What an awesome story and tremendous program for Texas.  Me and my dad have been utilizing TPWD public lands for dove hunting for over ten years.  Now I got my brother in law, son, and father in law going out and utilizing public lands.  We have accessed incredible dove leases all over South Texas into the Rio Grande Valley. If only TPWD could access and increase their budget to expand on the public hunting opportunities.  One thing that can be done is pump more money into the program to improve wildlife habitat and lease better quality hutning lands.  This will only positively impact our hurting economy.  More hunters equals more more spent on shells, clothing, food, which results in a more healthier economy!!!

La Mota ranch is on the road between Hwy 281 and Benavides just east of town, I also hunt another ranch called the "Chilipitin Ranch" 13 miles northwest of San Diego and there alot of hogs over there, plus excellent dove hunting!!!

I am a strong believer in brush management and have encouraged my fellow hunters at our hunting locations to get serious about habitat conservation.  We have gone thru several tractors cutting, disking, mowing, clearing brush to promote native grass and food supply to replenish.  The results have been improvements with dove, quail, turkey, deer, and duck / geese numbers.  The property just looks excellent also from all the land management that has taken place.

I'm almost strictly a Winchester guy (rifle-wise anyways) and I'll agree with Colby on the base/ring combo. I've never had good luck with weaver style bases and think of them more of an improved (slightly) dove-tail mount (found on .22s and air-guns). I'm betting that the simmons 8-point that came mounted on it was on weaaver style bases to begin with. Might be why you're unable to hit paper (wobbly scope syndrome). If that's not the cause do this (because bore-sighters are hit or miss - excuse the pun). After bore-sighting, don't goto the 100-yard range first off. Start at 25-50, adjust scope to impact, then increase range and do this all the way out to your maximum effective range or as far as your comfortable to shoot (or your range allows). Do it correct the first time and you'll never have to do it again.

This is the first time I have ever hunted in Sesame, much less seen it before. My understanding it is planted there as part of a government or university project with several different types for testing and research.
Thus why it is not cut. I had seeds in all my hunting cloths when I got home. I can see why this hunt is such a sure thing every season.



Ok, I am going to stray from the hunt. There is more here than just dove hunting. I got side tracked on the way to the Dove field Sunday morning. On the 20 minute drive from the State Park to the field at dawn, I think I saw more Deer in that 20 minutes than I have seen in the last 5 years. Including some Axis and Blackbuck. I had to stop to get a picture of these two.



On a budget I stayed at Garner State Park rather than in Town. I camped with electric and water for less than 20 bucks. Though next time I am going to take my non hunting family and get one of the State Park Cabins. They could hang out at the park while I am away hunting. This time of year, it was not crowded at all. I had the best site in the entire park I think right on the river.





So many birds I decided to stay for Monday morning. I swear there were more Birds on Monday than on Saturday and Sunday combined.
A nice sunrise.



I hunted in the edge of the Sesame again, but with a Mojo this time behind me just a little ways out in a plowed field. Not a lot of Dove came to the mojo, but the ones that did presented some high success rate shots. With the others flying in my face one after another, I was done by 8:30 in the morning.





A big public thank you to Kevin for his hospitality to everyone on the hunt and to me. Though I have no affiliation and am mostly a public land hunter, I do hope to make a tradition of this one for years to come. Especially for the late season Dove season. Kevin's hunts on the Dove are $85. Kevin can be reached at (936) 537-6759. When he has so many great people coming back from year to year, it shows he is doing something right.
John

You couldn't pay me to go hunting in Mexico right now.  We used to go dove hunting near San Fernando for many years but gave it up because it got too dangerous - a decade ago.

Sounds like my kind of adventure down south, how was the food?  The only thing missing was some great dove hunting action!!!

Looks like some of the guys I went Dove hunting with this year, they go off and get an ATV and think they can do anything with it, and then almost can!!! Have more fun but come home with less game!!!

Matt, I don't have any experience in the Lake Bardwell areaas far as hogs, but I would caution you to check with someone possibly at a feed store,or sporting goods store in the area first to insure hunting is allowed in the area. I was told a few years ago, that all the non-privately owned land was off limits to dove hunting..I was very appreciative of the person who had invited me to find the hunt area with him, his job saved our bacon! (Denton Co Sheriff Deputy)

This was in 1998 before I moved to Cedar Creek Lake, hopefully the City of Ennis has changed their policy? Still better check....

 Hope you find out something positive..Hog hunting around Cedar Creek has been difficult to keep an area open..too many places going over to commercial trappers.. Good luck and keep up the search for your honey-hole!!  gunplay52

Thanks G man and kevin for the kind words and replying to my post.  I agree with you Kevin that we must always stay positive.  I look at all my outdoor activities as a great experience and I give all the thanks to my dad who took the time to introduce me to the outdoors and still makes time for me.  All of us that live in Texas and utilize it's wonderful natural resources are blessed with great sporting opportunities.  It's a shame more people have not had the chance to do the same.  That's why I believe strongly it's important to take our youth hunting and fishing or that friend who's never been or relative who always is curious about your outdoor adventures.  Hell, I'm even trying to get my wife, sister in law and mother in law more involved with our outdoor adventures.  My father in law who does not own a riffle and never has been hunting just this year began going fishing with me, my son, and brother in law, which led him to go on his first Dove Hunt for whitewings this past Sept, mission accomplished!!!