The morning doves have moved in to my place. Every morning there are from 50 to 300 of them on the house, in the garden, setting on the fences, all over the roof, and in the trees over my pickup. They do this every year. They even have the audacity to set on my targets in front of my shooting bench. This morning they start paying RENT! Tonight it's morning dove sautéed and garden squash.
Paying Rent
- Thread starter Kitplanenut
- Start date
Amen, Kitplanetnut! I started charging the grackles at my place & the doves & squirrels are next!
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Can beat when fresh meals come to you.... in numbers. Hek, grocery stores are starting to charge 10 cents a bag where bagging doves is free 
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Haven't seen too much of any of'em around here since I started up again with air rifles last July?...
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I know what you mean unionrdr as soon as I got my escape everything seems to have left my yard. Thankfully I was able to get a few shots in.
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Well, they are called Mourning Doves and it's illegal to hunt them with a pellet gun in the U.S. and I believe that applies to Canada and Mexico as well.
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There are several species of dove in the US. Eurasian and African collared doves are considered invasive pests and can be taken with air rifles (at least in some states) with no season or bag limit.
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outdoorman. Respectfully, your wrong. There are seasons on morning doves and the regs I just looked at say to be SURE and leave feathers on collard doves in the field so they can be identified and not count against your bag limit.
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Yes, you can hunt Mourning Doves during season but not with an air gun. Show me a regulation that says you can.
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In some states there is no season for mourning doves . There is no season for them here in Michigan .
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Mourning Doves are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. From the Code of Federal Regulations Title 50 part 20:
§ 20.21 What hunting methods are illegal?
Migratory birds on which open seasons are prescribed in this part may be taken by any method except those prohibited in this section. No persons shall take migratory game birds:
(a) With a trap, snare, net,rifle, pistol, swivel gun, shotgun larger than 10 gauge, punt gun, battery gun, machinegun, fish hook, poison, drug, explosive, or stupefying substance;
(b) With a shotgun of any description capable of holding more than three shells, unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler, incapable of removal without disassembling the gun, so its total capacity does not exceed three shells;
§ 20.21 What hunting methods are illegal?
Migratory birds on which open seasons are prescribed in this part may be taken by any method except those prohibited in this section. No persons shall take migratory game birds:
(a) With a trap, snare, net,rifle, pistol, swivel gun, shotgun larger than 10 gauge, punt gun, battery gun, machinegun, fish hook, poison, drug, explosive, or stupefying substance;
(b) With a shotgun of any description capable of holding more than three shells, unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler, incapable of removal without disassembling the gun, so its total capacity does not exceed three shells;
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Outdoor man is correct. It is illegal to take mourning dove using an air rifle. In some cases you can obtain a permit allowing the use of an air rifle, however, this is done on a case-by-case basis. Most often it is allowed on farmland when a firearm would not be practical because of livestock and buildings.
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In California at least, the regs require careful reading. I also was under the false impression that Mourning Dove was legal game for airguns. In the upland game regs mourning doves are listed but there's no mention of airguns being prohibited. You have to refer to the migratory game regs to access that information.
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After perusing several air gun forums and youtube, it is apparent that many airgunners are unaware, or simply don't care, that hunting Mourning Doves with an air gun is illegal (in the U.S.).
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Ted Bier (Ted's Holdover) obtained a permit to take mourning dove using an air rifle. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of this fact. As a rule, if there is no season listed; it is NOT legal to hunt. If air guns are not listed as a legal method of take; they are NOT legal to use.
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This could be one of those big debates that don't settle anything and are a waste of time. Permits can be had to take morning doves with an airgun. Also land owners have a lot of leeway within the regulations. As far as I'm concerned, morning doves nest all over my farm and raise their young in the spring. When they show up in droves in the fall and I decide dove dinner is in order I don't care if I shoot 4 of them with my airgun or my shotgun. I've done more to promote and protect them by eliminating the dozens of feral house cats that travel the drainage ditch on my farm then you can imagine. At one time the cats, skunks and foxes completely wiped out the pheasant, quail and dove population. When I brought this up with the fish and game department they told me there were NO foxes, cats and skunks. Fish and game couldn't manage a gold fish in a bowl on their desk. BUT, that's just my rant and my opinion in my little part of the world.
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It is fact that Morning doves are a migratory bird and fall under Federal Regulation. As stupid as it sounds, it can be a Class C felony to violate migratory bird regulations. Although I hardly doubt that you will be hauled off to jail for shooting a dove with a pellet gun, if you piss the wrong officer off, he could in fact, take your gun, impound your truck, and put you in jail. Thanks Gamyrick for the tip as I would love to hunt doves with an Air rifle. In New Mexico it is legal to shoot collared- doves and there is no season or bag limit. My advise is to know your state regulations. I hardly think that the DNR are looking for the airgunner popping all those doves but, if you came across the "wrong" officer, he/she could make you have a bad day.
If I am asked what I shot my doves with, I always say, " #7 shot heavy trap loads really reach out there"!
[url="http://i.imgur.com/yxck93t.jpg"][img]http://i.imgur.com/yxck93t.jpg[/img][/url]
If I am asked what I shot my doves with, I always say, " #7 shot heavy trap loads really reach out there"!
[url="http://i.imgur.com/yxck93t.jpg"][img]http://i.imgur.com/yxck93t.jpg[/img][/url]
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