Opening Weekend Dove Season
 

Anyone hunt over Labor Day weekend? Damn good hunt in North West Texas. Our group shot over 500 opening day.

:( poor little feathery cooing guys.

Seriously, I didn't know there was such a thing as "dove season." Is there an overpopulation problem with them down there?

There's deer season, turkey season, etc. - why wouldn't there be dove season?

I know people are probably going to jump on me for this, but I've never understood this (coming from the environment I grew up in) so I have to ask: why is it that some people get SO upset over hunting, but they have no problem at all eating meat that they buy in a store or restaurant? I mean, you do realize that those animals that you're eating were killed in a much nastier, less hygienic, and crueler way, right? In the grand scheme of things, what is the big deal about hunting? :confused:

/ends rant and goes back to eating the bird that her uncle killed

Because I didn't think there were enough of them to warrant a season. Plus, they're not very big. To me it sounds like "robin season" or "bluebird season."

Blackbird pie is tasty, according to nursey rhyme book.

I don't think dove season is in yet up here, but I can't go dove hunting. It starts way too early. And deer hunting is worse. You wake up at dark thirty to go freeze your ass off in the woods. Vinencen is good. So I guess it works out. I don't want to wake up though.

IIRC, the doves that are hunted aren't the pretty white lovebirds most people think of when they hear the word dove, they're more like pigeons.

Oh, okay, I'm sorry - I completely misunderstood what you were trying to say (one of the many hazards of Internet communication). Doves are a pretty diverse category of birds - there are quail doves and pheasant doves and just ordinary city pigeon kinds, etc. They're a really common bird in general, as well as being a common game bird.

Edited to add a word I left out by mistake, lol.

I have no problem with hunting, as long as it's not just for trophy purposes. (Mount your 30 point buck, but eat it too)

But as a Sigma Kappa I have to protest the shooting of doves.

Just on principle.

I'm missing your point. Are you saying there should be a "standard of demise" for the meat we consume? Is it somehow better if it's hunted meat?

As for the hunting, give the animals a gun, make it fair......now you might have something for ESPN.

My friend just went dove hunting. He laughed at me when I asked him did he "catch" anything...catch, shoot, whatever. :p

Well, everybody's free to eat whatever they want to, of course. Personally, I don't eat most meat available on the market. It's just my own personal preference, because of the conditions that those animals are raised and kept in and the way they are killed. To me, it's nasty. I guess it's "standard of demise" (I like the way you phrased that, lol) and the standards of living of the animals before their demise. I would much rather eat something that has lived a nice, happy, free life and then been killed cleanly, and that I know exactly how it's been killed and prepared for consumption. I am really particular about meat, for health issues and for ethical issues, and I would much rather eat hunted meat than standard meat from the store.

Regarding giving the animals guns to make it fair, what weapons would you give the animals that are on meat farms?

I know I'm kind of weird about this, I'm just really picky about my food ...

There are countless millions of Dove that are all over North and South America. There isn't a season because of overpopulation, there is a season because Dove are migratory game birds and hunting helps control the population.

For anyone that doesn't know, the Dove you hunt are very big....almost like Pigeons. Eurasion Dove are almost bigger. The breasts of the Dove (that you eat) are actually quite big in size and are very tasty.

Ahh, I was thinking of Mourning Doves like this guy.

http://www.stanford.edu/~petelat1/photos/modo-1.jpg

They wouldn't be worth plucking to eat. The Eurasian ones do look a lot bigger.

You obviously have little to no knowledge of how hunting wild game helps animals and animal populations far more than it hurts them. (actually it really doesn't hurt them at all.)

For an example, i'll use deer. Go talk to any wildlife biologist and he will tell you that you absolutely have to control populations of male and female deer...especially on ranches and hunting leases where the numbers are higher on smaller pieces of property (anywhere from 2000 - 60000 acres.) If you don't kill them over breeding occurs and you start to get severe inbreeding which leads to diseases and pretty gnarly deformaties. Most often on larger ranches (such as the one I have) you will have an extra "Game Management" period after the end of the regular season to just kill Doe (females). Usu\ually are target number is around 35 - 50 deer per year.

Mourning Dove can get pretty big....White Wing Dove are what you really try to shoot. Eurasion Dove are funny......they aren't in a whole lot of places and actually don't count as a game bird. (The limit for the two hunts that you can do per day during season in Texas is 15 birds) So basically if you shoot 3 White Wings and 20 Eurasions, you would technically only have 3 Dove that counted towards your limit.

