Well I went dove hunting this morning.  Woke up at the crack of dawn and drove 30 minutes to my dove lease.  Now last time I saw this lease (about a month ago) it was full of sunflowers, all 400 acres of it.  I pull up today and BAM, no sunflowers, NONE!  The guy running the lease thought it would be a good idea to plow all the sunflowers into the ground yesterday (Aug. 31st) which just blew me away.  One, if he was going to plow, he should have left SOME sunflowers standing in the middle or just cut some strips.  400 acres is too big to hunt just using fence lines and now there is no concealment in middle of this huge field.  Two, if he was going to plow it all under, do it at least a week (minimum) prior to opening day, not the day before.  All the grain is way too wet and it will take a while to dry out, which makes opening day suck.  There was nothing flying today, only got 4 birds on about 8 shots.  Starting taking some long shots b/c I felt like shooting more than once an hour!  This place is just outside of Bolivar, TX which is up by Sanger.  I'm kinda pissed b/c to me it is not worth the $150 I dropped on this season lease.  He could have at least said he was going to knock down the sunflowers.  

Ok, thanks for letting me vent.  

Anyone else have any luck this morning or see any birds?  Trying to see if it is this place or if hunting sucked everywhere this morning.

Nick

Hell Yea!  Was not planning on going due to the newborn but momma gave me a kitchen pass.  Went to the place I've leased for the past 7 years (as a guide) out by Alliance Airport.  Didn't make it out 'til 3:45 this afternoon, but had my limit by 6:30.  I usually take 25-30 guys out opening day and the first two weekends but with the newborn and two inlaws going through chemo/radiation I have not planned any free time this fall.  In fact I told my clients about two months ago this year would be a no-go.  One of the guys who hunted with me opening day the past 7 years called yesterday and said he was trying to take off early today and did I know anywhere to go.  I called up the land owner (who knew my situation) and he said come on out and don't worry about paying, its on me!  Although we did good, we did notice a decline in numbers.  Possible the early cool fronts have moved the local birds a little south already and the northern birds havent made it this far yet.  Kind of like you normaly find the third week of the season.  Might be the same situation for teal season.  The best part was seeing my Lab work.  She's 9yrs old and had little opportunity to hunt the past three years, but she was right on the birds.  Although she was tired and took alittle longer towards the end of the day, she managed to get several compliments from other hunters.  Probably the only chance to bird hunt this season, but had a great time...good friend, good dog, good hunt.

The best part was seeing my Lab work.

My neighbor and I went back out in the afternoon on opening day and we took his chocolate lab.  He hasn't trained it as a bird dog, but the dog is behaved and USUALLY does pretty well.  The hunt was terrible, even worse than the morning.  I took a total of 4 shots that afternoon (two of which were desperation shots just to shoot my shotgun).  Ended up with one bird which the dog helped me find.  He found it first and by the time I got the dog, he had alreay EATEN my bird!!  I couldn't help but laugh.  He had pretty much swallowed it hole within 15 seconds.  He did pretty well except for the whole, bring-the-bird-back-to-you part.  On the lighter side, kept me from having to clean just one bird!  

Nick