# Collared Doves



## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Ok! So the first time I saw one of the Eurasian Collared Doves was about a year ago. This morning as my wife and I were having our coffee I watched close to 50 flying around and having a bird kind of morning. They were sort of entertaining to watch and of course are in the city limits and un-shootable. I got curious and went searching on the web for the issues that make them a "problem" and really could not find anything to pin them down to a negative issue. I can see where they could join the city pigeon as a nuisance and I found that they can have up to 3 broods of two each offspring per year. Also noted is the fact that they are non-native to the U.S., but today, it appears they are now populated in all 48 lower states and have adapted to the colder climates of the U.S. better than originally thought they would. 

I think that for us shooters we should welcome them being here. Very big doves, which are yummy if you ask me, and no limit! What could be better? Year round dove hunting and although I have not shot any, they appear to fly slower and less erratic than a mourning dove. Which should lend itself an easier target.

What do you think?


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

The only problem I have with them is that they never leave town! I would have no issues whatsoever if they would go out to where I could shoot them. 

I think the issue that is troublesome is that they may become like the ones in South America, where they get way overpopulated and become a nuisance and destroy crops and such.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Ya, I thought about the overpopulation and crop destruction issue myself. But in the city limits that shouldn't be a crop issue. From going to viewing 2 of them about a year ago, to 50 in one year is a bit of a concern.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Drive around some of the agricultural areas that have feedlots and cattle and such. You'll see TONS of them hanging out around the corrals and barns. I think that's where Blueshooter gets most of his BB gun hunting in.


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## blueshooter (Oct 10, 2009)

not I, it's Rusty that does i think


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

That's right. Rusty Shackleford. Sometimes I get different forum members confused.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

We have quite a population of ECD now in Evanston. And I'm with Chaser; they won't leave the city limits so we can hunt them. A few are taken with BB guns, but it's against Evanston city ordinances.









Their numbers are increasing expotentially and they are here to stay. I have them in my bird feeders daily. There's quite an on-going argument with the bird-nuts whether or not they are pushing the morning doves out.

I think they are cool transplants.


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## Rusty Shacklford (Oct 24, 2008)

Blueshooter is correct, I shoot quite a few ECDs and let me tell you they are a sportsmans dream, no limit, no season, and quite tastey. I love to hunt them with my air rifles. There are 100s of them flying around where I hunt. They are very tuff birds and can soak up alot of lead, be it from an air rifle or a shotgun. I plan on hunting them this weekend if the weather is good enough.


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## bkelz (Dec 3, 2010)

i dont understand why utah even protects mourning doves. utah to me restricts to much on most of its animals or you can even harvest at all! from my understanding you cant even shoot a crow!? 

i guess being from alabama we are pretty liberal when it comes to harvesting animals.

when i lived in las vegas for a little while, we use to put pneumonia on the roof, this would either kill or deter those annoying pigeons. FYI for those with problems.


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## Rusty Shacklford (Oct 24, 2008)

Utah protects Mourning Doves because the feds mandated it. Just like waterfowl, any birds that migrate are managed by the feds and Utah has to keep season and bag limits within those regulations.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

bkelz wrote:


> we use to put pneumonia on the roof


Do you mean ammonia?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Actually if you put "pneumonia" on the roof it mite work also.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Rusty Shacklford said:


> Utah protects Mourning Doves because the feds mandated it. Just like waterfowl, any birds that migrate are managed by the feds and Utah has to keep season and bag limits within those regulations.


Very true.

North American Mourning Doves, the most harvested gamebird in the USA, are regulated under a treaties with Canada (1918) and Mexico (1936). My guess is the treaties were formed soon after the Passenger Pigeon was hunted to extiction.......The last of 5 billion passenger pigeons died in a zoo in 1914.

http://www.eco-action.org/dt/pigeon.html


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## bearhntr (Oct 6, 2008)

Like Rusty mentioned about the mourning doves they are a migratory bird thus protected and move so every one who goes out has a chance to hunt them. The problem with the ECD's is they do not migrate which keeps them in the cities and gives the average sportsman no chance at shooting them. The lucky ones who can get on private ranch land might get a chance around the feeders while the rest of us are left out in the cold. :O•-:


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