Friday morning was like Christmas for most outdoorsmen and women in and near Bee County.

Some residents awoke to the sound of shotguns blasting in fields near the city limits. Others eagerly counted down the hours until they got off work that afternoon before heading out to their favorite stock tanks and grain fields.

The South Zone of dove hunting season opened Friday (Sept. 18) and continues through Nov. 3 A second part of the split season is from Dec. 26 through Jan.17, 2010.

For those who last put away their guns at the conclusion of deer or quail season, it’s the kickoff of their favorite time of year. Why, you ask?

The sight of gorgeous pinks and oranges of the South Texas sky as large flights of doves descend from the setting sun in the west to the large tank in the green field around which your party is seated.

The sound of the whistling of doves’ wings overhead as the birds fly nearby and then the sporadic discharge of shotguns, both close by and far off in the distance.

The smell of gunpowder mixed with the fresh air and scent of vegetation in the brush country.

The feel of your shotgun barrel heating up as you reach into your bag for more shells frequently on a good hunting day, when doves are flying from all directions.

The taste of fresh seasoned dove breasts cooked on a barbecue grill, wrapped in bacon with a jalapeño in the cavity.

And, perhaps, most of all, the camaraderie of fellow hunters, swapping stories as you clean the birds or at the post-hunt cookout gathering site.

Dove hunting is big business in the Beeville area. Motels are full, and restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores will see a “bang-up” weekend.

Remember though to follow the rules. The daily bag limit this year is 15 mourning, white-winged and white-tipped doves in the aggregate, not to include more than two whitetips. Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.

Legal shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Hunters must have a valid Texas hunting license and a migratory bird stamp. They may not shoot over a baited area, and legal shotguns must be plugged to hold only three shells.

Have fun and be careful while out in the field.