DAN SIMMONS Sportsman's Quest MORE COLUMNS SPECIAL TO THE PVT Buck Bedard, third from right, and Shawn Duffy, left, along with friends and family, go mourning dove hunting to kick off the annual outdoor season. Advertisement

Why do bird hunters have such fascination with mourning doves?

I put this question to several of my hunting pals on our fourth annual Fraternity of Fine Fellows dove opening. This year's event occurred once again in Amargosa Valley.

We enjoyed the hospitality of the staff at Jim Marsh's Longstreet Hotel and Casino. The comfortable, out of the way atmosphere and good food make this an idyllic lodge, and the great pool is welcome between morning and evening hunts when the temperature reaches above the century mark. Equal to all of this are the magnificent sunsets viewed from the patio and lounge.

The consensus is doves are one of the most difficult birds to hunt due to their extreme speed and acrobatics. They dip, veer, and turn unexpectedly without seeming to slow down. You think you have them; you point, you lead, pull the trigger and they simply are not where they should be, and most shots are behind these speedsters.

But, they are abundant, wide ranging and delicious. These are some of the reasons hunters will fly thousands of miles, and spend so many thousands of dollars, to hunt them in places like Argentina and Mexico, where there are liberal limits, regulated primarily by how much punishment your shoulder can tolerate.

It's not unusual to shoot several hundred rounds, and the number of birds downed is in direct proportion to the hunter's skill and marksmanship. Even I could probably hit a few, but using a .410 would be more comfortable than my 12 gauge side by side.

This isn't duck or goose hunting, where you sit and wait for a chance to shoot, or quail, chukar and pheasant hunting where you kick them up. Dove groups in prime areas are in the hundreds and thousands.

My friend, Lieutenant General Buck Bedard, expressed his reason for our hunt this way.

"Dove opening is the beginning of the fall hunting season and gives me a chance to hunt with my sons, Jason and Jordan, each year. It's a tradition and one we make every effort to maintain."

This is a family that holds hunting and outdoor traditions sacred. It's a time of strengthening bonds and catching up on the events of each others busy lives.

Andy Oldfield, one of the founding members of Safari Club International, also uses this annual event as a way of keeping in touch with family and friends.

He has hunted all over the world, and hunted doves in the hallowed hunting grounds of countries like Argentina and Mexico, but hunting locally with wife, Yoni, his kids and grandkids is an event that marks time, and again maintains relationships and traditions.

He, by the way, hunts more effectively with his little .410 over and under, than I with my 12-gauge.

Andy brought along with him this time his friend, Shawn Duffy. Shawn is with the Weatherby Foundation which is one of the world's leading conservation and hunting organizations.

I think he used this trip to give me a few shooting lessons. I watched, listened and learned, as do the hundreds of young people he teaches each year at Weatherby sponsored "Outdoor Expos" around the country. He shoots a Weatherby (of course) 28-gauge, and let me tell you, he doesn't miss many birds and is a Fine Fellow.

By the way, I'm now up to five or six birds per box, rather than my two or three prior to the "Duffy Experience," but I still have a way to go before beating the Bedard boys or Andy's grandson, Danny Hammarty. I'm still working on it; I even shot a couple of doubles.

I was joined a few days later, however, by my friend Chef Luis Solorio, of Galiano's American Grill. He not only knows his way around the kitchen, but is comfortable in the field too.

He remembers first hunting doves in his home country with a black powder rifle, but found my Ithica 12-gauge featherweight side-by-side more efficient. It took him a few "air shots" to get used to it, but he finished the day with a "triple," That's two birds with one shot and the third from the other barrel as it tried to make its getaway; the bird didn't make it.

That was the first triple I've seen in many seasons of chasing these birds, with many fine hunters. I tip my hat to the hunting chef.

He topped off the day by preparing for us the most delicious plate of dove I've ever had. Dove are delicious and along with the camaraderie, one of the primary reasons I hunt them.

Bottom line: Dove hunting is a great way to start the season, enjoy friends and family, establish and continue tradition and provide great eating. It doesn't cost much and you don't have to travel great distances to find some good shooting.

It's a great way to introduce young people to the shooting sports and who knows, you may start your own family "hunting traditions."

What's new

The Weatherby Foundation and its current president, well-known author and sportsman, Craig Boddington, is continuing the life's work of Roy Weatherby, the pioneer firearms innovator, and in his memory its primary objective is to educate the non-hunting public on the beneficial role of ethical sport hunting and its contribution to wildlife conservation.

One of its major projects is close to the heart of my hunting friend, Shawn Duffy, who is the secretary/treasurer of the foundation.

They support outdoor expos around the country which are often sponsored by fish and wildlife departments and other outdoor organizations. They have been active in this project since 1999 and support these hands-on educational events which teach outdoor skills and natural resource conservation.

This is a great organization and worthy of your interest and support. For more information go to www.weatherby-foundation.org.

Events

Ducks Unlimited will hold its annual banquet Oct. 2, in Las Vegas. This banquet is one of Ducks Unlimited's Top 20. For more information or to confirm participation, call Scott Bowles at 702-461-8779

*Las Vegas Fly Fishing Club holds its monthly meeting the third Tuesday of the month at Bass Pro in Las Vegas at 7 p.m.. For more information, call 702-876-2005.

Recipe

Hunting with Luis was a pleasant event, but eating this fine dish surpassed even the adrenalin rush of shooting a double.

Now, shooting a triple that might be better; perhaps one day I will find out. He tells me that had he been a little quicker at reloading he might have had four.

Some people are never satisfied. Chef Luis has been the executive chef at many fine restaurants in Las Vegas. He now has his own little shop in Pahrump and serves the same quality in a much more relaxed atmosphere. He's my hero in the kitchen, and partner in the field.

This is one you will want to try, but it may spoil you forever. If you are not able to find doves try this with Cornish Game Hens.

Dove ala Galianos

Ten dove breasts; olive oil; salt and pepper; 1 cup finely chopped shallots; 1 oz of raisins; 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped; 1/2 cup champagne; 1 oz port red wine; 1 oz marsala wine; 1 oz demi glace (special reduced beef broth); prepared saffron rice;

Season dove breasts with olive oil, salt and pepper, marinate for 1/2 hour; heat frying pan on stove; pour in olive oil, add shallots and cook until golden brown; add raisins, wine and demi glace; reduce to thick consistency; remove from heat and put aside; in another pan add olive oil and heat to very hot, but don't burn it; sear dove breasts on one side, turn over; place pan in a 500-degree oven for 15 minutes; remove from oven and add champagne, salt and pepper to taste, and prepared sauce; put rice in middle of plates add dove breasts and sauce; garnish with fresh thyme. Serves three.