Dove 2024

[MTA]

Anyone else partaking this season?

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Had three fly out of my driveway when I took out the trash, about 2 hours ago.

 

[V-Tach]

Can't hunt my backyard because it's baited........I feed the local birds daily and starting to get larger dove passing through...

I use an old cookie tin to pour out seed and when I rap the bottom 3-4 times upside down.....here they come....

 

[Vaquero]

Eurasian collared dove are invasive.
Like feral hogs.
No license, no limit.
FYI

 

[leVieux]

Anyone else partaking this season?
View attachment 471603

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Recovering from surgery and waiting for cooler WX.

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[Eastexasrick]

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Recovering from surgery and waiting for cooler WX.

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I wish you luck, perhaps both will come soon.

 

[V-Tach]

Eurasian collared dove are invasive.
Like feral hogs.
No license, no limit.
FYI

Pellet gun fodder.............

 

[jimbo]

Most of my places to hunt in North Texas have very few doves, Not like the good old days

 

[V-Tach]

Most of my places to hunt in North Texas have very few doves, Not like the good old days

Fewer birds? Or changing migratory patterns?

 

[jimbo]

Fewer birds? Or changing migratory patterns?

Fewer birds. May be due to changing patterns.

 

[Vaquero]

Fewer birds? Or changing migratory patterns?

I'm going with changing migratory patterns.
Dove are limited in numbers last decade.
Sand hill cranes are becoming more common.
I blame wind farms.

 

[Sam Colt]

Hunted east of 35 near San Marcos this evening. Saw about 30 birds today. 5 within 50 yards. No shots. Still a good day.

 

[Orbie]

Hunted Haskell on the 1st. Took my first shot around 0700 and limited out by 0815. My group of 4 all had a limit by 0900.

Hunted my friends place in Tuscola on the 2nd but it rained all morning. Squeezed the trigger 4 times and got 3 birds.

 

[mongoose]

Fewer birds? Or changing migratory patterns?

Oping day use to be like WWIII around here. Gun fire has greatly reduced. NM has extended its season the last couple of years.

 

[robertc1024]

Went out yesterday morning. Got a few birds - more than the last time I hunted that particular place. Had some excellent dog work though. Kinda nice to just sit there and have the dog dig them out of the brush, or even better - out of a pond.

 

[dsgrey]

It usually sounds like a warzone near me in the mornings. This year, I never heard any gunshots in the mornings.

 

[MountainGirl]

What do you do with them? Are they eaten?
Seems small; more work cleaning than meat gotten.
They're not hunted where I'm from, but not prolific either.

 

[MTA]

What do you do with them? Are they eaten?
Seems small; more work cleaning than meat gotten.
They're not hunted where I'm from, but not prolific either.

Depends what you do with them. I just breast them and use that meat for poppers. Takes 30-45 seconds a bird once you get into a rhythm

 

[Texasgordo]

What do you do with them? Are they eaten?
Seems small; more work cleaning than meat gotten.
They're not hunted where I'm from, but not prolific either.

Older brother wraps the breast meat in bacon and smokes them on the grill. His 2 sons are 11 and 10 but they know how to shoot and clean their own birds already.

 

[Moonpie]

What do you do with them? Are they eaten?
Seems small; more work cleaning than meat gotten.
They're not hunted where I'm from, but not prolific either.

Yes, they get eaten.
There are many ways of cooking them.
Breast wrapped in bacon w/cream cheese and jalapeno slice smoked/grilled is very popular. I've seen them used in gumbo.
Cleaning them isn't difficult but makes a mess with the feathers. Takes just a minute or two per bird.
The trick is to get the downed bird cooled asap.
Dove hunting typically occurs during hot weather. A dead dove shoved in the back pocket of the hunting vest, left there all day, in high temps, tends to go rank.
I like to have a small cooler nearby with some ice in it. Downed bird goes into a large ziplock bag on the ice as soon as possible. Prevents spoilage.
Dove used to be all over the place. Last few years they seem to have changed their patterns. Places formerly covered with dove are now devoid.
Probably has something to do with so much farmland now being sub-divisions.