Eurasions are right on the brink of actually not being considered a Dove....but more in the Pigeon family. They are damn big though and good to eat.

Do you prepare them like chicken/turkey/other standard poultry??

I wish there was a pigeon hunting season.

I thought we had a lot of deer around where I live in Georgia (a semi-rural area), until I went with a friend to visit her family in New Jersey. DANG. The deer are EVERYWHERE. All over the roads, in everyone's backyards, it's crazy. I was confused, because I figured there would be less deer there, considered it was a much more suburban area. Apparently, however, hunting is illegal in the whole state, so the deer population is out of control. The deer from all the surrounding states can even find refuge there, I guess. I mean, yes, deer are cute, I've seen "Bambi", too, but they also eat all your plants in your yard and are very much not good at all when you're driving at night (or, in this area of NJ, even if you're driving during the day since the things are so rampant - sheesh).

I like it when the boys come back from hunting because there is always something good to eat and they do the cooking. However, I do not like the funk of not showering for three days. I could do without that.

I'm bothered by hunting -- but then, I don't eat meat.

Also, there's a good solution for deer overpopulation -- it's called wolves.

There's a nearby college that has some 30,000 acres and for years they didn't allow deer hunting. Well, the deer have just swarmed the area (ask AXO Alum how many she saw there last December, lol) and they've come into our neighborhood and others, devouring plants and getting hit by cars and stripped parts of the campus bare. Finally the college is allowing controlled hunting. I could never do it myself but honestly, that campus is overrun by deer and you can hardly drive anywhere in the evening bc they all come out and stand in the roads. And stare at you as you try to inch your car past them.

If you don't eat meat and you don't like hunting, that makes sense. I've just never understood people who are just so shocked by the horrible, evil hunters, then go chow down on a double cheeseburger or some such thing. I don't eat most meat because I am not going to pay a corporation to do something to the animals that I wouldn't do to them myself (especially when eating the results is pretty much gross and unhealthy, IMO). If I do buy meat, it is certified free-range, organic, all-natural fed - the way I would treat the animals if I were raising them for food. I only eat animals that I would be able to kill myself (birds and seafood) - I could never look at a pig or cow and kill it.

Re: the wolves, I think I'd rather have hunters around my area than lots of wolves, lol :D Wolves eat people's pets ... :(

Dove are great for appetizers. Take the breast (which is still on the bone) and wrap it in bacon with a jalapeno and a small slice of cream cheese in the middle. Season if you want and cook on a charcoal grill.

Excellent.

Well, I haven't seen too many wolves around Texas or the South (doesn't mean they aren't there though.)

There are mountain lions and bobcats though on our ranches in West Texas and South Texas.....but they don't kill enough Deer to make a difference.


....and I can promise you, a mature 4-5 years old Buck with a full rack could hold its own against a wolf.


What bothers you about hunting....just wondering?

My parents live near a reserve that has limited hunting due to the rapid overpopulation and the fact that the wolves just weren't cutting it. I think my father and a friend went out a few times, but that was it.

I would rather have meat that was hunted or fish that was caught with a rod than farmed animals. Until I got to college, the only fish I ate was fish that my grandfather caught. There's really nothing like fresh fish--I can't even get it at Whole Paycheck. :(

My coworkers husband is an avid hunter both with rifle and bow. He is also a construction worker who doesn't always work through the winter so a couple deer help them tremendously. She tries to bring me deer chili or deer jerky but I just can't bring myself to try it.

It is very good.....and lean.

So one of my friends went dove hunting this weekend, and wasn't back in school today. We're beginning to wonder if he went hunting with Dick Cheney. :(

All those years that animals survived, evolved, and maintained a natural equilibrium before guns were invented are always ignored by people who use that as the reason why hunting is necessary.

And someone can have a gut ethical reaction to killing for sport and enjoyment much like most of the people that hunt have a gut reaction against homosexuality and gel heads.

It's also funny creating an analogy of hunting vs supermarket food in terms of humanity when you have absolutely no credible evidence and statistics on "pain" at the butcher shops. I'd be willing to bet that most people don't even get clean shots and no matter what there is pain involved.

-Rudey

Oh, so I take it you are an expert on natural evolution of game animals, animal migrations, birth defects, population control, etc. etc. Maybe you should come see what happens to deer populations when they aren't regulated properly, it isn't pretty. Same with ducks. Hmmmm I wonder why Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl are the worlds leaders in waterfowl conservation.......yet they promote responsible hunting. Because it is necessary in the grand scheme of things. People have been hunting for far longer than since guns were invented.

