Author Topic: Doves (Read 2363 times)

huntducks · « **on:** December 11, 2009, 06:23:53 PM »

Lots of Euros here in Ca. picture from this past Wed.

Graybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** December 12, 2009, 01:25:31 AM »

Euros

I'm not familiar with the term. What exactly are they?

Here we have mostly mourning doves but am aware of white wings as well and common pigeons or rock doves. But Euros I can't say I've ever heard of.

GeneRector · « **Reply #2 on:** December 12, 2009, 08:19:08 AM »

Howdy! The Eurasian collared-dove is an exotic that has spread to many states. In Texas they may be hunted anytime with no bag limit. In spite of being hunted, they seem to be spreading. If dove hunting, they can be a little tough to identify from a distance, but up close you can see a collar of dark feathers that distinguish them from other doves. Hope this helps!

huntducks · « **Reply #3 on:** December 12, 2009, 11:57:44 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard on December 12, 2009, 01:25:31 AM

Euros I'm not familiar with the term. What exactly are they?

Here we have mostly mourning doves but am aware of white wings as well and common pigeons or rock doves. But Euros I can't say I've ever heard of.

GB

They have spread like wildfire from Fl. to Ca. in something like 15-20 years they are way bigger then both morning and whitewings and breed all year with 2-3 babys a clutch the young are ready to breed in like 6mo they love to hang around houses and buildings which makes hunting them tuff to the average hunter trying to get permission.

They die hard not like morning doves you can knock the snot out of these guys and they keep going I use 1.1/8 oz of either 7.5 or #6's I have had some well hit birds 4-6 pellets in the chest fly another 100+ yards before coming down.

Two years ago I even saw them in N. Montana 40 mi from Canada border, here in Ca we have a season which is same as general dove season but there is no limit on them I have had some 30-40 bird days which sure makes it fun.

Here is a closer picture

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** December 12, 2009, 01:18:05 PM »

Amazing how much they look like mourning doves in the close up but I can see specific differences. I've seen none in my part of Alabama yet. We get lots of doves around our feeders but so far nothing that looks like those.

streak · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2009, 02:54:28 PM »

Yep!
These Ring Neck Doves ( Eurasian Doves) are spreading all over many states of the U.S. Originally they supposedly got started in Florida coming up from the Caribbeans. I saw my first ones early spring here in Colorado in my neighborhood. You can tell a big difference in the calls of the Ring Neck as opposed to the mourning dove.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2009, 03:03:13 PM »

i started noticing these big doves quite a few years back

i am on the ga fl border on the beach

they like to eat the acornns in the neighbor hood on the road after the cars crack them open

do they taste the same as a mourning dove?

huntducks · « **Reply #7 on:** December 16, 2009, 07:29:16 AM »

Quote from: 45-70.gov on December 12, 2009, 03:03:13 PM

i started noticing these big doves quite a few years back

i am on the ga fl border on the beach

they like to eat the acornns in the neighbor hood on the road after the cars crack them open

do they taste the same as a mourning dove?

They taste about the same the bigger older birds are a little tuff so I soak them in wine or tenderize them.

My son and I hunted again on Sun. I think because of the cold weather here there eating more and trying to put on some fat I hunt near a grain barn and these guys are packed with almonds and corn there numbers have really increased in the last two week but so has the morning doves i'm seeing hundreds of euros at a time around the barn before that it was 30-40 at a time.

Spawner · « **Reply #8 on:** May 16, 2010, 05:25:32 PM »

This was the first I'd heard of the Euro Dove too so I did a little looking around and it seems like both AZ and WA are open all year for them as well as TX.

We're scheduled to be down in WA in mid Aug. this year and may migrate south in front of the snow line and I'd like to do try to find some of these little birds. If they cook up anything like Mourning Dove I'll like them!

Seems like I remember the Mourning Doves start showing up in WA in numbers around August or a bit before...does anybody know if the Euro's come in with them???

~Spawner

PowPow · « **Reply #9 on:** May 17, 2010, 02:05:59 AM »

My understanding is that Eurasian doves are not migratory and are not subject to the same hunting laws as mourning doves.
No closed seasons, no 3 shot plugs. check your local listings.

