Eurasain collared doves

[Flint50]

They showed up here in Colorado Springs last year, and now seem to be everywhere here. We even have a late season (Dec 1-thru end of Feb) as they are year-round residents. A friend in Flagstaff Az. says they are there now too.

Anyone else see them? and where?

 

[biliff]

I remember shooting 'em in Hawaii back in the early 80's. Haven't seen 'em anywhere else.

 

[wtilenw]

We have them here too. Showed up last year I believe. They are classified as nongame birds and can be hunted all year with no limit.
Idaho PRB

 

[Flint50]

Wow Idaho, now I feel cheated. I have a CVA 12Ga sxs that I love to wing shoot with. Year-round would be great. :v

 

All over the place down here. NM has an open season and unlimited bag on them. They are really common in towns but currently less so out of towns. That will likely change with time.

Sean

 

[50flinter]

We have them in Yuma,AZ. No season or bag limits on them. Too bad I only see them in people's yards and not in any fields.

 

[NMRog]

They started showing up here in Gallup, NM about 4 years ago and now they are thick in town, but I have yet to see one out in field when hunting.

 

[Joel Lehman]

We have them all over central and south Texas. There is no season for them. They can be hunted year round. I see them all the time in Wal Mart parking lots.

 

[redwing]

They showed up here last spring. I thought they would leave with the first snow. We had a blizzard last night. Well they were out in force this morning picking thru snow for food.
I don't know yet how the Wyoming G&F will class them. Does anyone know how they got here? Like Sean said I only see them around populated areas.

 

[GreyWhiskers]

I had a couple pair hanging around the water troughs last summer. There's still one pair here. They are big birds and remind me of wild pigeons. California has no bag limit on them but I believe they have to be hunted during the normal season. GW

 

[pmwest]

I’ve seen them around here for 10-12 years. Rarely see them outside of town. No season/no limit but if you are on a dove hunt you can not continue to hunt after you have a bag limit of dove.

 

[NMRog]

I have a friend who use to own a pet store that specialized in bird's. He told me they were imported to be sold as pets (low dollar one's).

When they first started showing up here, I googled them and read on some websight that during one of the hurricanes a few years back, several survived and escaped from pet store's in Florida and have been spreading across the U.S. every since.

Here in NM there is no limit but they have to be hunted during the regular dove season. But, since you can't discharge a firearm in the city limit's, the only way to get them is with a pellet gun. I havent tried that yet (and dont own a pellet gun) but I am seriously thinking about it. I have about 3 dozen of the things that took up permanent residence on my propery last spring, eating the food for out outside pets and sh**ing all over the place. We have had 3 hard frosts in the past week and they are still here.

 

[PreglerD]

Hello from Germany,

how does these birds look like?

Kirrmeister

 

Actually, the current thought on how they are spreading across America is that they are a low cost alternative to turtle doves to be released at weddings. This practice is particularly popular in Hispanic weddings and the Breeding Bird Survey data reflects this as they commonly found around and are spreading outward from centers of Hispanic populations.

Kirmister, they look like a mourning dove with a short blunt tail and a black 1/2 collar across the back of their neck.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Eurasian_Collared-Dove.html

Sean

 

[PreglerD]

Thanks form the pic!

I guessed that it is this dove. In Germany it is called "Türkentaube" = Turkish dove.
They use to live here in parks and big gardens and there are many of them. but because of their habitat difficult to hunt because at this places hunting is forbidden.We use to hunt them with shotguns.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[Darkhorse]

We have them here in Georgia too. There is at least one pair that regularly nest in the eaves of my barn and outbuildings. No limit. They are not classied as a game bird here.
They are spreading. I live 8 miles from town. Don't know how they taste yet. The wife thinks we operate a refuge for everything but snakes.

 

[longcruise]

Anyone else see them? and where?

flint50, my grandson shot one along the platte near ft morgan two winters ago. They say they like to hang around farmers grain silos for the spilled grain.

It was cold and snowy that day but those doves were flying around like mourning doves in August!

What I read somewhere is that they came into the country from the Bahamas via Florida.

I'm good with having doves to hunt in the winter!! :grin:

 

[Flint50]

Me Too!! :thumbsup: