To Kill a Mocking.....uh, Dove!

This weekend was Labor Day, which means one thing in my family- opening day for dove season! Since we were little, my brother and I have gone dove hunting with dad. He taught us how to properly handle a gun, shoot, and have fun all at the same time. Those are memories I will cherish forever. 

Fast forward ten or fifteen years, a husband who has recently discovered shooting/hunting, and a beautiful sunny Labor day, and you have Eric, James, and I going out on our own dove hunt for the first time in years. Dad was able to hunt on the youth field with a boy his friend knew, while the rest of us were sent to fend for ourselves in the adult field. 

In order to hunt at Sam Parr State Park, your name has to be drawn from a lottery. Being the only girl there, I was given the privilege of drawing names. As soon as I made it to the box, I get that if-we-don't-get-to-hunt-today-it's-your-fault stare. Gee thanks, babe. No pressure to draw our names or anything!

Luckily, I drew our names as numbers 22-24 (only 60 get to hunt), and we were off to the field. We staked out our spot, spread out, and anxiously awaited for our cell phones to tell us it was noon and we could start shooting. Then again, you don't need cell phones to tell time when there are 60 adults with loaded shotguns in hand watching flocks of dove fly overhead. Once that first shot was fired, it sounded like war was breaking out around us. The cracks and booms that echoed throughout the field were the soundtrack to our afternoon. 

At the end of the day, we didn't do that great. Eric shot the most, with James and I tying for second. But in reality, how many birds we got didn't really matter. We were out there together, doing something we all love, enjoying the beautiful day. That day reminded me why I love my husband, my family, and the freedom to own and shoot guns. Here's to a few more successful dove hunts and getting that much closer to deer season!