Great Gear: Rocky Upland Waterproof Boots

It’s hard to overstate how big dove hunting is in Texas. People in these parts wait all year long for it and the only fall pastime that’s more popular around here is football. By most estimates, the Lone Star State is where about a third of the nation’s mourning doves are harvested and where almost 90 percent of America’s white wing doves are taken.

While I love hunting ducks and upland birds (I haven’t tried turkey yet) Dove hunting is about as much fun as you can have with a shotgun. One of the best aspects about it is participating doesn’t require much gear. Aside from your shotgun and some ammo, the only other stuff that’s helpful is a belt or chest rig and a folding stool. None of that has to be expensive. You can get those at just about any outdoor store like Bass Pro, Cabela’s, Academy, or online for about $50.

Depending where you’re hunting, a pair of brush pants aren’t a bad idea, but not a must. You can absolutely get away with jeans. But one thing you’ll definitely want to invest in is a good pair of boots.

You may have that stool for the down times when the birds aren’t coming in, but in my experience, you won’t use it much. Last weekend in deepest south Texas, Jeremy and I were on our feet about ninety percent of the time, scanning the skies, shooting, or searching for downed birds in heavy brush.

My go-to bird hunting boots are a pair of Rocky Upland Waterproof boots. I’ve had them for a few years now and have tromped through fields with them chasing pheasant, quail, and dove. They’re also great for general purpose, all-around outdoor use.

The Rockies have a well-designed sole and, most important, they’re incredibly comfortable. And they’re also every bit as waterproof as advertised — ask me how I know. You can hike, walk, or stand around in them for hours and the only dogs that will be barking are your Labradors or pointers.

But back to those doves. If you get the chance, do yourself a favor and give it a try. While Texas is generally considered Dove nirvana, there are plenty of other states where the hunting is good.

Yes, those are suppressors on our scatterguns. We shot with them all weekend and there will be more on the cans and the 12 and 20 gauge shotguns we used in an upcoming post.

One of the best features of dove hunting is it’s just a much more relaxed, social hunting experience that just about any other. You can whisper to your buddies in a duck blind and shout a little to those on your flank as you walk across a field looking to flush pheasants or quail, but dove hunting is just different.

Jeremy and I were posted up against some heavy brush in thick scrub near a mown sendero waiting for the birds to fly out of the sun in the late afternoon on their way to their nightly roosting spots behind us to the east. There’s no stalking involved or any need to stay quiet. The doves come to you…if you’re in the right spot. That means you can talk to each other, solve a lot of the world’s most pressing problems, smoke a cigar, or do whatever it is you like to do between launching birdshot skyward.

So buy yourself a good pair of boots — you really ought to have those anyway, doves or not — and get out there as soon as you can. The season runs off and on in most of the lower half of the country from now through December and January depending on where you are. I promise you’ll have a great time.