YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — Dove hunting season is underway in Yuma, drawing hunters from across the Southwest.

Storms and rain ahead of opening day shifted bird migration, forcing hunters to work a little harder in the fields. Still, many say the season opened strongly.

“It was wonderful, wonderful,” said Michael Hernandez, who spent three days scouting and hunting before heading home with a full bag of 45 doves, which is the limit.

Hernandez also earned second place in Sprague Sports’ annual Big Breast Dove contest, an event that draws hundreds of hunters to the store each year.

For Hernandez and his friends, who drove in from Riverside and San Diego, dove season has become a yearly tradition.

The cooler monsoonal weather made conditions pleasant for hunters, even if the storms affected

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