Dove opening day a mixed bag

Opening day of the mourning dove hunt provided a mixed bag of results for bird hunters in Southern Nevada. The bottom line is some hunters got into birds and some didn't, and location seemed to be the difference.

Perhaps the day can be best summed up by looking at a tale of two valleys: Pahranagat and Moapa.

Pahranagat Valley is located on U.S. Highway 93, about two hours north of the Las Vegas Valley. Moapa Valley is about an hour to the northeast via Interstate 15. Both valleys are home to small rural communities, where homes and neighborhoods are interspersed among agricultural interests.

At the north end of Pahranagat Valley is the Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area, an oasis in the desert that is managed primarily for the benefit of migrating waterfowl and those who hunt them. As the sun began to rise in the east on Sept. 1, about a dozen hunters made their way into well-groomed fields, where they settled in and waited for the morning flight, but it never really materialized.

A flight of mourning doves is normally characterized by large numbers of birds flying to and from a specific destination, such as a field or a water hole. This makes it possible for hunters to find hidden locations along those mini-flyways and shoot passing birds. But as one well-seasoned hunter explained, the birds weren't flying, as he pointed to his nearly empty game bag. Inside was one dove, all he had to show for his opening day efforts.

Just then someone fired a shotgun. Bang! The seconds passed and that shot was suddenly followed by a couple more in quick succession. Bang! Bang!

"That's where the birds are," the old hunter said, pointing in the general direction of the gunfire. I looked in that direction and saw only a single dove.

A short while later, I spoke with a group of four hunters. They were all successful in bagging their legal limit of 10 doves. Their success, they said, was found in walking up to the birds. When it became apparent the doves weren't going to fly, hunters began walking the fence rows and brush thickets in an effort to put doves in the air. It worked.

Meanwhile, a full contingent of 60 hunters took to the fields at the Overton Wildlife Management Area in the south end of the Moapa Valley. Here hunters found lots of doves, and contrary to what was happening in Pahranagat Valley, the birds were flying. Some hunters filled their game bags while others seemed to practice their shooting and hit very little. But that's the nature of a dove hunt.

■ SIGHT-IN OPTIONS -- Hunters looking for a place to sight-in their rifle before the big-game seasons get under way can do so at the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club, southeast of Boulder City. The club is hosting a hunter sight-in event from 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 17 and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sept. 18. To participate, visitors should report in at the courtesy range safety officer shack.

Another option is available at the Clark County Shooting Range, where the rifle/pistol center is open to the public until 10 p.m. every Wednesday through September. This Saturday, range personnel will be available from 2 to 7 p.m. to help less-experienced shooters with their sight-in needs. There is no fee.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His "In the Outdoors" column, published Thursday, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail.com.