Whether you ’ re teaching a youth to hunt or looking for a sporty bird to hunt in early fall , mourning doves are a great sporting bird . Just be sure to bring a lot of shells along if you want to bring home a limit . If you can get 5 doves with a box of shells , consider it a success . They have an uncanny ability to dodge just as you squeeze the trigger . •
Most mourning dove nests contain only two eggs , both parents sharing incubation duties . The young hatch after only 14-15 days . After hatching , the young are taken care of by both parents .
An unusual substance known as “ crop milk ” is secreted by doves . This milk is regurgitated and fed to the young . As the babies grow older , they switch , feeding primarily on seeds .
While the Dakotas provide a vital nesting area to mourning doves , many doves head south prior to hunting season . Their southward migration begins on the first cool days of August with many being gone before the September 1st opener . Dove hunting is popular in the Dakotas , but more are harvested in South Dakota due to its geographic locations .
Compared to southern states , dove hunting is a relatively minor hunting destination . In states like Kansas , Oklahoma , and especially Texas , doves are one of the most heavily-hunted game birds .
Mourning doves are the most numerous and widely-distributed game birds in North America , and rank among the 10 most abundant bird species in the USA . Recent estimates place the number of doves in the autumn population at about 450 million birds .
In the Dakotas , most doves are harvested in September and early October . As soon as the first snow flies , most are headed south . With a limit of 15 , dove hunters in the Dakotas can have good hunting in the warm days of September and early October .
One of the best places to hunt doves is a harvested wheat field . If you can find a field with a dugout or some other water source nearby , even better . Sometimes you can see big flocks flying around wheat fields , many sitting on fences or high wires . Decoys work well if you ’ re hidden , and robo-doves can be deadly , although not really needed for good hunting .
The most recent harvest data indicates that around two million U . S . hunters spent about 10 million days dove hunting . The annual harvest is around 45 million birds . The amount of money spent on ammunition for dove hunting is staggering . Millions of rounds of ammo are purchased for dove hunting , resulting in huge economic impact . As a direct result of dove hunting , millions of dollars are made available for state research and management programs for non-hunted wildlife , as well as hunted species .
If you ’ re trying to manage mourning doves on your property , dove habitat includes trees in proper relation to open areas for nesting and roosting . You also need a combination of wild and cultivated seeds for food and a steady supply of water .
Whether you ’ re teaching a youth to hunt or looking for a sporty bird to hunt in early fall , mourning doves are a great sporting bird . Just be sure to bring a lot of shells along if you want to bring home a limit . If you can get 5 doves with a box of shells , consider it a success . They have an uncanny ability to dodge just as you squeeze the trigger . •
Chuck Dieter is a retired professor emeritus from the Dept . of Natural Resources at SD State University .
www . dakotacountrymagazine . com Dakota Country , September 2024 , Page 49