Protecting Your Eyes and Ears on a Dove Shoot with Marty Fischer
John E. Phillips 09.23.13
Author’s note: Marty Fischer, the host of TNT Outdoor Explosion on the Pursuit Channel, a professional wingshooter, a National Sporting Clays Association Level III shooting instructor, and a longtime Mossy Oak Pro Staff member, has designed more than 150 sporting clay facilities. Here are his tips for taking more doves.
You can’t shoot what you can’t see
You need good shooting glasses when dove hunting to protect your eyes and to see the birds more clearly. I see quite a few dove hunters out in the field wearing bright yellow shooting glasses, but those are actually designed for indoor handgun shooting. I also see a lot of dark gray shooting glasses, but dark gray has the same effect on the shooter as dimming the lights on your automobile at night. Here’s the rule of thumb when selecting shooting glasses: wear the lightest color lenses you can wear without squinting. You will find that a pale yellow, a light bronze, or a rose color tend to be the best color lenses to see clearly and accurately in a dove field.
If there’s a very bright sun on the day I am dove hunting, I will use a darker brown color lens instead of gray, because dark gray shooting glasses greatly reduce the light transmission going into your eye. In a dove field, it is important to be able to see as much and as clearly as possible. You want as much information as you can gather about the target (the dove) going through your eyes and to your brain to make the best decisions about where that dove is going, and where you can shoot him. Try to get a polycarbonate type of lens to protect your eyes from falling pellets. These lenses won’t break when pellets fall and hit them.
Ear plugs are important
I don’t know why, but most dove hunters don’t want to wear ear plugs. However, just one shot that’s too close to your ear can damage to that ear. I wear custom ear plugs made by a company called ESP, Electronic Shooter Protection. Any number of ear plugs similar to these are on the market. Ear protection is extremely important. The report of a shotgun is 10 times louder than audiologists say you should hear without some type of ear protection. If you’re standing close to someone who’s shooting, then you not only have the sound of your shotgun reporting, but also the sound of their shotgun reporting.
I realize that most dove hunters like to hear other dove hunters on the dove field yell, “Dove, dove, dove,” when they see a bird approaching a hunter’s stand site. Rather than being told when a dove is approaching my stand, however, I prefer to save my hearing.
Mossy Oak and ScoutLook Weather have teamed-up to give away a GilesIsland deer hunt and gear package worth almost $5,000. Go to http://www.mossyoak.com/weather-app-contest?id=OH-1 to learn more.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
