dove cleaning question

[skeeter]

i know how to clean dove, but my question is WHEN do you clean dove? how long will a dead dove keep b4 it starts to spoil? do you throw dead dove on ice til its time to clean em? do you breast em out as soon as you find em?

[stuntriderant]

I clean mine after I'm done. Then put breast in ice.

[stablebuck]

I think right about the time you run out of beer and get too hot is about time for you to head home and clean the birds...it's a natural progression :-)

[skeeter]

I clean mine after I'm done. Then put breast in ice.

how long til dun? hour? 4 hours? all day?

[panhandlehunter]

They're fine for a few hours.

[ClayW]

Never had any issues with holding them for several hours

[Smart]

We start at 4ish and hunt til limit or sunset.....always take pics and clean as a group after we are done. Never had any issue.

[jerp]

I just put them in my bird bag as I shoot em' then start cleaning as soon as #15 hits the ground, it gets past legal shooting time or they quit flying - whichever comes first. I have never had one spoil even when they have been in the bag for several hours. It would probably be best to throw them in an ice chest as you shoot them but I have never gone to the trouble.

[friscopaint]

We clean them after the hunt, then again I'm not sure how you can tell if one is spoiled or not.........

Also, if you kill a mixed bag with collared doves you won't want to clean in field as any cleaned breast will be considered a mourning/white wing, that's if it's legal to clean in field at all. I've got my eyes on the sky after picking up a dove, not gonna take time to clean em then.

Now last few years we probably would have been in violation had game warden stopped by the house, all of us piled our doves on tail gate and had a cleaning party. That's not gonna change though, do the same with ducks and geese when we get to the house. Some clean, others cook, fetch beer, etc.....

[PapaBear]

I can't stand the taste of dove, but I love to shoot them so this year I am going to put them on ice as soon as I shoot them. you can't tell me they don't start to get real gamey after 5 hours in 100 degree weather. that being said I used to just put them in my pack and clean them when we got done.

[lubaseball]

They will stay good for a few hours after killing them

[79F250]

I've always just waited till I got home to clean them. Sometimes they'll be in the bed for an hour and a half for the drive home plus the 2-4 hours while huntin. Never had a problem

[GhostSkull]

I can't stand the taste of dove

Allegro marinade, split with jalepeno inside, wrapped in bacon...thrown on a hot grill! How can you not like the taste of them little birds!!!!

[Sleepy]

I can't stand the taste of dove, but I love to shoot them so this year I am going to put them on ice as soon as I shoot them. you can't tell me they don't start to get real gamey after 5 hours in 100 degree weather. that being said I used to just put them in my pack and clean them when we got done.

If it takes you 5 hours to shoot a limit, Id start thinking about changing hunting locations, or work on your shot… really, no harm meant, just couldn't help myself

[Winman]

Don't breast them......pick and keep all of the bird...
not much meat on the legs but dipped in cream gravy it is sure tasty.