Dove Hunting Season in Central Texas

Recently, I spent a little time with dove hunters in my area as they participated in dove hunting season, which runs from September 1 through October 25 in Central Texas.   The fields in the Taylor area are apparently a popular destination for hunters.   On the first day,  the land Wilbur Brinkmeyer shares with his son, Ted, was the place to be for hunters who drove from Louisiana and Alabama for the chance to try their skills on this slice of the  Blackland Prairie.   Daniel Campbell, from the Louisiana side of Toledo Bend, came with his daughter, 17-year-old Kaitlyn Campbell, shown in the opening photo.   On hand to help retrieve game was Reno, the Brinkmeyer family’s resident dog.    Hunting is an activity that’s never held my interest, but I support those who participate.   They, like my 84-year-old deer hunting father-in-law, who has hunted since he was a kid growing up in Arkansas,  seem to be doing it without any agenda.  As with my father-in-law, the hunters I spent time with for this series of photos  planned to put the game on their supper tables.     The hunters I’ve met through the years aren’t to be confused with some gun rights advocates who feel the need to parade around public places toting AR-15 assault rifles and the like.

The good hunters I’ve been around just want to do what others have done since the dawn of time.    That, as far as I’m concerned, is their right, if done responsibly.