AUSTIN - A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials are content with the 1,360 birds collected during two years of field research comparing lead and non-lead ammunition effectiveness for doves.

Public concern about the incidence of lead in the environment is growing. This issue has been discussed by the Central Flyway for the past five years. It is conceivable that non-lead shot requirements could be proposed for the hunting of all migratory game birds, including doves at some future date. This could have considerable impact in Texas, which boasts the nation's largest dove population at an estimated 20-25 million breeding birds and a rich hunting tradition that sees from 300,000 to 350,000 hunters take to the field each fall. Texas hunters harvest about 6.4 million doves annually or roughly 30 percent of all doves taken nationally.

There is also an economic consideration. Based on a 2005 survey conducted for the U. S. Census Bureau and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Southwick and Associates, Texas dove hunting has an economic impact of $316 million annually. Texas dove hunting produces 3,145 jobs in the private sector and $21 million in sales tax revenue.

Given the popularity of dove hunting in Texas, TPWD is conducting a study to determine the effectiveness of lead versus non-lead shot on dove under real Texas hunting conditions. This study was designed by an internationally recognized shotgun ballistics expert, who has designed over a dozen similar studies involving waterfowl and upland game birds. This research is supported by many organizations, including the Central Flyway Council, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Wildlife Management Institute.

The goal of the dove lethality study was to collect between 1,050 and 1,500 one-shot-kill doves under real hunting conditions. Wildlife officials need fewer than 200 samples to reach the 1,500 benchmark, but say they will forego a third collection effort this year after preliminary statistical evaluations and discussions with ballistic and university consultants.

"Statistical analysis of the existing data indicates that one more year of dove collection will not significantly enhance our understanding derived from the data collected thus far. Additionally, given the cost and effort needed to obtain a couple hundred more samples, we feel that further collections are not warranted" said Corey Mason, TPWD Dove Program Leader.

The study parameters call for between 5,000 and 7,000 shots fired. After two years of collection, TPWD has recorded about 6,300 shots taken by 58 volunteer shooters.

Currently, 500 dove are being processed (x-ray and necropsy) and approximately 360 previously collected birds will be processed in 2011. TPWD Program Staff anticipates producing publications on the study findings in the summer of 2011.

Doves are big game?

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Originally posted by Kamo Gari:
Doves are big game?

Everything's bigger in Texas!

quote:

Originally posted by Kamo Gari:
Doves are big game?

For shame on you!

http://forums.accuratereloadin...281056311#1281056311

quote:

Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:

quote:

Originally posted by Kamo Gari:
Doves are big game?

For shame on you!

http://forums.accuratereloadin...281056311#1281056311

Shame? Sheeit. First, in the post you refer to it clearly states that it wasn't exactly a big game hunting post, by loose definition, but it wasn't a write-up comparable to yours, about, say, crappie fishing... In addition, I specifically asked of the mods here that if it was inappropriate as far as forums, to please delete or move. Based on the responses and lack of mod action, it seems it was OK with folks. Second, if you've been to the fishing forum, you know it's not well-travelled, and I figured some might enjoy a few pics and seeing a bit about how no joke fishing is done locally. Third, with the nature of *your* post, what with an active bird forum, there's no real sense as far as I can see as to the logic to post a bird hunt topic here. Lastly, do I need a smiley to make it clear that I'm making a tongue-in-cheek post? Apparently so. Well, here ya go then. Pardon the delay.

I enjoy your input here, and you haven't ever struck me as being particularly excitable, or curmudgeonly in the past, but maybe I just never picked up on it before. Relax there, fellah; wouldn't want you to choke on your dentures!

There is a fishing forum?

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TPWD Program Staff anticipates producing publications on the study findings in the summer of 2011.

What do you want to bet they find that steel shot will kill doves, maybe not a well as lead, but they propose a mandate for steel shot?

quote:

Originally posted by Kamo Gari:
I enjoy your input here, and you haven't ever struck me as being particularly excitable, or curmudgeonly in the past, but maybe I just never picked up on it before. Relax there, fellah; wouldn't want you to choke on your dentures!

Excitable? Curmudgeonly?

Actually I was quite calm and merely laughed at your post, knowing how hypocritical it was. Reminded me of the adage about the pot calling the kettle black.

But see.. the reason my message was posted here was because of its logical relation to recent threads about lead killing critters, etc., As someone else already noted, this is the underlying subject of the research rather than bird hunting, per se. Sure makes sense to me.

Obviously it also is more appropriate than discussing captive killer whales or big snakes in this section, which you didn't comment on.

quote:

Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:


Excitable? Curmudgeonly?

Actually I was quite calm and merely laughed at your post, knowing how hypocritical it was. Reminded me of the adage about the pot calling the kettle black.

But see.. the reason my message was posted here was because of its logical relation to recent threads about lead killing critters, etc., As someone else already noted, this is the underlying subject of the research rather than bird hunting, per se. Sure makes sense to me.

Obviously it also is more appropriate than discussing captive killer whales or big snakes in this section, which you didn't comment on.

Whatever, Tony.