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Southern Doves, A Legacy of Traditionby R. Michael DiLullo"There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in it’s sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen." - Percy Bysshe Shelley  R. Michael DiLullo We were all having a drink of water when the first shots rang out across the field. The girls instantly “hupped” (sat) at attention, ready for action. I reached for my shotgun and looking skyward waited for the first dove of the season to fly within my reach. It wasn’t long before the Browning spoke. Being Southern by birth, but, having grown-up in the northeast I had no first hand experience with the ways or traditions of the south, especially in hunting. I had only heard stories from family members and read accounts by some of this centuries greatest outdoor writers. Men like Nash Buckingham and Robert Ruark penned their impressions and laid down on paper what would become for me the foundation of my hunting experience. These men shared a common love of being afield with their dogs. They hunted a variety of game, some on different continents, but, they both shared a fondness for the southern dove hunt. And so it would be, years later, when my parents purchased a farm in south central Virginia, that I became ingratiated with hunting in the south. Most of southern hunting, I would find, is more on a social level, then of solitude and individualism. The lonely baying of a coon dog across a dark swamp, the excitement of a pack of hounds as they “jump” deer, the flush of a quail covey and a Tom’s early morning gobble, were all visceral and shared experiences. Southern dove hunting is a cultural social function; it is about comradery and more importantly, tradition. It is a community event and it is quite common to see three or more generations of family members heading-out together to the dove fields. Dove hunting’s history and traditions can be traced far back into the culture. Traditions which have been handed down through generations of southern hunters, some of who’s lineage can be traced to the original settlers of the very land on which they hunt.  The tools of the dove hunting trade, a good fitting gun, plenty of shells and a few dove decoys can contribute to a successful day in the dove fields. Photo by: Author The dove fields of the south also bring together a rich diversity of cultures and social status. Men (and increasingly more women) of all walks of life gather each September to renew their bonds with nature and test their skills against the aerobatic doves. Their shotguns are as diverse as the sportsmen themselves, for nowhere in the shooting sports will you see such a varied selection of scatter guns used for downing a game bird. Fine English doubles, vintage American classics by such legendary gun makers as Parker, Smith, Fox, Browning and Winchester are stationed next to modern auto-loaders and pump guns. | ||
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