Any Dove hunters out there??

[Islander]

We shot our limit in 30 mins lots of times. fun fun stuff is correct.

It was probably fun to shoot passenger pigeons, too, but there'll be no more of that. There were 3-5 billion of them in North America, but the last one died in 1914, in Cincinatti.

http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/passpigeon.htm

http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/passenger-pigeon.html

[jacksonbart]

oh man

[Jay481985]

Ouch, Debbie Downer

[Professor Thump]

Then may 1100 with a full or my O/U 12 Gauge will be perfect!

[Professor Thump]

I bet I don't need #2's and #4's in steel shot either. YES!

[Gilbert]

It was probably fun to shoot passenger pigeons, too, but there'll be no more of that. There were 3-5 billion of them in North America, but the last one died in 1914, in Cincinatti.

http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/passpigeon.htm

http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/passenger-pigeon.html

Not sure what your point is about bring the passenger pigeon discussion up, but I assume your a self righteous conservationist. Anyway, I find it extremely difficult to believe that anyone would know where and when the last Passenger Pigeon died. Maybe you should have worded it, as the last one known to be in captivity died in 1914, then, that would be believeable. But seriously, who could possibly make such a claim to know where every single passenger pigeon was at any one moment in time.

But however their story ended, I'll bet they sure must have been tasty little critters.

Here's a picture of a little beauty I hunted in south america, don't remember what the locals called them, but we don't have them in the US. Argentina has hundreds of thousands of them destroying crops. Limit is only determined on the number of shells you buy. The locals come out and pick them up, clean and cook them..... yes, they tasted very good.

[winchester21]

Didn't mean to start a hunting debate- only to invite any nearby bros down for a nice hunt, some good food and a few cold beverages.

Dove hunting is federally regulated and heavily policed.Strict limits apply. 40% of the dove population will die each year if they are hunted or not. the impact of hunting in recent years has been a huge in terms of wildlife restoration. I could list numerous examples such as the wild turkey which was saved from extnction singlehandedly by hunted dollars and conversation efforts. Hunting fees and ammo tax have served to restore and enhance wildlife that many non hunters enjoy for free.

Do not understand what modern sport hunting has to do with market hunting slobs who killed off entire species for profit????

[Gilbert]

Didn't mean to start a hunting debate- only to invite any nearby bros down for a nice hunt, some good food and a few cold beverages.

Dove hunting is federally regulated and heavily policed.Strict limits apply. 40% of the dove population will die each year if they are hunted or not. the impact of hunting in recent years has been a huge in terms of wildlife restoration. I could list numerous examples such as the wild turkey which was saved from extnction singlehandedly by hunted dollars and conversation efforts. Hunting fees and ammo tax have served to restore and enhance wildlife that many non hunters enjoy for free.

Do not understand what modern sport hunting has to do with market hunting slobs who killed off entire species for profit????

Nor do I. I'm just tired of self righteous people butting-in and spouting off about subjects they know absolutely nothing about. [6][A]

[oldtimer]

I know they are called mourning doves and not morning doves. See them in my yard every day. I also know that the pigeons we have today compete with native species such as mourning doves for food and territory. Same goes for house sparrows. Idiots back in the day brought them over to this continent (see also house finches and starlings) and let them loose and native species get smaller in numbers every year.

[Islander]

I find it extremely difficult to believe that anyone would know where and when the last Passenger Pigeon died. Maybe you should have worded it, as the last one known to be in captivity died in 1914, then, that would be believeable. But seriously, who could possibly make such a claim to know where every single passenger pigeon was at any one moment in time.

But however their story ended, I'll bet they sure must have been tasty little critters.

There seem to have been some around for a while after the last one in the zoo died. From Wikipedia:


Last wild survivors

Live passenger pigeon

The last fully authenticated record of a wild bird was near Sargents, Pike County, Ohio, on March 22, 1900;^[3][13] although many unconfirmed sightings were reported in the first decade of the 20th century.^[14][15][16] From 1909 to 1912, a reward was offered for a living specimen^[17]— no specimens were found. However, unconfirmed sightings continued up to about 1930.^[18]

Reports of passenger pigeon sightings kept coming in from Arkansas and Louisiana, in groups of tens and twenties, until the first decade of the 20th century.

