Hog Traps www.gaterboy.com and found the little trap to work just fine for catching hogs for the freezer. Granted, if you’re trying to control hog numbers, a bigger trap is necessary but for the hunter on a deer lease that wishes to catch one or two hogs at a time, these little 5- or 6-foot traps works great.