Here are a few dove hunting reports I’ve received from folks who hunted on opening day.

If you got a report, good or bad, I’d love to hear it.

From fishing/duck hunting guide Steve McCadams: Dove hunts (and opportunities) were in short supply here in the Paris-McKenzie-Camden area. TWRA had some WMAs at Big Sandy, West Sandy, Camden, Harmon’s Creek, but there were more hunters than doves (as is usually the case at these places).
Here around Paris the extended hot and dry conditions have farmers shelling corn early, and that likely scattered doves. Some of the traditional sunflower, millet, and wheat fields were relatively void of birds.
A few sunflower fields fell victim to deer this summer as landowners said depredation literally wiped them out.
I had to travel to Weakley County near Greenfield – thanks to an invitation from my pal, Tommy Akin – where where we hunted over a shelled corn field and bagged limits. We didn’t see much activity until after 3 p.m., but it was a pretty good hunt.
Unfortunately for hunters in the four-county area of Henry, Weakley, Carroll and Benton there were no TWRA leased fields, which has been a sore spot for me and a lot of others for several years around here.
Other regions of the state have leased fields, but there is a large area in northwest Tennessee that suffers in that regard.

From former Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commissioner Bill Cox: I hunted a private field in west Fayette County. We had a lunch and went to the field at noon.
The doves did not begin to flying well until about the time I had to go watch the Rebels beat the Tigers.
The hunting got good after I left. My Rebels held on for a 2-point win. My nephew (Morgan Cox) had a great first game as the deep snapper for Tennessee, even in a loss. And Michigan was beaten at the “Big House.”
I’d say it was a good day.

From recent Tennessee Outdoors Hall of Fame inductee Tommy Akin:
I hunted with several friends over a shell corn field with bailed stalks near Greenfield, Tenn. Birds started flying around 4 p.m., and there were many limits killed. It was a good opening day.

From Bill Cooksey of Avery Outdoors: The hunting in Arkansas was worse the Tennessee secondary against Cal. I wish I had more to tell you.

From former CA outdoors writer Larry Rea:We had two or three limits, but mostly the birds weren’t there. We started around 12:30 p.m., and I think the earliest limit one of our folks had was about 5:20. We had about 30 folks hunting on the Worley Farm near Rosemark, Tenn. It was tough shooting.

From taxidermist/waterfowl guide Pat Pitt:I hunted Saturday near Grenada, Miss., and the birds were scarce. We killed just a few. Honestly, it’s so hot I can’t get excided about it right now.

From Allen Hughes of Avery Outdoors: I hunted the Boot Heel of Missouri Saturday afternoon and had a fantastic shoot in a cut corn field. Not a lot of trees in the area and the doves seemed to be coming out of an adjacent cotton field where they were sitting in the shade during mid-day. They started flying a little later than expected, but they came with a vengeance about 5 p.m.