Yeah, maybe I am being Debbie Downer. Apparently intelligent people thought their numbers were unlimited back then, but there is much closer control over hunting today, so it's not likely a whole species would be wiped out again. Carry on.

[thebes]

" Nor do I. I'm just tired of self righteous people
butting-in and spouting off about subjects they know absolutely nothing
about."

Now wait just a gall darn minute there young feller. If you're a gonna start shouting while I'm here ta tell ya I can shout just a little bit louder .

Fact of the matter is, if everyone only spouted off only on subjects they knew anything at all about, this forum would dry up in a week.

I guess I'm kinda guilty for taking this thread to an unintended direction. Seemed to me like a dove thread on the weekend of the anniversary of Woodstock was a tad callous, clueless, or presented an opportunity for little bit of humor, or all of the above. After all we all know a bit about music and are expected to keep up on such things.

Got no desire to get into all the particulars , or rain on any body's parade, or be a scolding school marm. After all I think I've made my point in other ways already. Not a hunter, but I am a fisherman and I recognize a generous offer to a fellow sportsman when I see one. Now if you have a lake full of hungry bass that have all just happened to swallowed a cold beer in their 5lb large mouths, well I'm a payin attention.

So how are doves with bacon?

[Islander]

I also know that the pigeons we have today compete with native species such as mourning doves for food and territory. Same goes for house sparrows. Idiots back in the day brought them over to this continent (see also house finches and starlings) and let them loose and native species get smaller in numbers every year.

Europeans brought over some of their native animals and plants to make North America look more like home, but those birds, as well as some plants like Scotch broom and holly, are now well established in North America, at the expense of native species.

[Brac]

let's not forgot the things that were brought over with government help, and approval. The Malalleca tree aka. paper tree was brought over to "dry up the everglades" It has really messed up the florida eco-system, not to mention many people are allergic to the huge amounts of pollen these things give off. They can not be controoled, grow to fast, spread to well.

The God forsaken, talapia, is also a terrible invasive. Only they have convinced everyone this garbage fish is seafood.

But the best example of an introduced species is the Bofo toad in AU.

wait, what were we talking about?

[Gilbert]

" Nor do I. I'm just tired of self righteous people butting-in and spouting off about subjects they know absolutely nothing about."

Now wait just a gall darn minute there young feller. If you're a gonna start shouting while I'm here ta tell ya I can shout just a little bit louder .

Fact of the matter is, if everyone only spouted off only on subjects they knew anything at all about, this forum would dry up in a week.

I guess I'm kinda guilty for taking this thread to an unintended direction. Seemed to me like a dove thread on the weekend of the anniversary of Woodstock was a tad callous, clueless, or presented an opportunity for little bit of humor, or all of the above. After all we all know a bit about music and are expected to keep up on such things.

Got no desire to get into all the particulars , or rain on any body's parade, or be a scolding school marm. After all I think I've made my point in other ways already. Not a hunter, but I am a fisherman and I recognize a generous offer to a fellow sportsman when I see one. Now if you have a lake full of hungry bass that have all just happened to swallowed a cold beer in their 5lb large mouths, well I'm a payin attention.

So how are doves with bacon?

Your right Marty, your certainly right. I love fish'in too. Gonna do some this weekend, once I get my boat down to Texas. I'll be taking off in the morning, around 5am.

Carry on, and only shoot your legal limit. or in Marty's case, catch and release, but keep one or two for grill'in.

Marty, doves are great wrapped with bacon and a jalapeno placed between the breast... of the bird Marty, the bird's breast.

[Travis In Austin]

So how are doves with bacon?

Like Gilbert said, dove breasts (which is the only part worth eating, and it takes 20 to make a meal), are great with bacon. Heck, why BS, they taste just like liver and the only way to make them edible is to wrap them in bacon, slap on a jalopeno pepper, and grill 'em. Most with have at it like this and gnaw them down to the bone. I prefer to remove the bacon and the pepper, eat those, and toss the breasts to the dogs.

