Dove Scouting

well, that sucked
all day, 200+ miles and we saw..............................

14

count 'em 14 doves on huntable land.

I saw more than that on my damn power line.

guess our plans for Sept 1st just went down the shitter.

Where abouts? Would be good to know what you saw.

I think a week ago, the whole state was littered with em. All it takes is more than one cool night, or more than one cool/rainy day in a row, and they start a movin out. From my experience, they seem ok if it is just one, but once it hits two in a row, they peace out.

I quit scouting for Dove a few years back; seems a cold snap always rears it's ugly head about a week before Opening Day and ruins everything I had planned. Now I just load-up & head out to shoot what I can.

up north, where we went last year (Pawnee area)

last year, lots
this year, utterly no water.
on private land, where there are lakes, tons.
in burnt toast public land, not a bird.

little draws that had water in them last year, this year, even reservoirs are just burnt up and nothing.

I'll be on private property hunting dove in the morning p dogs mid day. I need a good day!

Our neighborhood used to host mourning doves during the warm months. We have been invaded by the Eurasian collared dove and the mournings don't come around any longer. Unfortunately I don't have enough land to help control the population.

My dove plans are almost always foiled by a cold snap or two. I have 80 acres with a water hole to hunt at 6400' and they are very seldom around come 9/1.

Are the Eurasian doves any good to eat? Seems like they would be easier to shoot with their size(I'm not saying they are fat, butt.....). We are on 10 acres, but my neighbor has 20 with a pond and trees all around it. I will keep an eye out today. We saw thousands up by Greeley last weekend, wheat stubble fields.