Dove shooting

Hunterbug · September 09, 2015, 06:02:42 AM

Last evening Payton and I went dove hunting with a guy that I went to high school with. He dropped 5 and I got 3. I won't mention how many were armor plated and impervious to our shotguns.

I only took one picture but I like it.

recoil junky · September 09, 2015, 07:51:50 AM

I went dove hunting just this morning!! Had a mess in the driveway eating seeds scattered by the chipmunks. Quite fun with the Stevens Favourite "44 Shot". I didn't hit any though . . . . . . . . . . . . . . yet!!!

RJ

recoil junky · September 09, 2015, 07:53:15 AM

Hmm . . . Payton was "sideways" there for a minute.

RJ

gitano · September 09, 2015, 07:55:33 AM

I just edited for orientation and size. If HB like the original, I still have a copy saved.

Wish we had doves here. I learned to wing-shoot on mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) using a bolt action, Mossberg .410.

Paul

Hunterbug · September 09, 2015, 08:15:56 AM

Thanx for fixing it, Paul. We got 7 mourning doves and 1 Eurasian Collard dove. They are bigger than mourning doves and are an invasive species so they don't count against your limit.

farmboy · September 14, 2015, 06:06:22 AM

The first doves I have seen around here showed up about five years ago two thirds the size of a pigeon light grey color and can almost give a rooster a run for the money in the early morning noise department. Lol not sure what ki d they are for sure.

gitano · September 14, 2015, 07:29:45 AM

I'd bet they are the Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto). They are "invading" North America with a vengeance, and are bigger than mourning doves (Zenaida macroura).

Paul

farmboy · September 14, 2015, 05:51:13 PM

Just looked them up I will take a better look next time I am in town there are lots of them there.

Hunterbug · September 14, 2015, 06:08:25 PM

They probably are. They like the urban environment. We did kill one while we were hunting. We got them cooked, they were good.

gitano · September 15, 2015, 07:33:38 AM

There's nothing "wrong" with them other than being an "invasive" species. I don't THINK they compete for nesting sites with mourning doves. I "like" mourning doves because I grew up with them. I even had some as pets. But "more meat" is a good thing, and I can think of no reason why they shouldn't taste just as good as mourning doves.

Paul

JaDub · September 15, 2015, 01:50:54 PM

Those darned collared ( Eurasians ) are Very aggressive. They try to drive off everything in our back yard. Nothing like the mourning doves. But they DO eat good !!

farmboy · September 15, 2015, 03:18:47 PM

Looked at them today they do have the collar Good call!

gitano · September 15, 2015, 04:36:49 PM

"Bigger" MATTERS in ALL life except human life. Actually, it matters there too!

Paul

Brithunter · September 19, 2015, 05:13:28 AM

:laugh: You need some "Woodies" that is Wood Pigeons which are bigger than the Collered Dove and very tasty. They also reproduce all year round and gather in large flocks to feed. Here is some information on them:-

http://basc.org.uk/cop/woodpigeon/

http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-birds/a-z-garden-birds/wood-pigeon

and some photos of course.

gitano · September 19, 2015, 10:54:09 AM

We have "wood" pigeons (common name) here in North America (Patagioenas fasciata) but the "official" name is band-tailed pigeon. They are found in the mountain west. Large birds and excellent eating, as are all of the pigeons.

Norht America HAD one of the most beautiful pigeons - the passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), in numbers difficult to even imagine The commercial hunters of the late 1800s drove them to extinction in less than 20 years for NEW YORK, PARIS, and LONDON markets. It is estimated by reliable sources that there were more than THREE BILLION of them alive before the market hunting started. (Some estimate FIVE BILLION.) I breaks my heart to think of the greed that removed them from existence.

Paul

farmboy · September 20, 2015, 05:40:01 AM

Those are the one s we have around here. From the hunters perspective the good thing about them is when you shot a dozen of them two dozen come to the funeral and then stay. The same thing applys to the farmer but that is the bad thing about them. I had them with a bit of help shot out of the farmyard none left this spring we clean out two other close by yards as well . Likely I have thirty back again. So I guess half of what the spring total was. I will have to get back at them. A couple of years ago some guys came and caught over a hundred of them for a live pigeon shoot. Almost was rid of them that time too not sure where they arrive from tried to eliminate the source they s spring I guess get rid of them at the three yards and expand the range a few more yards and see if we can be rid of them for a few years.