**Dove Season Count Down** 0 Days

[bronco1]

Opening Day September 1st

Start warming up!

[bronco1]

TEXAS DOVE SPECIES

White-winged dove (Zenaida asiatica)

Identification Tips:

• Length: 10 inches

• Sexes similar

• Adult similar to juvenile

• Large, chunky dove

• Fairly long, black bill

• Pale blue, teardrop-shaped orbital ring to eye

• Pale gray-brown head, neck, back, belly, and upperwings, with darker brown primaries

• Long dark mark on lower face below eye

• Purplish iridescence on neck

• Bold white wing patch, visible at rest, formed by pale secondary coverts

• Long tail is slightly rounded at tip

• Dark brown tail with white corners bordered above by black line

Similar species:

The Rock Dove is superficially similar but lacks white wing patches, tail pattern, and blue orbital ring of White-winged Dove. Mourning Dove is similar in coloration but also lacks white wing patches, blue orbital ring and has a longer, more pointed tail.

White-tipped dove (Leptotila verreauxi)

Identification Tips:

• Length: 10 inches

• Pale head and underparts

• Darker upperparts

• Long, squared tail with white outer tips

• Sexes similar

• United States range restricted to southern Texas

Similar species:

Mourning Dove thinner with pointed tail.

Inca dove (Columbina inca)

Identification Tips:

• Length: 6.5 inches

• Sexes similar

• Adult similar to juvenile

• Small, slender dove

• Black bill

• Blue orbital ring

• Pale gray-brown body is darker on back and upperwings and is extensively scaly (including back and belly)

• Cinnamon inner webs of primaries visible in flight, and occasionally at rest

• Long tail slightly rounded at tip

• Tail is brown centrally, with black edges and white outermost tail feathers

Similar species:

Juvenile Mourning Doves are also long-tailed and scaly, but have dark spots on coverts, are never so extensively scaly and lack blue orbital ring and cinnamon primaries. Common Ground-Dove is similar but shorter-tailed, has dark spots on coverts and is only scaly about head and breast, never on back and belly.

Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura)

Adult

Juvenile

Identification Tips:

• Length: 10.5 inches

• Sexes similar

• Medium-sized, somewhat slender dove with very thin neck

• Black bill

Adult:

• Pale buff-brown head, neck, breast, and belly

• Purple and green iridescence on neck

• Small black mark on lower neck

• Medium brown back and upperwings, with large black spots on coverts

• Long tail is pointed at tip

• Dark brown tail with white tips to outer four tail feathers

Juvenile:

• Dark brown mottled head neck and breast

• Scaly neck and upperwings with numerous black spots on coverts and scapulars

• Pale belly

• Medium length tail is pointed at tip

Similar species:

Long pointed tail is distinctive for adults, while black spotting on coverts and pale color help distinguish it from White-winged and White-tipped Doves. Juvenile is easily confused with Common Ground-Dove and Inca Dove, but is longer necked, shows a pointed tail with more white at edges and lacks cinnamon in primaries.

Eurasian collared-dove (Streptopelia decaocto) Intrusive Species, not a game bird

Identification Tips:

• Length: ? inches

• Pale gray head and underparts

• Thin black collar with white upper border

• Gray upperparts

• Dark primaries

• Long, squared tail-undersurface with black base and white tip, uppersurface gray with white outer tips

• Sexes similar

• Established in southern Florida and expanding northward

Similar species:

Ringed Turtle Dove similar and is best separated by its different song. Eurasian Collared Dove has darker primaries, more obvious white in the neck, is larger with a longer tail and has a grayer plumage. Mourning Dove darker with pointed tail and lacks collar.

[crazy_cajun02]

AND NOTE:

  The Eurasian Collared Dove is considered a nusence species and a nest robber to Mourning Doves. They have no limit and can be hunted year round. 

[bronco1]

AND NOTE:

  The Eurasian Collared Dove is considered a nusence species and a nest robber to Mourning Doves. They have no limit and can be hunted year round. 

True, death to the infidels.

[crazy_cajun02]

  I'll work up a Patrol order on em.............we can send out some recon patrols to locate their enemy camps......oh wait, just come to my back yard....

[bronco1]

Gettin closer.  ;D

[BIGDADDYDAVEHJ]

Yea those inca dove aka: mexican dove, you shoot one of them and get caught and youll be in jail!  But i cant wait for the rest of them!

[bronco1]

Yea those inca dove aka: mexican dove, you shoot one of them and get caught and youll be in jail!  But i cant wait for the rest of them!

Oh yeah thats bad medicine.

[bronco1]

Does everybody have a place to hunt doves?

[crazy_cajun02]

  figured i'd just sit by the squirrel feeder in my back yard.........

[bronco1]

  figured i'd just sit by the squirrel feeder in my back yard.........

:o

[crazy_cajun02]

  Late full moon in august might help migration for opening weekend. I am still seeing whitewings everywhere....Primer is itching for feathers in the mouth that's for sure.

[bronco1]

Less than 30 days. License go on sale Aug. 15th.

[BIGDADDYDAVEHJ]

Does everybody have a place to hunt doves?

No not really i used to dove hunt in my front yard but now my pops put up a feeder and now he wont let me shoot at all in the yard and plus its considered a baited field which is a big ticket....anyone want to give me a place to hunt???

[bronco1]

No not really i used to dove hunt in my front yard but now my pops put up a feeder and now he wont let me shoot at all in the yard and plus its considered a baited field which is a big ticket....anyone want to give me a place to hunt???

There are some public field in Winnie, when you get the Annual Public Hunting Permit for $48. And several more in Jefferson County around Fannet.

[BIGDADDYDAVEHJ]

i dont know about yall but i live in china and i have seen a large amount of white wings down here, ive shot them before but im talking about hundereds of them its crazzy

[bronco1]

Good deal I have noticed alot of birds in Dayton as well.

[bronco1]

Down to single digits.

[bronco1]

Any find best shells for the cheapest price?

[bronco1]

;D

[BIGDADDYDAVEHJ]

cant wait im missing school friday to go to my deerlease in ozona which is way out west and wake up saturday morning and shoot my birds i cant wait

[bronco1]

3 days

[crazy_cajun02]

  Now the dog has me, chompin at the bit.........I'll be sitting at my spot at        0-dark :30 to make sure i get it. 

[bronco1]

I do an annual drive by survey every year on the APH lands around Dayton.

The amount of birds has tripled since yesterday.

[crazy_cajun02]

your talking about the land just outside of liberty right?