I am wondering about the Dove numbers in Texas with regard to the lack of rain. North zone is creeping up. Any thoughts / reports?

Going to be one of those ??? years. I'm in Midland/Odessa. We have not had any appreciable rainfall in over 300 days!!! Thus, we are relegated to the fact that all aspects that play into a successful Dove season are out!

We have no food, a poor hatch (due to heat and dryness) and no grains, grasses, or Sunflowers. The mid season migrants will stop by for a few days and then move on due to lack of groceries! Normally we have a good bunch of wild seed stock to hold our local and migratory birds - NONE THIS YEAR!

Our omly saving grace will be the Whitewings that have colonized the towns in the region - we'll get some play from them, but with no grain crops / wild seeds it will be a select few areas that will bring out these birds.

We're doing the rain dance this week...A good wave of storms would be sufficient to get a late summer seed crop going and might make for a decent second half of season - We're holding our collective breaths otherwise!

JW

I've seen a lot of "native" doves in West TX, but once the shooting starts I'm sure that will change. Anyone with water on their place will have a much better chance but there are a lot of dry tanks out there right now.

Dove update:

The food and water situation here in WEst Texas has hit critical mass!

With the huge cattle sell-off, folks are shutting off their waterings & I don't blame them. However, this spells disaster for our "country" birds as they now have to cover large distances to find adequate water.

Also, we have had zero rain now for going on nearly a year - There is simply NO food out there for the birds. This is evidenced by the fact that I have been feeding birds at my home (7 miles north of town) for the past 6 years. This year we have had to kick it into high-gear as more and more birds are coming in - they are starving to death! we have gone from a normal 20-30 birds in the AM of years past to nearly 3-400 at daybreak! No kidding it looks like Argentina around here.

We don't hunt at the house so the birds are safe, but suffice it to say, it is clear that there IS NO FOOD anywhere else!

We'll keep feeding until this mess is over - right now we are going through about 6-700 pounds of mix a month! Yes - you heard correctly - 6-700 pounds of wild bird mix a month!!!


If you are in a drought strickened area I ask that you out out bird mix - (Tractor Supply; 35 lbs. 9.95) and some ground water - this makes a huge difference and will help carry the breeders through the drought!

I will also benefit numerous other species - they're all hurting!
JW

In Irion Co. we are lucky to still have water due to our windmills and still raising about 60% of the normal amount of livestock that we usually raise.
As stated above wildlife is hurting due to lack of food and water. I have seen few fawns this year and many have died.
The dove are scares but I have some hope due to the tank water we have.
I am just crossing my fingers for anything this year.

I also live in Houston now and hunt outside around Hempstead and it is never great, but when we have water when its dry it does attract more.

Water is the key this year and if you have ANY food source it is a bonus.

Up here in the Young/Archer county area, many of the stock ponds have dried up an the sunflowers and dove weed are not in very good shape.

I wished TP&W would re-institute the "Afternoon Only" hunting regs.

Dove hunting in many areas has not been the same since those regs were dropped in my opinion.

quote:

I wished TP&W would re-institute the "Afternoon Only" hunting regs.

Dove hunting in many areas has not been the same since those regs were dropped in my opinion.

Interesting - haven't really noticed a difference here, but we do have so many birds iout hee in the sand....And we rarely if ever hunt in the AM.

From what I have experienced over the years is that if the birds are hammered both in the A.M. and P.M., they will leave the area early.

Instead of having 2 weeks of good hunting, it is one week and then the birds are gone.

From my experience, if there are any real numbers of birds in an area, it does not take that long to shoot a limit, regardless of the time of day, so there should be no real need for hunters to be out there that long, unless they are piss poor shots.

Also, just hunting in the afternoon allows the birds the chance to feed. get water and grit.

Crazy question perhaps but......would desalinization be a valid solution to some of the areas in our country being hammered by drought? I realize the logistics of pumping it to west TX but just pondering the long-term feasibility......

We have an abundance of mostly white wings down here in Corpus. Here lately I've noticed a large number of the Eurasian collared doves. I believe these can be hunted without limit.

Norton,
I think pumping desal to W Texas would be the easy part. We pump water from parts North down to C.C. They built a pipeline a few years back just for that purpose. The desal part would be trickier although with some planning and the cogen of electricity it may be viable.

I read recently that Dallas is looking into processing and saving sewage. AZ and CA have done this for a while now. I don't know why we don't do that already.

It is one if those subjects that keeps falling thru the cracks when it is brought up.

There is a lot of saltwater produced in west Texas as a by product of the oil industry. I don't know that any of them are still in business, and for a few years, there was an industry in west Texas of growing shrimp and redfish in the sal water ponds in west Texas.

There has also been talk from time to time about desalinazation plants along the coast but nothing has came of it.

The lack of a realiable long term water supply is the main factor why some parts of Texas continue to decline in population.

ELeeton, you are right on relative to the Eurasians - shoot er till ya drop!

Will be huntin the special white wing are in N Webb along the Rio Grade and along with the 20 Gr Citori will be the AR and the 1911 Colt fully loaded for the 'backs! Our place had drilled a couple of wells to make ready for the Eagle Ford drilling and we have water in tanks to the limit. tons of mourning dove but can only take four a day. some loma blanca and tons of 6' foot crawlers that love to snatch up a dove in the brush. works for me as long as they have partially swallowed the dove before I stumble on them. Good luck to ya'll!

Had a good opening day around Hempstead on the Brazos river bottom. We had a 1st timer pup out with us with a years worth of training and did outstanding. From 5-8 we limited out; though they started flying around 7:20 pm.

Going back to Irion County next weekend and crossing my fingers to see any sign of life after no rain for so many months.

Unless you are hunting near town, Midland Odessa pretty thin.

Hunted 35 miles south of town last PM, missed one bird and only managed 10 !!! That's the worst I've ever seen it.

That from a place my son and I named "L'il Argentina" just a few years back!

Crane county sandhills DEAD!!! (and that is unbelievable)

Just back from N Webb CTY/Lil Mexico! Had a very good hunt in the special white wing area. No problem getting our four mourning dove but had hard time getting enough white wing. The "blue norther" hit about one or so on Sunday and clocked several dove in excess of speed!

Always good time with friends in S. Texas.

I was supposed to hunt some sunflower fields outside Hondo this past weekend, but was told there are limited number of doves there right now. Possibly due to drought, or smoke from the wildfires....

Certainly hope things improve soon.

Hondo is a good area, depending on IF you have an area that is "harvestable"! Many of the commercial hunts in that area "get around" the no feed by simply select cutting of "feed"! Yeah, hunted it many times and will again but you are correct it seems the dove/drought are together in the area this year. The 10 degree Norther this weekend may help!

Supposed to be hunting at the Nooner Ranch on Friday and Saturday. Hope things are good there. Will have a good time regardless I am sure.

nooner ranch is allways fun, but i doubt any dove

I am fairly certain that the Nooner does the "selective cutting" and have heard that you may have a decent hunt. Food and fun for all, enjoy the hunt.

Since dove season and early teal season run together, here are my proceeds for the day. Have to overlook the retriever, he ain't house broke.

Finally found a stupid duck. One lone blue wing taken with the old tried and true lowly pond hopping method. Also managed a few doves and some frogs.

I have to work on that retriever though, he is a bitch!!!!

Compliments on your choice of adult beverage as well as mixed bag!

Ha-ha...Great mixed bag! Possibly the most unusual I've seen...

JW

I recognize that old dog. He is soft mouthed though since most of his teeth are missing.

Perry