1,000

Well, that's how many shells Dad claims we shot at doves over the holiday week-end.  And if truth be told, that's close to accurate...let's do the math:


  • 20 people (10 Sunday and 10 Monday - with some duplication).
  • 1,000 empty shells = 1,000 rounds fired
  • Ah, but wait, I mowed the yard today - and picked up another 25!
  • Plus, we need to estimate an additional 25 that were "lost" - and this is probably LOW.
  • So now we have 1,050 rounds.  But, we shot 125 on Saturday to practice.
  • Approximately 200 birds in the numerous freezers.  This is not quite true, but it's very close and makes the math easier.


With those numbers, we get:
Each hunter shot 925 / 20 =  46 rounds & let's round that up to 50.  Each hunter shot two boxes - on average.  I promise you that I did not shoot my average - but Nick and Zach shot WAY OVER theirs.  In fact, they may have even shot Pa Jerry's and Randy Funk's extra too!
Hit percentage = 925 / 200 = 4.625 shots fired per bird killed and let's round that up to 5.

That's actually a pretty decent hit percentage.  I told Krueger the first year I took him dove hunting, that if he could kill 5 birds with one box of shells (25 shells in a box) then I would buy him a steak dinner any place he could name.  Never paid up on that bet.

Now consider this, if you hunted BOTH Sunday AND Monday, then you can double your average shells fired - thus, you shot 100 rounds.

Eric was funny on Monday.  He killed a bird on his first shot.  I told him to quit right there.  He didn't, and like the rest of us, his average dropped.

Doves are very elusive fliers and darn fast too.  It's been said that more shots are fired in the USA at doves than at any other species of game.  That has to do with the number of hunters going after doves along with the quantity of shots taken to bring them down.  To hunt doves you don't need any "special" equipment, just a gun, a license, a place to hunt, and tons of ammo.  The action is very fast paced, and as long as you can pass the Hunter's Education course, you can hunt as young as 10 years old.

One thing is for certain, we didn't kill all the doves.  On our way home from date night this evening, there were 50 on the line and in the sunflowers.  The warm weather has helped keep them here - that is, they have not migrated south yet, like in year's past.

Dove season in Indiana runs from SEP 1 - OCT 13 and NOV 8 - DEC 4.
I'm sure we'll get back out and try to improve our numbers.
Truth of the matter is, we probably won't.


The "extra" empty shells found in the yard while mowing!

Location: Mulberry, IN 46058, USA

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