7 replies to this topic

[bisley11]

Not a scientific survey by any means but I have seen more doves this year than I have in a very long time. Has anyone else noticed an increase in apparent numbers? Sure would lile t know as I'm looking forward t a good opener.

[Bisley]

It really makes no difference what you see right now, if the weather takes an ugly turn, they will leave. It always seems to look real good until a week or two before the opener. All we can do at this point is to hold on, cross our fingers, and hope. I too look forward every year to the opener, one, because I love bird hunting, and two, because it signals the start of other hunting seasons to follow (birds, deer, predators). Best of luck to ya, we'll just have to wait and see.

[Thumper Dunker]

When you humb doves do the feathers tickle your lips? Been seeing more asian ones this year.

[hump]

seen alot of them around the house the last few months but cant hunt them there .lol cant wait till sep to go get a few

[Mac1124]

Not only have the number of birds increased in my area, we are now starting to see ringnecks become the dominate specie. It has always been 95% or better mourning dove, however in the past several years rigneck populations have exploded. Its now 65-35% ringnecks over mourning doves.

[StoneTower]

I saw Eurasian Collared Doves for the first time last year North of Sacramento. It seems there is some confusion as to Ringneck doves and Eurasian Collared Doves. I believe what I was seeing and shot 2 of last year were Eurasian Collared Doves. My cousin has been hunting doves in the area since the early 1970's and has never seen one until I shot that first one last year. When I looked them up, it said that they migrated into Florida after being introduced to the Bahamas many years ago. They have spread across the Southern states and have been working their way up California the last few years. The Eurasian Collared Dove does not migrate (it only spreads out when its habitat becomes crowded) and does not hurt or displace the native dove species. I am excited about this as we usually get a cold front that comes in a few days before the opener which sends all our native doves down south to be slaughtered. If we could get a dove that did not migrate with the cold weather, we could have a good resident dove population to hunt. The Eurasian Collared Dove is also much larger than the Morning Dove.Dove....it's what's for dinner

[ShooterJohn]

We see several types of doves at our house that stop by for food and water. A couple of years back we had a fledgling mourning dove introduce himself to us and became a pet for close to a year. Here is a picture of him and how he got to know us.http://www.californi...d...st&p=151177Now we have a new dove acting very similar though it is slightly older. It's a Eurasian Collared Dove. It started coming around and following us around the yard. It would fly down and sit near us so that it could get some sleep. It took a few weeks but we can pick it up on occasion. It's still a bit nervous and doesn't like my camera at all. Must have been shot at. Anyway the birds seem to feel comfortable around me probably because they see the chickens around me. I call this bird Tank because it walks around chugging along like a little tank.Dropping in to say hello and checking me out.My wife getting closer it was still a bit shy.Getting comfortable.Taking a little nap.

[stephen722]

I saw Eurasian Collared Doves for the first time last year North of Sacramento. It seems there is some confusion as to Ringneck doves and Eurasian Collared Doves. I believe what I was seeing and shot 2 of last year were Eurasian Collared Doves. My cousin has been hunting doves in the area since the early 1970's and has never seen one until I shot that first one last year. When I looked them up, it said that they migrated into Florida after being introduced to the Bahamas many years ago. They have spread across the Southern states and have been working their way up California the last few years. The Eurasian Collared Dove does not migrate (it only spreads out when its habitat becomes crowded) and does not hurt or displace the native dove species. I am excited about this as we usually get a cold front that comes in a few days before the opener which sends all our native doves down south to be slaughtered. If we could get a dove that did not migrate with the cold weather, we could have a good resident dove population to hunt. The Eurasian Collared Dove is also much larger than the Morning Dove.Dove....it's what's for dinner

I have been seeing the eurasians in the winter in big valley, they an't leaveing because it's cold. should be a good year,have fun stephen