On Sunday (7th.), Lora and I took a road trip up to Daugherty, (west of Matador). We went up thru Jacksboro, across to Bryson, up to Jermyn, then on west on 114 thru Olney and Seymour, all the way to Dickens and then turned north and went thru Roaring Springs and into Daugherty. After picking up our new female Llama there, we left and went north to pick up 70 heading east, thru Matador, Paducah, and Crowell, and then back south-east thru Seymour to 114.
Morning Doves were abundant in some areas and real spotty in others. They have been getting some rain up thru that part of the country, so it is pushing the birds around some.
The main thing I noticed, and hence the subject line, every town we went thru, when we would get to within 3 to 5 miles of that town, we would start seeing the collared doves.
Sometimes it would just be a single or maybe 2 birds, but we did see on group of about 8. We ended up seeing around 25 or 30 of these things on the trip, but never out real far from any of the towns.
Everyone dove hunting this year needs to keep in mind that these birds are fair game and don't count as part of your bag limit, in fact since they are a non-native, they are in the same class as feral hogs and can be shot at any time.
If you are not familiar with what they look like, just keep watching as you are driving around the town you live in or are close to. Just be watching for a large light colored bird with a longish squared off tail. They almost look like that they are the size of a pigeon.

I started seeing these whoopers last year and was told the same thing in regards to hunting/shooting them. Every town I would go through on my way to Albany from DFW would have them, but I never saw one on my lease to shoot and try it for supper . I talked to a buddy of mine in S. Texas that I hunt with last week and he mentioned them specifically and said that they are all over the place down there. He said he has been seeing them for the last couple of years now but this year, they are covered up with them down there.

That's a lot of driving for a day!

How was the dove situation in Dicken's county? I will be hunting there Sept. 8, 9, & 10 on the Kent/Dickens line south of Spur. We will be hunting mesquite flats and tanks on my friends deer lease. They had great success last year when most others were hurting to see a dove.

We do a lot of driving on our weekends.
We were north and east of where you will be, and the birds were spotty. You would run thru a 2 to 5 mile stretch and see quite a few birds, then we would hit a stretch and only see 2 maybe 3 birds every mile for 10 or 12 miles.
The birds seemed to be concentrated more in areas where there was some wheat stubble, sunflowers or maize fields.
Like I said in the earlier post we were dodging some pretty good rain showers and if that keeps up hunting the stock tanks might not be real good.

Good deal. Hopefully it stays dry for everyones sake or the birds will move out early like last year. Where we will be hunting is extremely dry to any water is good. There are some ag fields across the road. We will be hog hunting also so there will always be something to do.

WE usually kill a couple of them a season....last few years on of my spots is so loaded with whitewings.....that we pass the mourning dove to shoot the whitewings.....Cannot wait.

I HAVE AT LEAST 4 PAIR IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD I SEE THE ALMOST EVER MORNING.

Hey chc aren't those the dove that you showed me that were in the pasture to the west of where I keep my goats where all the farm equipment is?

Yes Sir. From what I have been reading about them, and from some of the other posts on here, those things might be able to out compete mourning doves.

There is a lot of these birds in Mckinney where I work. They seem to stay in a one to two block area, I always see them in the same location. I dove hunt in Quanah and have shot at least two a season. Here is a pict I pulled off Google.
[image]http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:9r13vQgcyiwJ:http://birdsofsanibel.free.fr/images/20040411/Eurasian%2520Collared%2520Dove.jpg[/image]

Sorry, Rookey mistake. one more try.

I see these in the DFW areas as well. My question concerning shooting these along with your normal dove limit would be how do you tell them apart once you breast them out? That is, I suppose the breast is slightly larger since the bird looks bigger but how are you going to explain that to a game warden?

a little more on what first_chance said: someone correct me if I am wrong but I believe you are supposed to leave a wing or a head attached to any ducks you shoot while in the field and transporting them. I believe the same may be true for dove. Like I said I am not 100% on that.

doves are the only migratory game bird excluded from "wing" ID regs. Notice they say "except" and "encouraged" in the regs and specifically mention the collared dove. I would think it would be a good idea anytime you are working with an aggregate limit where you have a mixture of different birds to leave some kind of identifiable plummage attached. I know I will if I have 15 dove and 30 collared Here's the scoop:

Species Identification: Except for migratory game birds processed at a cold storage or processing
facility, or doves, one fully-feathered wing or the head must remain attached to migratory game birds
while the birds are being transported between the place where taken and the permanent residence of
the possessor. Note: Migratory game birds may be dressed for immediate cooking at a place other
than a permanent residence (e.g., hunting camp). This does not include placing dressed birds in a
cooler/refrigerator for later consumption while at a place other than a permanent residence. Hunters
are encouraged to leave plumage on all doves other than mourning dove, white-winged dove, and
white-tipped dove (e.g., exotic collared-dove) for species identification.

Glad to hear the Eurasians are being seen around north Texas. Have heard about them, but mostly along the coast and westward. I agree they should not count against the daily limits since they are non-native. Plus they are bigger birds. Has anyone actually tasted them? If so, what do they taste like? And don't say "they taste like chicken" or "they taste like dove"!!!!

You may be glad but most wildlife biologist are not happy since they compete for the mourning doves habitat and food and can beat them at it. Then we have to pay for more stamps to save the mourning dove just like they did with the whitewing in the past. The mourning dove pop has been declining for several years now so it is a matter of time probably till we have to pay for that. I think doves have learned they aren't shot at while staying in Dallas county.

