What is it that makes the opening day of dove season so important in this part of the world? Sure, it's usually something of a social event, but that does not explain why normally sane sportsmen would rather miss a family reunion or a championship football game than fail to be on the firing line come Sept. 1.

If you think that I exaggerate, consider the time when a new editor showed up at Game & Fish, fresh from a Yankee state with no dove-hunting legacy. Shortly after his arrival, he announced plans to wed and that he and his bride had set the date: Sept. 1. Guess how many friends and co-workers were there to witness the happy event. Yep: not a one. We had all gone hunting.

Happily for those of us who enjoy the sport so much, the TWRA makes a substantial effort to provide places to dove hunt both on wildlife management areas and through the leasing of private lands where farmers can make some extra bucks by allowing hunters to take advantage of the birds drawn to croplands. In case you wonder about the availability of the former, I made a quick count in the Tennessee Hunting & Trapping Guide and noted 33 WMAs here in Region I where I live. As for the latter, the agency spends in the neighborhood of $70,000 most years to provide quality fields that are open to the public.

Despite the importance of this resource and the amount of effort that goes into making it not only viable but also easily accessible, predicting where the doves will be when the opener arrives is tricky. Sportsmen should be aware that doves are, in the real sense of the word, very flighty.

On more than one occasion, I have made serious plans to take my position near a field that was crawling with feeding birds a couple of days before the season only to have a cold front blow through. It does not take a big drop in temperature; even one of 10 degrees if accompanied by rain or showers can be enough to send the birds southward, or at least elsewhere. This makes for spotty shooting at least until doves from north of us filter in and set up housekeeping.

While on the subject of dove mobility, it can actually work in the hunter's favor if you bear in mind that September is not the only time to pursue them. The second season, which opens in October, can be very good even though it is largely ignored. Our third season, which runs from mid-December until the first of January, is often the best of all if you really like sporty shooting. The doves at the end of the season are big, fully flighted adult birds and they regularly come in waves over large harvested fields. You will need a tighter choke on these "doves in high places" and shells along the lines of a handicap trap load, but if you have never gunned last-minute mourning doves, then you have missed some of the finest wingshooting that North America has to offer.

Since opening day is on everyone's mind right now, though, let us look at what you need to be legal as a hunter. First is the appropriate small-game license, and then you are required to possess a Hunter Information Program (HIP) card. For WMA hunts, you are also required to have a WMA/Small Game permit.