Let me start out by saying the South Zone gets hosed each year by having a two week delay on starting dove season compared to the rest of the state. While the Central and Northern zones are free to hunt the filet mignon of the sky as they please, we’re forced to sit and home and watch flocks headed toward latin America. By the time it’s our turn to shoot, you’d be hard pressed to find a bird anywhere.
Rant over.
A group of friends and I headed down to the Pearsall area for opening weekend of the South Zone on September 15. In spite of the mud and rain, we loaded up an old truck with shotguns, shells, decoys, beer, and clays (just in case). We made the drive from town out to one of the guy’s family’s ranch, which only took about half an hour thanks to the heavy downpour and road conditions.
The Thing About Hunting…
It rarely ever goes your way. Put in all the hours of preparation you want but sometimes it’s just not your day. Your truck could get stuck on the way to your spot.
Thankfully there was a bulldozer on the property in case things got really bad, but it wasn’t needed since another truck was able to get us out. We trudged our way around the water hazard, leaving the truck behind since it wasn’t going anywhere, and for a spot under some trees near a clearing.
Just about the time we picked our spots and got set up, it started to rain again. So we hunkered down, passed out some beers, and shot the breeze while we kept an eye out for birds.
The rain let up after a while and we got to shoot some clays. We eventually saw one bird, which one of the guys managed to bring down. This meant the hunt wasn’t a total failure.
On our way out of the ranch, we got stuck again. This time we didn’t need anymore assistance than two of us jumping up and down in unison on the tailgate until we were sprung free.
It wasn’t the best opening day…
But it sure beats a good day in the office, or something like that. It’s not always about getting a kill. Being an outdoorsman is about appreciating the little things, like the rain we’ve badly needed. It’s about spending time with friends, without the distractions of cell phones and work emails. Mostly, it’s about getting away from the day to day and getting in touch with your primal side, while you find that little place called west of nowhere.
