Hunting the Winged Lightning Bolt
By John Childs
Every September marks the unofficial beginning of the Annual Dove Opener and another hunting season. For me, the annual dove opener isn’t just about filling a limit—it’s about old friends, warm evenings, and ending the day around the grill. This is one of those stories.
As the sun began sinking into the western horizon, I stationed myself on the edge of a field of wild sunflowers, surrounded by lanky mesquites and stately old live oak trees. It was the long-awaited dove opener, and I was almost giddy with anticipation! The yearly dove opener is something close to religion for many, and I’m honestly no exception!
The heat was finally starting to melt from the atmosphere, and the occasional winged missile was already loping across the sunflower fields, showing promise of what the evening flight was likely to bring. I stood along a fence row, tucked in close to help break my silhouette. Doves are so acrobatic when they spot you that anything to help break up your outline is welcome when chasing these feathery lightning bolts!
The evening hunt developed nicely, and waves of birds began flowing over and past my position. I’d love to lie and say I hit more birds than I missed, but if you have ever spent time in the dove fields, you know what an accomplishment that can be! Laughter rolled down the line of hunters as we each witnessed each other’s achievements, but more often, the hilarious misses. Still, as the shadows lengthened into the evening, I cobbled together my opening day limit of 15 birds. As satisfying as a limit of doves can be, the hunt is really only half the experience. The other half begins back at the tailgate and eventually ends around the dinner table.
A Few Things I’ve Learned About the Dove Annual Dove Opener
One of the things I enjoy most about the dove opener is how simple it can be. A shotgun, a pocket full of shells, a comfortable place to stand, and good company are really all you need. The rest just makes the day a little easier and maybe a little more enjoyable. Over the years, though, I’ve found there are a few things that make the experience even better.
A good pair of game shears makes cleaning birds quick work. If you’ve ever breasted a pile of doves after an evening hunt, you know exactly what I mean.
I also keep a short, flexible fillet knife handy. It rides the breastbone nicely, wastes very little meat, and makes cleaning birds much easier than trying to use a large hunting knife.
Finally, don’t overlook the importance of staying hydrated. Dove season still feels like summer across much of the country, and spending several hours standing in the sun can take more out of you than most people expect. I usually keep plenty of water and a few cold drinks in an insulated cooler. It’s just one of those little things that makes the end of the hunt even more enjoyable.
Several tasty recipes run through my head as I clean my birds, but one of my favorites is plain birds on the Grill. Now I certainly don’t mean I don’t do anything with the bird other than grill it! What I’m saying is it’s not the traditional mainstay dove popper. It’s a bit more work at the cleaning table because you pluck the birds versus breasting them, but I think it makes for a much better-finished product. Start with about three or four birds per person. Pluck them, clean the cavities, spread the prepped birds on a cookie sheet, and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and garlic. They are also pretty dynamite with your favorite barbecue seasoning. I happen to like Holy Voodoo, but just about any seasoning with a little garlic and a touch of heat works well.
I prefer grilling them on a smoker, but this recipe can also be cooked on a gas grill or in an oven. I use a pellet grill and set my smoker to 250 degrees using a combination of pecan and hickory pellets. I like these pellets because they don’t have as strong of a flavor profile as mesquite or post oak. Apple would also be a great smoking wood.
I add the birds to the grill, breast up, and smoke for about 30 minutes. I don’t want them to be overdone because they are much better if the breast meat is medium. After about 20 minutes on the smoker, I add the final ingredient that makes this recipe sing. I use an altered version of Meat Church BBQ’s Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce to paint the breasts liberally. This BBQ sauce is so scary good and makes these little winged speedsters shine on the grill.
My Favorite Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce Recipe
I originally borrowed this recipe from Meat Church before making some changes that really made my palate buzz!
- 12 oz Dr. Pepper, preferably made with real sugar
- 2 C Ketchup
- 1 C Brown sugar
- 1 T Worcestershire sauce (I use The W sauce)
- 1 T Sea salt
- 1 T Meat Church Holy Voodoo
- 1 T 16-mesh coarse black pepper
- 1 t Crushed red pepper
- 3 T White vinegar
- 1 T Apple cider vinegar
The real change to this recipe is adding vinegar. Without it, this sauce is just too sweet for my taste, and there isn’t enough kick from the red pepper to negate it. With the added vinegar tang, this BBQ sauce has taken my family by storm. They want it on everything now, and I have to admit, it’s pretty addicting.
After adding the Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce to the doves, I let the sauce caramelize for about 10 minutes and then serve piping hot!
Every September I look forward to that first evening standing in a sunflower field, watching doves dart across the sky while friends laugh at both the great shots and the spectacular misses. Bringing home a limit is certainly satisfying, but it has never been the reason I go. The annual dove opener has always been about spending time outdoors with people I enjoy, welcoming another fall, and ending the day around the grill with good food and good company. That’s a tradition I hope never changes.