Photo Phriday 120 - Collared Doves

We've still got chukar, hun, and bunny seasons open, but the hunting season is winding down. Not to worry! We've got an invasive species now that, in Idaho, doesn't have a closed season, nor a bag limit, nor any kind of caliber restrictions, and they are unsurpassed table fare. The Eurasian collared-dove is now in almost every corner of North America. We shoot a few through the week, and have quite the meal on Sundays.


They're a handsome bird, about twice the weight of a mourning dove, and just as tasty.



We whack 'em with the 28-gauge.



...or sometimes the pellet rifle.



They make fine eating, from the oven or the barbeque.



A 3-foot x 3-foot pigeon trap works very well if you want volume.



Anybody else taking advantage of them?
Jack

Looks like some good eating right there.We cant even shoot Doves in my State.

Same here no protection but I go easy on them I don’t shoot any in the spring and early summer months. They are a perfect size for cat cages that’s what I use a few for now and then. They are found here in towns or around farmsteads in the tree belts mostly seldom harvested by dove hunters out in the fields.

Jack, like you we shoot them when we get a chance and they are good eating. But around here it seems they like to stay in town as opposed to the fields that the mourning doves use. No limit on them here either.

Jack-

Could you share a good recipe for them? They are steadily increasing around here and it seems our Mourning Dove population is decreasing. I think it is time to thin them out. Totally legal here in Wisconsin.

Moosetrot

Nice shots, Jack. They looks great to eat. Thank you for sharing.

I haven't shot any yet but your post inspires.....

Looks good, we used to shoot and eat a lot of doves.

Smoked dove breast and cold beer are a delicacy!

Here now you can only hunt them during the dove season and they count toward your limit. For a few years there was no season or limit on them. Then they added them to the morning dove season/limit. Here is my youngest grandson with a morning dove. When it came flying by and I shot he said he got it. I let him claim it.
who know maybe I missed and he got it with his BB gun. I have had that happen with other hunters too. It is often the only bird they hit too.

good eatin' there

Are those collard greens in the background ?

I see a few here in the winter months. They must not migrate like regular doves do. Pretty rare around here.

We used to have a few around here but havent seen any in a while. Last place we shot any was on a farm that had cattle so they were hitting the feeders. So we would shoot them as they came to a pond to get a drink.

no dove hunting here