With dove season just days away, some of you will be planning on taking your duck dog to the dove field. While this is not a 'bad 'idea........please take precautions. 1. If your dog has spent the last 6 months in the kennel he/she will be out of shape and multiple retrieves will wear them out quickly. 2. Even if you have kept up with the training, fetching a limit of doves may be too much work for him/her. Simply because of the heat. 3. If you are lucky enough to be in a field that has a lot of action, a dog is tempted to 'break' ( start the retrieve before the handler sends the dog) and allowing the dog to continue after they break is a bad way to start the season. 4. Finally........THE HEAT WILL KILL A RETRIEVER BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.....do not overexert the dog, keep him in the shade and have plenty of cool water available for the dog. With the out of control population in wild hogs, many folks are shooting and or trapping them for food. Heres a rule of thumb if you plan to eat the pigs you harvest......... If the air temp is above 50 degrees, you have no more than 30 minutes to get the pig on ice before it can start going bad. This meat can spoil faster than any other meat you deal. If a pig does in a trap and you do not know how longs its been gone.....don't try to eat it. While wild hog is good and a great way to save money, nothing is worth the chance of getting sick. How many deer hunters do you know that refuse to 'take a doe' on opening weekend of gun season? Fact is, very seldom do you take a trophy buck on opening day. Some of the best-managed leases state that the 1st deer you kill must be a doe or a mountable buck. This helps you manage the buck/doe ratio easier and faster. Also, by reducing the doe population you are making the bucks get out of the thickets and cruise for a girlfriend...vastly increasing your odds of seeing him during the rut. Fact...if you have a lot of does the bucks will stay in the thickets and let the girls come to them. MANAGE YOUR BUCK/DOE RATIO AND YOU WILL KILL BETTER BUCKS. Mike Echols Co-host
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