By Chris Christian

Many dove hunters, especially those hailing from the southern side of the Mason-Dixon Line, tend to consider a day spent pursuing doves to be as much a social event as a hunt.

If you can find a good dove field and ring it with enough hunters to make certain the birds stay in the air — rather than loafing on the ground — you have the makings of some fast shooting. Toss in the traditional Southern pre-hunt barbecue or fish fry, and you have one of the most enjoyable ways to greet the fall season.

Unfortunately, a good field shoot takes a fair number of people, and they have to be assembled on a schedule convenient for all. For the wingshooter who likes to go it alone, and often, that can present a problem.

The solution, though, can be simple: ignore the crowds and let the doves dine in peace. Instead, plan to meet them for an after-dinner drink.

If a hunter wants to see the maximum number of doves in the minimum amount of time, there is no better way to do so than hunting watering holes.

Doves may go to water at various times of the day. But the best time to find them is during the last couple of hours of the afternoon. Doves enjoy finishing the day with a modest tipple, and they invariably will seek water before flying to the roost for the night.

The hunter who locates the watering sources in current use could have much of the local dove population literally beating a path to his door on any given evening.

In some states, early season shooting hours end prior to the late afternoon. Hunters in this situation have brief noontime waterhole options. Later seasons, however, allow shooters to set the stage for an exciting evening. In either case, gunners need to find the most productive waterholes, and locating them takes scouting.

Doves can drink anywhere there is a teacup of water, but even in areas with an abundant supply, they show a preference for waterholes with certain characteristics. These will be used more than other water sources. Here’s what to look for:

Doves don’t care whether the water is clean or muddy. They are just as happy drinking from a churned-up stock pond as they are from more pristine sources. One thing they do require, however, is "clean" banks.

Like many birds, doves can’t simply dip their heads to drink. They must dip their entire body, which leaves them head down and vulnerable. They instinctively know this, and will not drink unless there is a lot of open space around them so they can spot approaching danger.

You won’t find doves landing on pond banks that have a lot of tall grass or vegetation, nor will they drink next to that kind of cover. The most important requirement for a good dove pond is that it have clean-cropped banks, either sand, mud, or short grass.

That makes stock ponds a top choice, since livestock invariably beat the banks down. Even a pond with a lot of vegetation around it should not be ruled out if there is even one small section of clean bank. The doves will find it and use it.

Once a suitable pond is located, selecting the proper shotgun and choke is easy. Most waterhole shooting is quick and close. An open-choked gun in 12, 20, or even 28 gauge or the .410 bore is good for the 25- to 30-yard shots commonly encountered. No. 8 shot size is the preferred load.

The gunning is often easy, but retrieving one’s quarry may be less so.

When one shoots over water, some birds will go into the drink. Ethics (and common sense) dictate that every effort be made to recover downed birds, and a retriever is the best solution.

Any of the retrieving breeds that work on ducks can be employed to fetch waterhole doves. Some dogs don’t like the soft feathers on a dove, but breeds such as the English Springer Spaniel and Labrador retriever seldom are so finicky.

Lacking a good dog, a casting rod with a heavy plug with treble hooks can work well. So too can a pair of chest waders, should the pond be shallow enough to allow their use.

And, use they are likely to get, because when one finds the right waterhole. . . no mater how small. . . the action on doves can be fast and furious. Best of all, it’s available on virtually any afternoon during dove season, although the barbecue and fellowship may not be up to expectations.