My cousin had a couple hundred living in his feed barn in central Alabama.
He said they turned a cat loose in there and shot over a hundred, as the cat flushed them out.

They are kind of like pidgeons, only cuter.

streak · « **Reply #10 on:** May 17, 2010, 06:28:20 AM »

I think they do migrate, especially here in Colorado. You see them in early spring until late fall and then just like the mourning doves they leave. Definitely can tell the differenc in the call of a Ringneck Dove as opposed to a mourning dove!

Rock Home Isle · « **Reply #11 on:** May 17, 2010, 07:38:27 AM »

Quote from: huntducks on December 11, 2009, 06:23:53 PM

Lots of Euros here in Ca. picture from this past Wed.

I've hunted Doves in eastern Colorado for years...got family out there.

We've never seen any Euros and then this last year we saw Euros like never before...not quite half our bag was composed of Euros. I did learn that they are much easier to hit than a Morning Dove.

Spawner · « **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2010, 12:43:58 PM »

Quote from: PowPow on May 17, 2010, 02:05:59 AM

My understanding is that Eurasian doves are not migratory ....They are kind of like pidgeons, only cuter.

I found a map showing the range/distribution when I was looking around at them on the internet (can't find it now) that showed them as year round in much of the southern U.S., a fairly large area in S.W. Cal. and even a spot or two in W. Washington. Even showed some in Alaska.

In much of the north, including E. Washington, it showed them as resident only during the warmer months.

Other range/distribution maps show wide variations in where they are and when, probably because they're expanding so quickly.

Guess I'll just have to look when I get there

mrbigtexan · « **Reply #13 on:** May 17, 2010, 02:36:41 PM »

they are everywhere here in the panhandle, won't leave either. they are going to be here forever i bet.

PowPow · « **Reply #14 on:** May 17, 2010, 02:52:20 PM »

"Won't leave" means non-migratory.
That means you don't have to have a 3-shot plug.

Rock Home Isle · « **Reply #15 on:** June 02, 2010, 08:45:49 PM »

For the last few years I have not seen to many Morning Doves around town...only the Eurasians. This year it looks like the little Morning Doves are back...I've seen quite a few this spring.

FourBee · « **Reply #16 on:** June 28, 2010, 12:39:02 PM »

Quote

by graybeard: Euros I'm not familiar with the term. What exactly are they?

Until winter last, I didn't know about them either. The tame version of these large doves are the white doves you see the magicians pull out of their hat.

We used to feed Red Birds, Chickadees , and Canaries during the winter months in those little bird feeders until there were so many Blue-Jays stealing the food. So, I began pouring Sunflower Seed along the edge of our drive-way so I wouldn't have to fill the feeders so often. Well, the next thing I know is we start getting all these huge strange sounding dove flocking into our drive. It was entertaining for a little while until I went thru a couple of large sacks of Black Sunflower Seed. One day the wife and I counted over 100 of those dove feeding in our circle drive. I don't feed the birds anymore.

Tn Jim · « **Reply #17 on:** June 28, 2010, 05:55:16 PM »

I have yet to see one here in East TN. I do know they are open year round in the state regs, and do not count toward your limit during regular dove season. I have seen them in the Memphis area though.

Rock Home Isle · « **Reply #18 on:** June 29, 2010, 05:23:10 AM »

Quote from: Tn Jim on June 28, 2010, 05:55:16 PM

I have yet to see one here in East TN. I do know they are open year round in the state regs, and do not count toward your limit during regular dove season. I have seen them in the Memphis area though.

There is no limit on them here in Colorado as well...but you are required to leave a wing attached while transporting them home.

Tn Jim · « **Reply #19 on:** July 01, 2010, 08:46:28 PM »

Quote from: Rock Home Isle on June 29, 2010, 05:23:10 AM

Quote from: Tn Jim on June 28, 2010, 05:55:16 PM
I have yet to see one here in East TN. I do know they are open year round in the state regs, and do not count toward your limit during regular dove season. I have seen them in the Memphis area though.

There is no limit on them here in Colorado as well...but you are required to leave a wing attached while transporting them home.

Same here. Anything not having a wing attached is considered as a mourning dove and counts toward your bag limit.