? DOVES, currently ?

[leVieux]

>
Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead. . . . .

Grandson from Dallas, Mojica from Austin, & this Old Guy now "from" well East of el Rio Sabino have decided that we're going to Central Texas for Thursday next week's dove opener, whether the birds are there or not !

Weather seems hot, but fairly dry.

Problem is that no-one North of Corpus is reporting significant dove sightings.

Friends across mid-Texas, please advise here as to your local current dove situations.

All info will be appreciated.

If worse comes to us/it, we'll tailgate-sit, serve cervezas frias-jeladas, and tell tales while deciding which BBQ & Tex-Mex places for our suppers.

Please tell location, observations, & any details.

Merci,
leVieux
.

 

[RankAmateur]

>
Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead. . . . .

Grandson from Dallas, Mojica from Austin, & this Old Guy now "from" well East of el Rio Sabino have decided that we're going to Central Texas for Thursday next week's dove opener, whether the birds are there or not !

Weather seems hot, but fairly dry.

Problem is that no-one North of Corpus is reporting significant dove sightings.

Friends across mid-Texas, please advise here as to your local current dove situations.

All info will be appreciated.

If worse comes to us/it, we'll tailgate-sit, serve cervezas frias-jeladas, and tell tales while deciding which BBQ & Tex-Mex places for our suppers.

Please tell location, observations, & any details.

Merci,
leVieux
.

Mourning doves are the most common bird in my yard now in New Braunfels.

 

[Bozz10mm]

Not a lot of help, but it doesn't sound like it will be a banner year for doves.

News Release: Aug. 23, 2022: Conditions Heating up for Dove Season - TPWD

 

[gasgas]

There are a few around El Campo area, Not like before the freeze,
I think many birds froze and have not recovered
Maybe more will show up next week or two

 

[FireInTheWire]

They are reporting good numbers here out west. I know… that doesn’t help yall

 

[Mills]

FYI, in regards to tailgating and hunting
It is illegal to :

• hunt from or by means of motor vehicles or aircraft of any kind (including stationary) except paraplegics and single or double amputees of legs may hunt from stationary motor-driven conveyances;

 

[deemus]

Loads of them at my bird feeder every day.

 

[leVieux]

Mourning doves are the most common bird in my yard now in New Braunfels.

That's the best news yet. . . .

But, my YARD is full of White-wings, and some mourning doves. I'm some 100 miles East of Orange.

Last year we joked that we'd have to hunt from our porch swings.

I have access to around 1,700 acres of my cousins' rice, bean, & milo fields. No birds out on the farms.

Thanks, a bit of positive news does help !

leVieux
.

 

[leVieux]

FYI, in regards to tailgating and hunting
It is illegal to :

• hunt from or by means of motor vehicles or aircraft of any kind (including stationary) except paraplegics and single or double amputees of legs may hunt from stationary motor-driven conveyances;

For us, it is EITHER sit on tailgate & visit;

or,

Hunt in the fields.

The ONLY time I ever actually hunted from the parked stopped dead pickup was in 1975 when I had a big cast on my leg. The Game Warden came over and saw, but didn't say anything. Did check bags & guns.

We were on the U S Attorney's Ranch.

leVieux
.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

FYI, in regards to tailgating and hunting
It is illegal to :

• hunt from or by means of motor vehicles or aircraft of any kind (including stationary) except paraplegics and single or double amputees of legs may hunt from stationary motor-driven conveyances;

When did this change?

 

[jimbo]

Not seeing many doves on my favorite places....Graford, Graham. Palo Pinto, Hamilton. Bluffdale.

 

[Mills]

When did this change?

Only reason I mentioned it a game warden told me about it , so I looked it up and sure enough, he was right .

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Only reason I mentioned it a game warden told me about it , so I looked it up and sure enough, he was right .

I wonder if he was referring to dove only?

 

[Lonesome Dove]

When Doves fly..........

 

[mongoose]

When did this change?

Been that way for as long as I can remember. At lest 30 + years.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Been that way for as long as I can remember. At lest 30 + years.

Dove is the only thing I haven't hunted out of a vehicle, that's why I asked.

 

[candcallen]

I know of a spot, near cattle tanks, close to farm fields where the dove black out the sky.

South of wickenburg AZ.

While I'm at it, with all the rain, the area around the Tom Mix monuments should be awesome for Quail.

 

[mongoose]

Dove is the only thing I haven't hunted out of a vehicle, that's why I asked.

I was riding in the back of a P/U with a rifle after a day of hunting Mulies. Was being given a ride by a nice older couple. Game warden pulled us over and told me I wasn’t even allowed to touch the truck during an active hunt while in possession of a firearm. He cut me some slack because I had unloaded my rifle before getting in the bed of the truck. He said some hard ass GWs would have fined me and the nice couple giving me the lift.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Every deer I ever killed was out of a hunting vehicle, this was in the 60s, and 70s.

 

[leVieux]

>

FYI,

My note to a fellow hunter & member here, today: “I’m getting a few reports from all over TX, just like here in LA, “urban home yards filled with doves, but very few out in fields.” Well inside Louisiana, I have some 50 White-wings and a bunch of mourning doves out in my large yard, almost 4ac, with open areas all around, every morning. But out on my Family’s farms, no birds. We are determined to go to Central Texas and hunt afternoons one more year. Last year, 800+ miles round-trip; 4 doves, the year before, all the way to RGV/SPI/Harlingen, 6 doves (I was #2 hunter of a large group.) This happened once before in the 1970’s, and came-back; but it is very concerning. The first week of this July, I spent all week driving around South & Central Texas, hunting areas, but I’d bet I didn’t even see 2 dozen doves of all kinds.“

Earlier, I spoke with old Friend in RGV, a pro game Biologist & prior head of TPW both Laredo & Brownsville, Son of the Biologist who first mapped whitewing movements long ago. Even he didn’t know. If HE didn;t know, what hope do we traveling dove hunters have?

I don’t believe that this can be explained by “hunting pressure” this time.

Any up-to date info would be much appreciated.

leVieux
.