I much prefer ostrich over dove any day.

Travis

[Frzninvt]

Used to be one of my all time favorite things to do in the August - September time frame. A plug in your shotgun was required only allowing three shells. Limit was 10 white wing doves & 10 mourning doves.

They can duck, dodge and change direction making them very challenging at times to hit. We had them on our lease and on some land we had right on the Rio Grande in Laredo, TX. I started as a little tyke with a .410, then I got a Baretta .20Ga, and finally a Remington 1100 with all the extra barrels.

I had more fun going through many boxes of shells and did my own reloading for awhile. We would buy cases of the Remington 9 shot magnum loads and stored them in military ammo boxes. My dad had a gorgeous 3-piece over & under that he would tote around in a nice case. He was a crack shot and could take out the high flyers 100 yards up.

Went to McAllen, TX a few times with my father's state trooper friend where they came in swarms as Win described. There were a few pigeons flying around the big grain silos near the sorghum fields ocassionally I would wax one since they were tricky to identify zinging in and out.

Much more fun than quail hunting (blue or bobwhite) and safer since you don't have to wear leggings for the cactus and rattlesnakes.

Did alot of trap shooting to practice for the season but clay pigeons can't perform evasive maneuvers like doves can. Buzzards would fly over and made nice targets if there wasn't anything to shoot at. Those things are tough! 9 shot isn't very effective at great heights.

Great thing about being from Texas there was always something to shoot! Having an arsenal of weapons to chose from was nice too. During hunting season when everyone was visiting I probably fired every caliber of weapon there is. From a .22 short to a Weatherby .458 Magnum and even a single shot .50 cal. However, nothing can compare to the sheer firepower of the M-60 I had the pleasure of firing in Las Vegas at 550 rounds a minute cyclic rate. Taking out targets at 800 yards with 3-6 round bursts. (7.62mm or .308) It would move the buried railroad tyes in the ground when fired. Fun, fun, fun

Got the USAF Marksman ribbons with the .38, M16, and 1st class gunner with the M-60.

My dad would make the dove breasts in a slow cooked stew, I could breast a dove in seconds. In my crazy days I'd bite the heads off and spit them out before putting them in my vest. Mucho Loco Yo.

Have fun boys!

[winchester21]

The timing of this thread was in conjunction with the beginning of the season 9-5-09. Did not mean to upset anyone by the woodstock week thing. Fact is I broke out some old vinyl and reflected back on those days. I have pretty thick skin so bring on the humor. Some people do not like hunting and I certainly respect their views and will defend their right to say it.

The hunters conservation mindset in not to kill the last buffalo- quite the opposite- We would rather identify endangered game species- study and protect them until there are a small huntable population- sell game tags to people with deep pockets- take the revenue and double /triple/ quadruple the numbers by land aquisition and herd management. In a few years- there are plenty of examples for hunters to harvest and nature lovers to enjoy.There are numerous examples. We actually have a small elk herd in NC now as well as other states in the east where they have been extinct for years. I think that that is pretty cool.

Doves are challenging to prepare. A friend of mine is a Cordon Blue master . He does some kind or red wine sauce and they are excellent. Mine taste like liver flavored shoe leather. i give mine to my son-starving college student- they will eat every one I give them.

[Bill H.]

"Great thing about being from Texas there was always something to shoot!"

Wasn't that what Cheney said ?

[Islander]

I can see the point of shooting deer or the like in order to eat them, but I hadn't realized that people could make a meal of doves. They are pretty small. After all, it takes four-and-twenty blackbirds to make a pie.

I'm not a vegetarian and I realize that you have to kill animals in order to eat them, but it was looking like the pleasure was in the killing, not the eating, and that put me off. Sorry to ruffle so many feathers.

[Mr. RF62]

Of course there will be pleasure in the killing Islander, as there are all kinds of people. Some will say that its in the eating, and not the killing(save face).