Dove report?

[Mfowl]

Anybody been keeping tabs on the dove numbers? Have these couple of rain/cooling events in the basin sent them packin already? I will be out for some scouting Fri/Sat just curious what folks are seeing to this point. Thanks! Have fun out there this weekend!

[Sandberm]

Doesnt seem like I have seen as many on the farm in the past couple weeks as usual. Tri-Cities area.

I often wonder if the numbers are better when there is more wheat planted on the irrigated farms. Not much wheat grown this year due to low prices.

[Evil_EdwardO]

I'm not seeing the numbers I see in previous years here in the Palouse in the areas I hunt. It seemed to thin out last week when we had a couple of cold days.

[Carl]

The report I got from the Yakama reservation ares is - it's not looking very good this year. 

[carpsniperg2]

Very low compared to most years around our parts

[Mfowl]

Thanks for the info so far! I half expect a down year since the summer weather has not been typical but I had not realized the wheat production was down too. I will give it a scout anyway and see what I can find. Good luck all!

[DOUBLELUNG]

Not seeing many mourning doves Chelan/Douglas/Okanogan counties.  Lots of resident Eurasian collared doves though.

[asmith]

DEAD!!  Saw maybe 6 high flyers around my area.  Will go out again this evening and give it one more shot. 

[Bigluke1981]

Numbers are down in our area but we managed to get a decent shoot in this am. Headed out again this evening. Good luck everyone!!!!

[Mfowl]

We had a decent hunt this AM. Not limits but still fun. Birds are around but no big concentrations on any public ground I could find. There was not much shooting in the surrounding area at all though. The pup has a limp so I won't be back out this evening. Good luck all!

[JimmyLee]

I went out this morning (Tri-Cities Area). We saw a few along the road and on power lines, but we never had a single shot. Depressing been waiting months for this day.

[HornHoarder]

From the sounds of things, I cant complain about todays hunt. Between three people we shot 24 birds.... Palouse country

[10mmg]

3 hunters took 30 birds in the morning hunt with plenty of misses. it was my daughters first dove hunt and she hit a double banded bird worth $100 according to the golden band. 2 of the birds I shot where banded as well but not golden bands. Numbers seem a little low this year but i have noticed that sometimes the opener is lighter than the next couple of weeks.

[C-Money]

My son & I knocked down a few opening morning. Was constant birds for the first 20 minutes of shooting hours, and then it was over. Gave it another hour and only got one more bird.

[boneaddict]

Very few compared to normal this year.....about 98% Eurasian..

[Call em in]

3 hunters took 30 birds in the morning hunt with plenty of misses. it was my daughters first dove hunt and she hit a double banded bird worth $100 according to the golden band. 2 of the birds I shot where banded as well but not golden bands. Numbers seem a little low this year but i have noticed that sometimes the opener is lighter than the next couple of weeks.

That’s awesome! Congrats to you and your daughter! What county were you hunting in?

[sterlryu]

Had a few shots at some stragglers yesterday in some public lands by George, but didn't hit any. Neither did the two other hunters in the field. Was down by lower crab creek today and surprised a flock tucked away behind a tree on a phone line, but didn't see any more all morning.

This is my first year hunting so was wondering if I was doing something wrong, but sounds like other people aren't seeing many birds as well.

[Sandberm]

I went Saturday evening to scout my spot and set up a little blind on my side of the property line from my neighbors weed patch I hunt over. I dont know where they have been hiding but there were probably 20 doves on the power wire with another dozen on the ground. Also I saw a covey of a dozen quail I hadn't seen all summer. Cool.

Got out early on Sunday, had gun problems, had to retreat to the truck to get the back up gun, a single shot 20 gauge for which I only had 18 shells for. I blasted through those in a couple hours and got 4.

Like I say, i dont know where they have been all this time but I saw a steady stream of them flying yesterday morning. I think I might try again this evening.

Franklin Co.

[10mmg]

3 hunters took 30 birds in the morning hunt with plenty of misses. it was my daughters first dove hunt and she hit a double banded bird worth $100 according to the golden band. 2 of the birds I shot where banded as well but not golden bands. Numbers seem a little low this year but i have noticed that sometimes the opener is lighter than the next couple of weeks.

That’s awesome! Congrats to you and your daughter! What county were you hunting in?

Grant County.

[asmith]

Well, I got 1 dove last night and 0 tonight.  Figured I would go check my turkey spot, since it's close to my dove spot and season is open, and got 2 turkeys! 

[bornhunter]

Well, I got 1 dove last night and 0 tonight.  Figured I would go check my turkey spot, since it's close to my dove spot and season is open, and got 2 turkeys!

Score!

[C-Money]

We had a great shoot last night. Did not limit, but we had a blast. There were a lot of birds flying. I take pride in being pretty efficient with a shotgun, but these little tricksters are very humbling! 

[digger13]

Got our limits Sunday evening and Monday morning but had to grind to get them

We were in Basin City area

Seems that birds were holding in the Russian olive trees and were reluctant to move in the heat of the late afternoon

Also noted that there was a lot of corn still up with local farmers maybe a couple of weeks behind schedule

If the weather holds with no big temperature drops, season may improve through end of month

[C-Money]

Glad you got on them Digger13, Welcome to the site!

[Sandberm]

Birds didnt want to fly this morning till the heat from the rising sun got them going, then it only lasted an hour and that was it as a breeze picked up. Got 4 birds on 8 shots. Pretty good shooting for me!

[jeffro]

I’ve got 4 using my bird bath daily
Neighbor would be pissed if I took them out

[Lady Grouse hunter]

PLEASE post a pic of these bands.
Also have her(your daughter) report them and she'll receive a USGS certifcate telling where that bird or (s) where originally banded. I harvested one back in 2004 and it came all the way from the EAST COAST!!!

[Lady Grouse hunter]

Ahh, no can do, got lots of Eurasian Collards here just have to get out of town...

[Alex08]

Ik this topic is a little old but just wanted to point out to those die hard dove hunters that if you guys want some of the best dove hunting on the west side of the us drive down 9 hours into Northern California find yourself access to any dry creek bed around some of the various cashews and nut orchards they have down there  and you will limit our every single time you go out. Me and my buddies took a 3 day trip last year and had the most fun I’ve had wingshoting any type of birds it is nonstop action with huge flocks of 100+ doves at once reminded me of those videos from Argentina.

[10mmg]

PLEASE post a pic of these bands.
Also have her(your daughter) report them and she'll receive a USGS certifcate telling where that bird or (s) where originally banded. I harvested one back in 2004 and it came all the way from the EAST COAST!!!

The golden band from 2019. Found out it was a local bird so the commute was short.

[Lady Grouse hunter]

10 mmg.
Great to hear this Your daughter is one heck of a shot! but just remember to report all bands taken.
I got a dove back in 2008, reported the band # and was taken in the Moses lake area.
Turns out is wasoriginally caught/netted & banded in the midwest! Saved my certificate & band to this day! I wear it every time around my neck lanyard every time I go out for any type of birds...

[10mmg]

All bands where submitted and the bands also ride on my duck lanyard. When newbies ask about the bands I tell them they are from a rare pygmy teal. 

[Lady Grouse hunter]

BUT WHAT IS "NORMAL"  A HOT year like we R Experiencing now. These birds have a time-clock and when they want to travel, it's TIME! too move...