Hunting-"Eye Popper!"

Hunting doves and quail is at best "men at play".  Kind of tough on the doves and quail, but not nearly as destructive of life as the average chicken farmer. --and a lot more enjoyable! Dove hunting is an optimal way of getting exercise.  -- The best dove hunting is done from a rather stationary base with the doves flying overhead and the fetching at a minimum. With compatible partners it's very enjoyable, to say the least.  Nick, Bob and I were inveterate hunters of doves and quail.
Doves --and -- pigeons come in several sizes. In the Valley 5 varieties are extremely common.  There 3 types of ground doves--about the size of sparrows:  mourning doves,about the size of robins or small woodpeckers;  and white wings that are the size of large woodpeckers. Rarely seen are rock pigeons which are the size of the usual city pigeon; and band tailed pigeons which are the size of  small pheasants.
On the day in question we all set out in different directions  with John as a young teen staying near to the pickup.  Bob went South, Nick and John went a little to the East and I went West.
Usually here we stayed within 15 yards of a fence line -This site had no tank.  This time Bob spotted a bird and knocked it down,  --a band tailed pigeon, which amazed him as its size.  He put it in the truck bed and covered it with a small burlap sack.  Unbeknownst to him,  Nick had spotted him --from his brushy spot.
When we gathered at the truck, shortly,   Bob proudly said, "Let me show you what I got!"
The sack was flipped back, and  in all its glory was a deceased  tiny ground dove.  Bob with a baffled look was agape, -John and I wondered what was so special about this sparrow- sized ground dove  that Bob exhibited with such pride, and Nick just smiled. Bob wondered what had shrunk his special quarry, and was thoroughly confused.  After a few moments of dire confusion, Nick held forth.
 Nick's  explanation about the ground dove substitution for the monster "dove", opened the door to understanding and a good laugh was had by all!            And a memory was made!