I stand corrected. You are right on the mark about that and I wholeheartedly agree. But, knowing the state, they will add the Eurasian to the list of doves that you will need to have a stamp for and will limit the number you can take.

Why are there so many doves in towns, seems like you can see hundreds of them in town, then when you get out in the country, nothing??????? BIRDFEEDERS. Seems like I read somewhere that the public buys several million pounds of bird food yearly for backyard feeders. That has probably been the biggest reason that whitewings have been able to spread out like they have.

We got biggest feeders in the world in our city, they are called grain elevators. The birds a thick here in town, I can get limit easy here at the station.

The eurasian have been known to destroy the nests of mourning that is why there will probably never be a limit on them..I killed a bunch 2 years ago in alexandria louisiana at a lease and they are same meat.All dark but much larger breasts than the mourning..They eat the same diet as all dove...

Just imagine pigeon (rock Dove) really no difference between a morning, whitewing, Eurasian and a pigeon except the size of the breast.

TEXAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP DUCK CALLING CONTEST
P.O. Box 5254
Katy, Texas 77491.5254
Sanctioned Contest of
World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest
Stuttgart, Arkansas
www.stuttgartarkansas.com



2005 Texas State Championship Duck Calling Contest Lewisville, TX

Katy, Texas - Newell Cheatheam, President of Newell's Designs www.newellsdesigns.com and Calling Chairman of The Texas State Championship Duck Calling Contest, announces that the 2005 Texas State Championship Duck Calling Contest will be hosted and sponsored by Sportsman’s Warehouse www.sportsmansmanwarehouse.com in Lewisville, Texas for the second year on Saturday, August 20, 2005. Contestants register at 9:00 a.m. and must be registered and checked in by 9:30 a.m. in order to compete for the Texas State Championship Duck Calling Contest. Contest begins sharply at 10:00 a.m. Contestants need to be residents of Texas and have attained the age of Seventeen as of the hour of the contest.

Contestants practice all year and come from all across Texas to compete to be the champion caller of the Texas State, to represent the State of Texas in the World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest www.stuttgartarkansas.com on November 26, 2005. Judging is based upon the contestant's ability to bring in a simulated flight of ducks. Each contestant is allowed a maximum of 90 seconds to blow a hail or long distance call, mating or lonesome duck call, feed or chatter call, and comeback call.

Prizes are First Place Champion Caller includes First Place Trophy/Champion Calling Shirt/$1250 Sportsman’s Warehouse Gift Certificate; Second Place includes Second Place Trophy/$500 Sportsman’s Warehouse gift certificate; and Third place includes $250 Sportsman’s Warehouse gift certificate.

This is one of the largest sanctioned state duck calling contests in the United States. The World championship calling contest committee sanctions the contest.

Contest judges are outdoorsman, sportsman, and sometimes state, regional and or World’ Championship Duck Calling Contest winners. Robb Webb from Beebe, Ark, is one of the judges, co-owner and National Sales Director of Echo Calls http://www.echocalls.com he has placed in top 10 of the World's Championship, the past 9 years, including 1997 2nd Runner-Up, 1998 3rd Runner-up, 1999 4th Runner-up, 2000 9th Runner-up and 2004 9th Runner-Up. He is an avid waterfowl hunter.

Brian Hughes will be MC' ing the event. He is Talk Show Host (and Guide) for Texas Fishing & Outdoors Show http://www.texasfishingandoutdoors.com every Saturday morning 5:00-7:00 am and Sunday Morning 5:00 am - 6:00 am going across around 70 radio stations across Texas, including some in Houston, Tx. Brian also MC the event in Lewisville last year.

The past five years under the volunteer leadership of contest calling Chairman Newell Cheatheam, of Katy, Texas, the contest has been brought to a new level of state calling contests. With some of the highest money prizes and quality judges in the nation of any state sanctioned calling contests.

A Junior Duck Calling Contest (non Sanctioned) and calling seminar for ages 13-under and age 14-16 will be held following the Texas State. The first 50 junior calling contestant’s entries will receive a free duck call donated and sponsored by RNT Calls, Inc. http://rntcalls.com . Ages 13-under no fee and age 14-16 $15.00 contestant entry fee.

The Calling Contest attendees have a special rate for a limited number of rooms available through Baymount Inn and Suites, www.baymontlewisville.com 972.459.8000, $55 and Best Western Inn & Suites www.bestwesternlewisville.com 972.459.5300, $55,in Lewisville, Tx. Mention special rate: Duck Calling Contest.

Early registration for the Texas State is encouraged. For more information or entry forms, contact, Texas State Championship Duck Calling Contest, Newell Cheatheam, Contest Calling chairman, P.O. Box 5254, Katy, TX 77491, 281.392.3034, ncheatheam@aol.com. Entry forms can be downloaded off www.sportsmansmanwarehouse.com also.

Has anyone seen the new info about the Eurasian dove on the TPWD web site? Here it is: Unprotected Birds:
The only birds not protected by any state or federal law are European starlings, English sparrows, feral rock doves (common pigeon - Columba livia) and Eurasian collared-doves ; these species may be killed at any time, their nests or eggs destroyed, and their feathers may be possessed.

For now, it appears there are no limits or closed season the these "intruders". That means we can hunt them year around.