Yes, I disagree with homosexuality....and I think putting gel in your hair is for GDI's. I know plenty of people who don't hunt that feel the same way. However, my gut reaction towards people who criticize hunting for whatever reason (defenseless/unneccesary/unethical, blah, blah, blah) is that they are some varied form of liberal, over-sensitive, tree hugger.

Tell me why hunting is unnecessary....you obviously think it is.

If nothing else, try some of that chili once winter rolls around...I generally like any recipe w/ venison, but I prefer it to beef in chili.

Wow, that sounds REALLY good. Maybe I'll take out a pigeon or two tomorrow. ;)

Had venison many times, but I just don't care for the venison chili - maybe it's the texture of the meat w/ the beans & spices or something.

I agree....although Elk chili and jerky is damn good...just tastes somewhat different than deer venison. Deer sausage would be the way to go if you don't like the gamey taste of venison (backstraps and such.)

I have also made some venison peppercorn burger patties that are excellent and also do not have that gamey taste.

I never said I was an expert. You are not an expert in much, let alone this stuff. I am also sure that you know that animals exist in areas where they are not hunted and have existed for many years before man hunted them. Nature is pretty good at balancing things out and there are other alternatives to hunting to reduce a population. By the way, you hunt for sport and not to be a saint to the animals so stop pretending.

It bothers me that anyone would hunt for sport and fun instead of for food. That intent is important to me. Just like some have issues with gays existing and wanting to marry because of the underlying ethics and ideals behind it.

-Rudey

Sorry chief....I don't try to be an expert about anything on an online message board, thanks though for your input. Concerning hunting and fishing....yeah I would actually say I am getting to the expert level. I have been a fly fishing and duck/goose guide in quite a few different parts of the country for the last couple of years. I have also spent enough time working with wildlife biologists and conservation organizations such as DU and Delta Waterfowl to know exactly how population trends, breeding, migrations, etc. work and fluctuate. For deer...I have a multiple thousand acre ranch in West Texas and a lease in South Texas...pretty sure I know what is going on there.

I know enough to know that you don't know jack shit about what you are talking about. Yeah, I hunt for sport.....but I do it responsibly and within the established regulations in the areas in which I am hunting. I am not pretending to be some sort of saint you worthless moron.....i'm talking about hunting in a hunting thread. However, if you knew anything at all (which you don't) you would know that established hunting seasons and game management periods are put into place for a reason, not just so a bunch of people can go shoot things.

Who ever said that hunters don't hunt for food, just for sport? Unless I am going to get the bird or whatever it is mounted........I am going to eat it. Same with fishing.

Thanks for your time. You're an idiot.

If you want to have a gut reaction against killing the animals, that is perfectly fine with me. But you should realize that hunters (and their families and friends) do eat the meat of the animals that are killed; it is not merely for "sport and enjoyment", as you put it. The meat is also used for food.

And yes, I am going to argue that hunting is more moral and healthy way to obtain meat, should you choose to eat it, than this:

http://www.goveg.com/photos/cows/cow20.jpg

http://www.goveg.com/photos/chickens/chicken15.jpg

Than what?? Does that website you ripped pictures from condone hunting?

You have zero statistics and facts here and are just posting conjecture about what is and isn't moral, healthy, and painless all in an effort to justify hunting. So really you are not arguing a single thing as you don't have a single fact that you've presented.

You can eat the food, but you didn't go hunting because you were hungry.

-Rudey

Bubba-Cleetus, it's great that you can ignore the points I make because you can't address them and pepper in insults to help hide your inadequacies.

Again, nature hasn't needed people to come in and kill animals for many years before humans came into the same environment and it still doesn't in many of the ecosystems around the world where humans are scarce. But keep insulting me and sounding like a boob.

Good luck being a lawyer with your ambitions of getting into a fourth tier school. Of course if it doesn't work out you can be a park ranger as you are an expert on wildlife, you can become a pro hunter/fisher, you can ride donkeys on your "Ranch", or you can run your pops' lube company.

-Rudey

I'm not sure if I"m still on ignore to you or not, but whatever.

Before people came in and started hunting, there were natural predators. And before Europeans came here, there were Native Americans hunting prey for, oh i don't know probably thousands of years.

We killed the wolves. The wolves no longer eat the deer which overpopulate and strip fields, trees and grass... they spread disease because there's no one bringing down the sick ones.. the circle of life is broken. Hunting is replacing the extinct predators with human ones.

Make sense?

I'd ask for support for your assertion that hunting is necessary in the grand scheme of things, but if you're going to engage in personal attacks, I don't see the point of discussing the issue with you.