# 2019/20 South Ga.Dove Club



## Raybo1 (Jun 4, 2019)

We are now taking new members for the 19/20 Dove season. We had 19 hunts last year. We mainly hunt the southwest section of Georgia. We hunt mainly on harvested row crop fields. We have over 30k acres of fields to find the birds in 7 counties. The membership is $200.00 and $25.00 each shoot you attend.
We will hunt ever Saturday that the season is in and some Sundays and holidays. If you are interested call Ray 706 587-0481.


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## maker4life (Jun 4, 2019)

What counties?


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## SC Hunter (Jun 7, 2019)

What's your guest policy? Can my wife go? I believe I've seen this asked before but can't remember


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## Raybo1 (Jun 18, 2019)

We will be hunting in the following counties Taylor, Macon, Sumter, Webster, Terrell, Randolph, Marion, & Schley. Wifes & Kids hunt free as long as they sit with a paid shooter.


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## formula1guy (Jun 19, 2019)

Some additional information that has been posted in the past for the South Georgia Dove Club:

*Documented safety and membership benefits:*

Thanks for your interest in the South Georgia Dove Club. We are group of hunters with a common interest, the pursuit of the blazingly fast dove. We enjoy the friendship in the field and bringing the kids with us to start their lifelong passion for the outdoors.

As a group we try to shoot every weekend that the season is open. Weather and birds permitting, that means both Saturday’s and Sunday’s. Time and schedules permitting, we have even been known to go out in the middle of the week.

Meeting times and meeting locations are available Fridays by calling - 706-321-5562

Benefits of Membership:
Cost $200 annual fee
Includes the cost of opening day shoot ($150 value)
Shoots after opening day are only $25 per shoot per gun
*Members get the first round draws on the field for spots, driver’s license in a hat, one per group*

Benefits of Non-members:
No annual fee
$150 per gun opening day
Shoots after opening day are only $50 per shoot per gun
*Non-members get the second round draws on the field for spots, driver’s license in a hat, one per group*

Safety rules for the club. If you or your party do not abide by them you will be asked to leave the field and could forfeit access to additional shoots:

Ensure all guns are unloaded before leaving home or the field.
All autoloaders should be carried with the magazine open when outside of your shooting station.
Uncased double guns should always be broken when walking, or anytime when you are not in shooting position.
Remember, you are a guest on a farm that is someone’s livelihood, respect the property and equipment around you.
No drinking while shooting
Please pick up all of your shotgun hulls when you are done for the day.
Always use ear and eye protection and shoulder protection if needed.
What is the most important safety rule of all? Do not shoot low birds! There is never any excuse for taking a low-angle shot. Shooting low birds at angles less than 45 degrees puts other hunters that have accidentally wandered out of position, and farm animals at unnecessary risk. Make sure that there is sky visible below your barrels before you pull the trigger.


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## Eroc33 (Jun 30, 2019)

Im not interested in hunting opening day, so i dont think a membership would be worth it for me. So can i just call the number on Friday and show up and pay, or do i need to make other arrangements?


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## Raybo1 (Jul 2, 2019)

We will have 18-20 hunts a year. I have a lot of members that will go to other private shoots on opening day. You can call and show up on most days but every once in a while we my have a small field that might be members only. You can call anytime to discuss. Thanks, Ray


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## Eagle18 (Jul 8, 2019)

Raybo1 said:


> We are now taking new members for the 19/20 Dove season. We had 19 hunts last year. We mainly hunt the southwest section of Georgia. We hunt mainly on harvested row crop fields. We have over 30k acres of fields to find the birds in 7 counties. The membership is $200.00 and $25.00 each shoot you attend.
> We will hunt ever Saturday that the season is in and some Sundays and holidays. If you are interested call Ray 706 587-0481.


Ray, thank you for taking time to speak with me last week about the dove Club. I'm excited about becoming a member. I look forward to the opportunity to shoot with you and the other members this year.


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## Raybo1 (Jul 23, 2019)

Thanks for all the calls and new members. We still have openings. I have been seeing a lot of birds lately. Corn should be starting to dry down to combine in next couple of weeks. if you have any questions give a call Ray 706 587-0481


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## jacobmldn (Jul 25, 2019)

Do you have any data or pictures to show the results of the hunts from years past and not just ones of opening day?  Would be quite a drive for me each time and want to know how the past years have been for y'all before I consider a membership.


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## tomcat58 (Jul 26, 2019)

ok sometimes


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## ssramage (Aug 3, 2019)

jacobmldn said:


> Do you have any data or pictures to show the results of the hunts from years past and not just ones of opening day?  Would be quite a drive for me each time and want to know how the past years have been for y'all before I consider a membership.



I’d be interested in seeing the same.


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## Hooked On Quack (Aug 3, 2019)

No guarantees on a bird field unless you're in Argentina/Mexico.


