Doves in the area

[ducman77]

I was wanting to know if everyone has seen all the doves in the delta.

[mississippi_duc_htr]

Seems that the dove population over here in north Mississippi is been kinda dwindling the last few years. Lots of crop land has been set out in pine seems to have eliminated alot of the food sources thereby making the doves seek food sources elswhere.

[dedux]

You are absolutely correct!!! I've never seen so many doves in the Delta!!! It's going to be one terrific season here!!! And, the good thing is my sunflowers haven't even fully headed out, yet, and the doves have already found them!!! I guess they're chowing down on some of the residual seeds from last year, or maybe bugs and grasshoppers. Whatever they eating, they sure are flocking to my fields!!! I just hope they don't eat everything up before the season opens!!!

[Big Lou]

I have seen a lot of new doves arriving in the area. Our cut overs in Leake County are seeing a lot of activuty lately and we have not even burned them yet. The timber company is supposed to burn them the second week in August. This should make things really interesting after that. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] Good news about the birds in teh delta though I got an invite to hunt in the Morgan City area on Hwy 7. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[ducman77]

I was in a bean field on Tue. and saw at least 100 just flying across the field. I cant believe all the doves we have this year.

[ July 15, 2002: Message edited by: ducman77 ]

[ducman77]

BigLou,
I live just about 10 miles from Morgan City tell me where you are hunting and I can tell you how many doves you are going to have to hunt.

[timberjack]

We've got 'em in the hills too. We cut and rolled hay last week and two days later I counted 48 sitting on my powerline over the field. I've also been noticing more and more of those big ringneck doves.

[Greenhead22]

The past couple of years I've noticed that the majority of the birds in my area didn't migrate. We have had a lot of birds in the area for the past few months. I just hope they'll stick around for the season. We planted our millet and sunflowers at the right time, just didn't have any rain for a month after that. Dunno if it's gonna make it or not.

[Anatidae]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

"The past couple of years I've noticed that the majority of the birds in my area didn't migrate."

That's very interesting [img]images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]. Exactly HOW did you arrive at that BRILLIANT conclusion?....... catch'em and tie yellow streemers on their butt so you could distinguish which ones migrated from those that didn't? [img]images/smiles/icon_redface.gif[/img]

[img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img](This oughta be goooooooood!) Hehehe [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

I could understand some truth to that statement if you claim that the birds that 'raised' in your area just stayed there opening weekend, cause there wasn't a cool 'push' of air to move'em OUT (which typoically happens the weekend prior to dove season). But even if that WERE the case, how would you know that other birds that raised somewhere else DIDN'T migrate into your area?

I DO believe a person can distinguish 'new' ducks by observing their behavior and how well they respond to your calling and set-up........but am skeptical of someone who claims to have the ability to make that distinction with doves.

You must have the same theory about 'new' doves that you explained to me about 'new' ducks........that if their legs are dull, that means they've been feeding in that 'gumbo mud' in the Delta.......thus they have been there long enough for their legs and feet to be 'stained'........and the ones with bright orange feet just haven't been here long enough to have their legs 'stained', YET? [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] 'Bout how long does it take for their legs to turn 'gumbo' brown? [img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

[ July 11, 2002: Message edited by: Anatidae ]

[Greenhead22]

Let me see if I can explain this so even you can understand, OK??? [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] Only reason you're busting my chops on this is because you know me personally.

Two years ago we had thousands of doves, migrating doves. Tell tell sign of migrating doves, very small birds. Last year, we had a lot of birds, but never any migrators. The past two years they did not migrate anywhere, they stayed and nested in the area. The doves last year and this year are as big as damn pigeons. I've been seeing the same numbers of doves for months now. Also, migrating doves and local doves fly a lot different. Local birds here fly straight, migrators dip and dart, and are a helluva lot faster and harder to hit.

As for the new/old ducks in the delta gumbo, it's easily to tell them apart. But it's hard for someone who has hardly ever hunted in the delta to tell the difference, when it comes to judging by foot color. Old ducks act differently than new ducks, same way with doves. Basically I kill all of the old ducks in the area, and the only one's left to kill are the new ducks that hadn't made it just yet, and about 99.9% of the time they tend to have bright orange feet.

[Anatidae]

Thanks for clearing that up. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] 'Just wondering. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] 'Don't guess I ever 'studied' doves like that......'always just trying to figure-out which way they're going (once they enter the field), so i can get my gun out in front of'em.

Don't you think 'local' birds fly straight until they get shot-at which causes them (the ones that survive) to dip, dive, and dart?.....I just thought they ALL did that once guns started going-off.......At THAT point, would they THEN become 'migrators' by virtue of the fact that if they DON'T (migrate the hell outa there), they gonna be 'supper'?

I still don't see how you can distinguish 'migrators' from 'locals'....other than ,when they 'leave'.......and, how do you know which ones 'leave' and which ones stayed, but altered their pattern of flight?

As for foot color.....Horse 'pucky' + an elaborate and authoritative presentation = Horse 'pucky'! [img]images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]

Wouldn't you agree, that ducks' feet aren't 'dull' colored 'cause they been standin' knee-deep in 'schmidt' for a few days.....anymore than they are bright orange, 'cause they just left some cold-ass water they've had their legs danglin'-in, up North!

So lemme make sure I understand (since I have such a hard time grasping logic like this)......you kill ALL the ducks in your area (that have muddy feet).....then you don't kill any more ducks for a while, until some 'new' ones (the ones with bright orange feet) come along (that haven't had a chance to 'set' in the mud, yet)......unless you didn't quite kill all the ducks in your area(which would account for that OTHER .1% of the 'new' ducks that arrive, I guess)?

[ July 11, 2002: Message edited by: Anatidae ]

[Greenhead22]

Gumbo mud works wonders. I put my new truck in that gumbo mud last weekend. After I washed the mud off, my tires were solid blue. And they still are after a lot of scrubbing. Gumbo mud from the delta and the mud from louisiana are more unique than any other type of mud. Basically they screw up and discolor the hell out of anything that goes in them, trucks and duck feet. The birds that have been in the area for awhile are going to have darker feet. Newer ducks are going to have brighter feet until the gumbo mud kicks in within a week, or if they are lucky to survive that long. Two years ago when I was limiting out damn near everyday I hunted, I was getting alot of darker foot ducks. Towards the last 1 1/2 weeks of that streak I started noticing a lot of migrators coming into the area. And for that week and a half 95% of the ducks I killed had bright orange feet. Now do you see where I'm coming from?

[Anatidae]

Yeah, I think so. Like you said, I'm not that familiar with that area, but there seems to be a lot of things that are 'unique', over there in your neck o' the woods. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Big Lou]

ducman77 I will be hunting at Little Mossy Brake.

[ducman77]

Biglou
Hey are you going to be hunting with Rocky Leflore. He has a guide service on mossy lake. There are doves all over Morgan City.