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How close can u get to doves before being detected?

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 For Collared doves-If you act like you don't see them you can get within 10-15 yards at my place. The instant you look like you're going to shoot, they're generally gone. If you find a place they go to perch and wait in concealment you can also get pretty close. They seem to be very wary of anyone or anything that appears to be stalking them.
 
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I regularly shoot rig neck dove around 40 yrds. I do use camo and stalk them. They are skittish. They’re usually in pairs. If you shoot one, leave it, wait, the second sometimes comes back around to check on it. It’s legal to bait them as they’re an invasive species. I have a numerous bird feeders on my property and they love to eat the grain off the ground. Good luck!
 
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At the dairies I shoot at if you are in a vehicle you can get sa close as you want. Walking around is different. The first birds to fly are starlings and grackles. Then pigeons then cow birds. Collard doves next and last morning doves. The time of day helps. In the late afternoon and evening morning doves are the last to leave the dairy. They sit in trees until almost dark.
 
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Based off my experience at the dairy I shot at few times for eurasian doves, the first few shot you can get under 20 yards if you "ignore them" until your ready to take a shot. After the first couple UDs are down, then under 30-40 they get wise and you need to either take longer shots or change tactics. I.e. Vehicle or wait them out a little. I would be very curious how a blind would work at dairy if the conditions were right. Has any used a blind while pesting at dairy?


 
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I've only been shooting pigeons and starlings ( and the occasional little brown sparrow ) at the one dairy where I've been shooting since late January. Not really any experience with doves per se but my experience is that:

. . . the starlings are way smarter than pigeons - they've been uber skittish from day one and I literally can't get within 30-40 yards of them typically - now that the weather is breaking I've been picking them off from longer ranges outside of the barns with my .22. ( I use a way tuned down - 8 ft/lbs - .177 inside the barns )

. . . the pigeons on the other hand: the remaining survivors are "the smart ones" as all of the dumb ones are dead. ( lol ) I literally wacked 400 or so of 'em the first two weekends I shot up there in the winter time. They would initially just move from one part of the barn to another - and I'd get 'em anyway. Now that their numbers have been drastically reduced - the remaining ones - they are VERY wary (lol) and they just flat out bolt - ie; LEAVE the barn and head off to . . . someplace else. I'm still picking off a few from inside the barns - I got 5 or 6 yesterday - but like the starlings - I'm getting more now at longer ranges.

Dumb ones - you can probably get close to. Smarter ones - or after they wise up to you - probably not.
 
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Theoretically, you should be able to touch their tails without them ever detecting you. There is about a 35 degree blind spot behind their heads, so if they are holding perfectly still and you can squeeze into that blind spot quietly enough, you can grab their tails. Practically? They know you're there. The only question is what they intend to do about it.
 
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