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## jacobmldn (Aug 5, 2019)

Of course there's no guarantee...but you can get a sense of how much effort was put into the fields if there has been a trend of how good the shoots have been (especially after opening day hunts).  It's always a gamble, but some fields always seem to produce better than others.  That's why i was asking if they had anything to share.


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## blood on the ground (Aug 5, 2019)

Hooked On Quack said:


> No guarantees on a bird field unless you're in Argentina/Mexico.


I'd love to go down there and shoot dove. 
Little Jose loading my gun for me and opening my cervezas as needed.


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## SC Hunter (Aug 5, 2019)

blood on the ground said:


> I'd love to go down there and shoot dove.
> Little Jose loading my gun for me and opening my cervezas as needed.


I'd love to go down there myself. I know a little spanish. Enough to make it count anyway. 

"Uno mas cerveza por favor"


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## 7dawg9 (Aug 6, 2019)

I drive 2-2 1/2 hours from Atlanta for these shoots. Ray's a stand-up guy.


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## Turkeytider (Aug 6, 2019)

I`ll be driving 4-5 hours from the Savannah area. Over night stays in the area for me. Looking forward to it. Fond memories of shooting at doves growing up and later in life ( notice I said "shooting AT doves."! ). Never been much of a threat to the population but I love guns, shooting and the people you meet.


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## spring (Aug 6, 2019)

As someone that lives in SW GA, a landowner, and hunts about all that you can in the area, it's important to appreciate the challenge of running a dove club. So many things come into play, from land access to weather and to the limited numbers of hunting days and how they happen to match up with bird numbers and migration.  Having a few good shoots is one thing; trying to do it regularly is completely different.
It takes scouting, counting birds, and usually some sort of manipulation to the field, which includes burning, dragging, and often some sort of post-harvest planting (among the legal things).
Standing around a peanut field talking to people can be enjoyable for a bit, but if you're there with high hopes to shoot birds, that isn't necessarily the best way to spend an afternoon.  Doing it right once or twice takes some effort; doing it a lot and consistently well takes work, contacts, and a lot of luck.
Another factor is that they've finally shifted the limited number of legally available hunting days to the end of the season.  To me, this is great since that's when the migratory birds are there. Problem is, most of the food is gone from the vast majority of fields. You can have some of your best hunts during the latter part of the season, but you have to have a field that still has food. Doing that legally is tough. Can definitely be done, but often takes preplanning and some investment in that field long before the hunting day.


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## countryplayboy (Aug 6, 2019)

spring said:


> As someone that lives in SW GA, a landowner, and hunts about all that you can in the area, it's important to appreciate the challenge of running a dove club. So many things come into play, from land access to weather and to the limited numbers of hunting days and how they happen to match up with bird numbers and migration.  Having a few good shoots is one thing; trying to do it regularly is completely different.
> It takes scouting, counting birds, and usually some sort of manipulation to the field, which includes burning, dragging, and often some sort of post-harvest planting (among the legal things).
> Standing around a peanut field talking to people can be enjoyable for a bit, but if you're there with high hopes to shoot birds, that isn't necessarily the best way to spend an afternoon.  Doing it right once or twice takes some effort; doing it a lot and consistently well takes work, contacts, and a lot of luck.
> Another factor is that they've finally shifted the limited number of legally available hunting days to the end of the season.  To me, this is great since that's when the migratory birds are there. Problem is, most of the food is gone from the vast majority of fields. You can have some of your best hunts during the latter part of the season, but you have to have a field that still has food. Doing that legally is tough. Can definitely be done, but often takes preplanning and some investment in that field long before the hunting day.



Very well put Spring. The best that I’ve ever seen do it and produce on a high level consistently was a guy named Ralph Powell from your neck of the woods. I think it’s more of a knack and understanding of birds and how their feed choices change throughout the year along with having proven fields that have historically held birds.


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## Turkeytider (Aug 6, 2019)

spring said:


> As someone that lives in SW GA, a landowner, and hunts about all that you can in the area, it's important to appreciate the challenge of running a dove club. So many things come into play, from land access to weather and to the limited numbers of hunting days and how they happen to match up with bird numbers and migration.  Having a few good shoots is one thing; trying to do it regularly is completely different.
> It takes scouting, counting birds, and usually some sort of manipulation to the field, which includes burning, dragging, and often some sort of post-harvest planting (among the legal things).
> Standing around a peanut field talking to people can be enjoyable for a bit, but if you're there with high hopes to shoot birds, that isn't necessarily the best way to spend an afternoon.  Doing it right once or twice takes some effort; doing it a lot and consistently well takes work, contacts, and a lot of luck.
> Another factor is that they've finally shifted the limited number of legally available hunting days to the end of the season.  To me, this is great since that's when the migratory birds are there. Problem is, most of the food is gone from the vast majority of fields. You can have some of your best hunts during the latter part of the season, but you have to have a field that still has food. Doing that legally is tough. Can definitely be done, but often takes preplanning and some investment in that field long before the hunting day.




Excellent post. No guarantees, for sure. I`m personally very appreciative of Ray and anybody else who puts out that kind of effort. I`ve personally always actually enjoyed the uncertainty of dove, wild quail, ducks, turkey, etc. as opposed to "guaranteed" hunts. In no way condemning the folks who hunt put birds, mind, it`s just not my cup of tea.


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## bigbonner (Aug 6, 2019)

I grow a 24 acre dove field for KY Fish and Wildlife I make $325 per acre . I have to plant half in sunflowers and half in millet .
 I use Clearfield sunflowers and spray but with all the early rain we have had the past two years I can not get the millet to grow and the weeds out of the sunflowers. Last year my dove field and several corn and soybean crop fields flooded.  My field is flat and is 45 acres total with 24 acres in food plot. 
 One year I had the best and only good food plot in KY . My field was packed with over 150 hunters. So a private club would be more better as you would bot be over crowded. 
 If   Fish and Wildlife  ever quits supporting my field I have thought about finding a sponsor for making it a veterans only field , youth only field or a pay field . My field is flat and easily accessed by handicapped persons.


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## Hooked On Quack (Aug 6, 2019)

blood on the ground said:


> I'd love to go down there and shoot dove.
> Little Jose loading my gun for me and opening my cervezas as needed.




Mexico is awesome, but doesn't hold a candle to Argentina, best $$$ I ever spent.


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## Raybo1 (Aug 6, 2019)

Spring I really liked your words of wisdom. I have been hunting doves for over 45 years and been involved with a dove club for over 37 years. I believe what makes a good hunt is scouting all the way up to the time that everybody shows to hunt. I always have a backup plan if the birds leave. You can't see the birds on Sunday and show up the next Saturday and hope the birds are still there. I have over 30K acres of harvested fields to find the birds on multiple land owners in 5 counties. We have several scouts that watch fields every day up to the day of the shoot. This still is no guarantee that the birds will show up. Dove are migratory and will leave. When they leave you go find them and hope they end up where we can shoot them. Thanks for all the support and kind words. If you expect to kill your limit or more every time you go then Georgia is not for you. Like a couple others have mentioned you need to go to Argentina or Mexico.


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## Hooked On Quack (Aug 6, 2019)

Hard to do, but when you got 'em, choot 'em.  Been playing, spending $$$ on this for many 'o year.


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## Turkeytider (Aug 6, 2019)

Raybo1 said:


> Spring I really liked your words of wisdom. I have been hunting doves for over 45 years and been involved with a dove club for over 37 years. I believe what makes a good hunt is scouting all the way up to the time that everybody shows to hunt. I always have a backup plan if the birds leave. You can't see the birds on Sunday and show up the next Saturday and hope the birds are still there. I have over 30K acres of harvested fields to find the birds on multiple land owners in 5 counties. We have several scouts that watch fields every day up to the day of the shoot. This still is no guarantee that the birds will show up. Dove are migratory and will leave. When they leave you go find them and hope they end up where we can shoot them. Thanks for all the support and kind words. If you expect to kill your limit or more every time you go then Georgia is not for you. Like a couple others have mentioned you need to go to Argentina or Mexico.



If I had to shoot a limit each time I went in order for it to be a successful day, I'd have quit many years ago! Just thankful to be able to get out some during a season.


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## groundhawg (Aug 15, 2019)

7dawg9 said:


> I drive 2-2 1/2 hours from Atlanta for these shoots. Ray's a stand-up guy.



Very true.  Have hunted with Ray several times over the past 5 or 6 years.  He does his best to insure everyone has a safe, great time.  Can not make birds fly over your head or that someone (me) can hit them but he sure tries to make everyone welcome, safe and get a good chance at shooting at some birds.


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## Turkeytider (Aug 15, 2019)

groundhawg said:


> Very true.  Have hunted with Ray several times over the past 5 or 6 years.  He does his best to insure everyone has a safe, great time.  Can not make birds fly over your head or that someone (me) can hit them but he sure tries to make everyone welcome, safe and get a good chance at shooting at some birds.




That`s all you can ask IMO. Hunting wild birds equals no guarantees.


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## Mark K (Aug 15, 2019)

That’s probably why they have so many shoots...you’re bound to get on a few barn burners! 
I have been on guided hunts for wild birds where people pay BIG money and have a crappy day. That’s just hunting.


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## trad bow (Aug 15, 2019)

If I wasn’t having knee surgery in two weeks I would be all over this. Hope everyone has a great time


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## Dennis (Aug 18, 2019)

trad bow said:


> If I wasn’t having knee surgery in two weeks I would be all over this. Hope everyone has a great time


Get that knee fixed I'm thinking next year I want in on this club. What do you think


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## trad bow (Aug 18, 2019)

I am planning on it.


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## twtabb (Aug 18, 2019)

How much does one pay to attend a dove shoot? I have a 70 acre peanut field located in sw ga.


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## firebass96 (Aug 18, 2019)

do you shoots mornings afternoons or both


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