|  TPWD News Release 20060814c                                            |
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Aug. 14, 2006
Dove Season Outlook Fair as Drought Conditions Prevail
AUSTIN, Texas -- Come August, dove hunters become creatures of habit; intently aware of silhouettes on power lines and pastures with bright yellow sunflowers. They track the bird's swift, erratic flight with imaginary shotguns.
Pre-game warmup exercises.
This year's dove call count index, which measures dove breeding population changes, shows a decline statewide from last year's surveys. Roberson cites continued dry conditions throughout the core dove range in Texas for the second consecutive year as the main reason for the drop in doves calling during the surveys, with the southern region of the state seeming to have been hit the hardest.
Biologists have been conducting roadside call counts each spring since 1966, driving along the same 133 transect routes and stopping routinely to listen for the bird's distinctive call, and this year's estimates are 18 percent below the long term average. Roberson said drought isn't completely to blame for decreased mourning dove populations.
"It's something that seems to have been going on for a long time at a rate of just under one percent a year and a lot of biologists believe it's habitat loss," Roberson said. "This said, doves are still an extremely abundant species and numerous flights of 12 to 40 doves have been seen around Austin late in the afternoon, going to and from feeding areas. Also, whitewings are increasing in numbers across the state.
"Whitewings are not impacted as much as mourning dove because of their adaptation to urban areas," Roberson said. "They rely more on supplemental food sources from backyard feeders and although the fields adjacent to urban areas will be just as dry as those in rural areas, whitewings should continue to provide good hunting opportunities this year." In 2005, the whitewing population in Texas was estimated to be 2.8 million
"If the drought intensifies and birds are concentrated around water, some hunters may not perceive a drop in dove densities," noted Roberson. "I would recommend hunters scout for birds using sunflower fields near permanent open water."
"Collared dove have expanded faster in 10 years than whitewings did in 25," Roberson noted. "A lot of hunters enjoy hunting them; they are a larger bird and good to eat. I equate them to rock pigeons; a good way for a kid to learn to shoot in the off season, but you have to be careful because they do co exist with mourning dove and Inca dove."
"We've banded about 1,000 mourning doves per year for last three years," said Roberson. "The return rates in Texas have been disappointing, less than 100 bands last year and only half of those were from Texas banded birds. The information we gain from band returns is valuable and we're urging hunters to call when they take a banded dove."
When buying licenses and stamps, hunters are also reminded to tell the license agent to provide the "HIP" (Harvest Information Program, a federally mandated survey of migratory bird hunters) certification required to hunt doves. Hunter education certification is also required, depending on your age; check the Outdoor Annual of hunting and fishing regulations booklet for details.