A Social Legacy

Written by Mark Carroll, Land and Farm Specialist

Land can represent many things to different people.  Land can be home, a list of chores, an inheritance, an investment, or a legacy.  Some people value legacies in the sense of family traditions and work done in preparation for the future.  Dove hunting is one of those traditions that often becomes a legacy for a family or a group of friends.  It is no secret that one must first acquire land to create the legacy of a prime dove field in late summer.  

Dove hunting is one of the more social events of the hunting world.  Many people gather around the Labor Day weekend to hunt doves, cook out, and spend time together afield.  Young and old can sit side by side and enjoy each other’s company while hunting doves.  Not all hunting activities share this opportunity, as most require participants to wait quietly.  Wingshooting offers camaraderie and an opportunity to share in success and failure with friends and family.  The successes are sometimes celebrated and the misses often receive a bit of heckling from a good friend.   

Dove field preparation is well under way at this point of the year.  Field managers started back in the fall by planting winter wheat.  As spring came on it its short ephemeral wave of comfortable weather, managers began planting corn and sunflowers.  As of now, sunflowers are blooming, the corn has set its ears, and managers are just finishing planting millet.  All that is left to do now is to control weeds with selective herbicide applications, keep the deer at bay, and wait.  

I have been preparing a dove field with a couple of buddies a few miles from my house for this year.  As we prepare the fields, the camaraderie and fellowship carry the essence of the hunts themselves.  Working side-by-side cultivating fields, planting, and spreading fertilizer often carry the essence of the hunts themselves.  As we struggle through the summer heat, I begin to reminisce about past days in the field with good friends while looking forward to enjoying our hard work come this September.  

The first weekend of September usually marks the beginning of hunting season as sportsmen take to the field in the hot afternoons with a shotgun, a good retriever, and their hunting buddies.  A good wingshooter in a well-prepared field can have a limit in just a short while.  For others, it may take all afternoon to scratch out a few birds.  After everyone has filled their limit, depleted their shell supply, or ran out of daylight, the grill fires up and the stories come out.  Cue the light heckling from friends I mentioned before.  I always enjoy a good dove shoot, but most of all, I look forward to rekindling friendships and meeting new people through outdoor experiences.  The weather is almost always unbearably hot, but it is tolerable when you mix good company with a good dove field.  

If you are thinking about finding a property to begin your own legacy, give us a call.