Wind Turbines and Dove Migration

[BrandonA]

Over the last few years we have seen a huge increase in Wind Turbines in Mills County especially Est of 183 and North of Goldthwaite. During this same time we have noticed a significant reduction in dove numbers. A few weeks ago after a rodeo clinic I was sitting around with several area ranchers having a lunch and a group of 7-8 dove flew overhead and everybody got excited. Which brought on the conversation of lack of dove. The conclusion was that outside resident birds very little migratory birds to be had. All agreed lack of numbers are in timing with when the Turbines started showing up. Has anybody experienced similar scenarios?

Interesting side note, One of the students dad maintains them and he did say he believes it affect the flight path and one reason more birds aren't killed.

[tbgascorer]

Hey Brandon. We are in northern Mills between Mullin and Priddy. Turbines all around us. We have never had many birds during September/October, even prior to the turbines. We do get a good number of birds during December/January at times but are too busy deer hunting to mess with them. We do bird hunt early but are lucky to get a handful, despite a lot of farming around. I have not seen a noticeable difference with or without the wind turbines.

[Dale Moser]

I think the mourning dove migration decline has more to do with the influx of whitewings and collared dove than wind turbines.

But I hate wind turbines anyway.

[Bowtech1233]

We hunt in the panhandle and have seen tons of wind turbines go up all around. Can’t say we’ve seen a decrease in numbers.

[MadHatter]

Hunt in SW Oklahoma.
Been 100s of turbines for the last 7-8 yrs.
We've noticed no difference.

[simek]

Interesting question, Brandon. I don't have a specific answer, but dove numbers are trending downward in the Central Management Unit. See this document for further detail.

From the abstract: This report summarizes information collected annually in the U.S. on survival, recruitment, abundance and harvest of mourning doves. Trends in the number of doves heard and seen per route from the all-bird Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) are reported, and absolute abundance estimates based on band recovery and harvest data are provided. Harvest and hunter participation are estimated from the Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP). BBS data suggested that the abundance of mourning doves over the last 52 years increased in the Eastern Management Unit (EMU) and decreased in the Central (CMU) and Western (WMU) Management Units.

[kcnatural]

Hey Brandon. We are in northern Mills between Mullin and Priddy. Turbines all around us. We have never had many birds during September/October, even prior to the turbines. We do get a good number of birds during December/January at times but are too busy deer hunting to mess with them. We do bird hunt early but are lucky to get a handful, despite a lot of farming around. I have not seen a noticeable difference with or without the wind turbines.

I agree with this, we are 12 miles out east of town. Probably 1 out of 5 years dove are good on our place. Has been this way long before wind turbines were put up.

[Lone_Wolf]

We've seen a major decrease in numbers in Hill County. We used to be covered up in birds and the past 10-15 years theirs been a noticeable decline. Can't attribute it to windmills. We also have noticed a lot of birds in December/January that weren't previously down in the past. Last year was the first year we actually hunted them some, we were out duck hunting and noticed a ton of dove flying and I had some dove load in the truck so we switched gears. No doubt more dove in the second split.

[TROOPER]

Hunt in Vernon area and have seen a huge decrease in doves and ducks since the windmills have showed up. Could be something else but sure makes a person wonder.

[Artos]

Probably just your area...I drove all over WM territory for 4 years & saw plenty of birds.

[RattlesnakeDan]

When they first put up wind turbines in Colorado where I antelope hunted I spent some time talking to some guys out there. They were counting dead birds to see the effects of turbines in the area. They were up to about 1500 dead birds in one area. I was a little surprised there were that many. Will birds wise up and learn to go around those areas, I assume to a point they will but birds are only so smart. Those blade tips are going about 200 mph.

[tpack]

I live in the Huckabay area and can see numerous wind turbines west of my house by less than 5 miles. We have a large population of huge white wing dove in the area and haven`t seen many morning dove so far this year.

[doghouse]

It's been many years since I have seen migrating dove on our places in Mills county, long before the wind turbines. Some years we have enough local doves to hunt for a weekend are two.

[Playa]

Interesting question. I know the turbine fields S of Post create enough turbulence to appear like a small thunderstorm on radar. So I would think that turbulence could impact flights.

But we have many wind farms in the panhandle and I can’t say I’ve noticed any difference in bird numbers and I hunt in close proximity to 2 separate fields in Crosby, Floyd and Hale county.

I also hunt Coleman county and in our part of the county dove numbers suck.... but they have always sucked so birds don’t seem to be getting to dispersed to nearby counties

[Hart8]

I dunno anything about turbine's,and such..But a good friend of my family's(passed away a few years ago)
He said,"a cold rain in Kansas,is the only thing that'll push millions of dove's South".Not cold weather..Cold rain..Something along the lines,that they all had to kinda leave the state at the same time,to actually pick lanes..
Our best dove hunts(big northern birds)have been in mid October.
He raised millions of quail,and sold bird dogs all over the country.Man knew more about bird hunting,than anybody I'll ever know.

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