A few weeks ago, the Georgia 2021-2022 dove season began. The first session runs Sept 4 – Oct 10, with second and third sessions from Nov 20-28 and Dec 19 – Jan 31. Hunters may take 15 doves per day, and need to have a Georgia hunting license and GA Migratory Bird Stamp to legally harvest their catch. This week, lets chat a bit more about the doves hunted in Georgia and some management strategy for dove hunting properties.
The dove species primarily hunted in our region is the mourning dove, Zenaida macroura. Other names for the bird include the rain dove, turtle dove, and Carolina pigeon. It is one of the most abundant North American birds with a population of approximately 475 million, and its range spreads across most of the continent. The mourning dove does migrate each year, north in March-May and south from Sept-November. Some individuals do not migrate and are sustained by bird feeders. Doves are the most hunted migratory bird in the state. In a typical hunting season, approximately 20 million birds are harvested in the US, and last year, approximately 856,500 birds were taken in Georgia alone. These harvest levels are sustainable due to the dove’s reproduction- they can have up to six clutches of 2 eggs each year.
Mourning doves are medium-sized at approximately 1ft in length, weighing between 4-6 oz. They have broad wings, rounded heads, and long, tapered tails. Generally, doves are light grey-brown in color, with lighter bellies. Their wings have black spotting and their tails have white outer feathers that contract with the dark inners. Doves also have a characteristic crescent of dark feathers under their eyes, which are dark with light skin around them. Male doves have purple-pink patches on the sides of their neck and a distinct blue-grey crown, while females have more brown tones and are generally smaller. The mourning dove is known for its characteristic plaintive calls used to communicate between genders and paired mates, since they are monogamous and mate for life. The diet of doves is almost exclusively seeds such as rapeseed, corn, millet, safflower, and sunflower seeds.
If you are interested in managing property for doves, there are several factors to consider including field size and location, types of and management of plantings, frequency and intensity of hunting. Since doves are strong fliers, fields larger than 10 acres with a nearby water source are preferred, and surrounding agricultural landscape will attract more birds than forest or woodlands. When planting for doves, a combination of native foods and agricultural plantings can be useful. Crops should be planted in strips and managed to provide food throughout the year, such as warm season plantings in April-May, again in June-July, and cool season plantings in the fall. Doves do not like to scratch for feed and prefer little vegetative ground cover, so mowing, disking, or burning the field prior to hunting season is essential. Be sure to review the differences in baiting doves (illegal practice) vs agricultural practices that encourage doves to ensure you are following appropriate practices. Finally, consider hunting practices. Generally, you should not shoot dove fields more than once per week in season, with a duration of less than 3 hours. This will encourage prolonged use of the field instead of abandonment by the birds. By following best management practices, we can encourage healthy dove populations for the enjoyment of hunters and non-hunters alike.
If you have questions on dove hunting, regulations, or management of property for doves, please let us know at uge3181@uga.edu or 706-359-3233.
