"Notice it sometimes," he said, "a hunter has himself set up in what looks like the ideal location. He's got the sun angle all figured out, he's surrounded by good dove structure, and he's camouflaged in the latest trendy pattern the outdoor catalogs are pushing that season. Yet, the guy has birds pitching in and flaring off well before they come into range. Look again and see what he's doing. Chances are, he's fidgeting, getting up and stretching every few minutes, and generally exhibiting motion that is very suspect to incoming doves with very good eyesight.

"The best camouflage pattern in the world is generally worthless if the person wearing it can't keep still," Jester continued. "Camouflage is good, and I'll be the first to tell you breaking your outline is very important, but sitting still is definitely your main concern. A smart dove hunter remains perfectly motionless until the very moment he decides to stand and shoot. I've watched hunters dressed in all colors imaginable, even one or two wearing white tee shirts on a hot day, take doves with consistency just because they weren't moving when they weren't supposed to.

"Sit still while you're on the field and also carry all the supplies you need when you first leave your vehicle. Don't be running back and forth to the truck a dozen times during a hunt," he concluded.

CONTROL FIDO
Not only should a dove hunter practice keeping still, he should also insist on the same behavior from his retriever.

"You can own the smartest, dead-on-marking retrieving dog in the world and he'll prove completely worthless if he won't sit quietly there beside you until you send him after a fall," Jester added. "I know there are some who say doves don't pay any attention to a dog, moving or otherwise, but I've seen one uncontrollable dog ruin an entire hunt for his handler and everyone else on the field.

"When thinking about successful dove tactics, make a well-behaved retriever one of them, else leave your dog at home."

WATER HOLES?
Asked about watering areas, Jester said setting up near one could be a good tactic if hunting alone or in a small group. That's especially true if you know for certain that birds are using a particular water hole.

"But I don't put much stock in water holes near a field where a big shoot is going on," he said. "In my experience, doves normally go to water sometime after they feed. When they pitch into a field, they're after something to eat, not water. Water close to a certain area on a field certainly doesn't hurt, but it's pretty far down on the list of considerations, way behind things like sun angle, line of sight, and dove structure."

DON'T STAND OUT IN THIS FIELD
Finally, when considering your set-up opportunities, don't neglect the relative elevation of the terrain around the perimeter of the dove field. Ridges, hills, even the smallest rise can give away your location to incoming birds. If you must shoot from an elevated position, pay close attention to what is at your back. There should be some type of "screen" to help break up your outline. From a raised position with no silhouette-break, you stand out like the proverbial sore thumb.

Dove hunting, much like golf, is a very easy sport to foul up. But unlike golf, these foul-ups have little to do with missing shots. Many dove hunts go awry long before the first shot is ever fired.

You find most successful dove hunters are not necessarily the greatest shooters in the world. Rather, they are the folks who show up the day of the shoot having done enough studying beforehand. They have learned - often the hard way - that the right tactics and preparation go a long way toward compensating for those occasional missed shots. Shooting inaccuracy notwithstanding, these are the hunters who still leave a field with a respectable number of birds in their game bags.