Thoughts on lack of doves?

[MikeyG]

Pretty sparse on the east side of Salado just on the other side of Salado creek.
I’m thinking the Orange frozen Covid got em all.


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[nimrodajh]

We had plenty to hunt in San Saba county but not near what we were expecting. Best sunflower crop l’ve seen in years. Last time our fields looked that good you could stand in one spot and pick your shots all day. I just assumed everybody’s fields looked the same and that had them all spread out. Y’all got me thinking now because something was definitely off.

We also noticed nothing staying in the fields like normal. Mornings were terrible. 10+ hunters might kill 20 total. We’d get out about 4pm and not see a bird till 5:30-6. Then we’d have big groups (20-40) swarming everywhere for an hour or so then nothing. Hunted these fields over 20 years and never seen it like that. Strange for sure.

[Texas452]

The freeze hit them.

I agree the freeze took out a lot of birds, we found a lot of dead birds of different kinds after the freeze and I haven’t seen a killdeer this year. But he’s saying over the last few years,which I have seen the same thing. I even gave up my lease in the brazos bottom because of lack of birds over the last 4-5 years.

[BayouCat]

My only guess about the dove numbers, other than the freeze doing some damage, would be a shift in their flyway or they're not coming down this far yet.

[Big Lee]

Dang sure didn't knock down the mosquito population

[JES]

Hummingbirds also.

We are covered up with hummingbirds like normal, they even showed up a couple of weeks early. Most of these birds were in Central America, or wherever they go for Winter, when the freeze hit.

[Tykam]

Bird #s have been getting consistently, noticeably worse every year for the past 8 years that I have been hunting, south of Waco. This year has been abysmal

[Clay C]

I’m in El Campo this wkd, terrible hunting. I normally limit quick. Yesterday I shot 3 and the day before we combined 14 with 3 shooters.


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We had enough birds opening day that we should have all limited, but we suck . Saturday there were zero birds. There were plenty of birds a few weeks ago. I've been sitting on my back porch watching them pour over, then they just moved on. What part of town did you hunt?

[Flex]

You want good hunting in Central Texas. Hunt on a city limits area. Beat shoots ive had have been in areas that are against some city. Seems birds get everything they want in neighborhoods

Yep! Best spot I have had the last 6-7 years in smack in the middle of town. Unfortunately was told that it is selling soon, so this is the last year on it and will also mean losing the last private spot I had to hunt.

As far as numbers I think the freeze put a dent in them. I have been an outlier and had two of the best hunts in a few years back to back. But most reports around Waco are slow. And this is coming from guys I know with spots that normally crush them.

[jlp04c]

Few years back i was in Canada hunting waterfowl. Farmers were having heck with a "new to them" bird eating their grain... Doves, doves everywhere, by the thousands. Was told that they have never had doves to that magnitude, but it was progressively getting worse every year.

Maybe they are migrating farther north?

[Dale Moser]

People vastly over-generalize when it comes to dove numbers and patterns. I was shaking my head last week at all of the threads titled something like "And birds in _______ County??" Like dove just move in droves like locusts into a county. Truth is there are a dozen factors that affect where they live, migrate, roost, feed, and water. People asking about dove numbers in a particular county or town are ridiculous. You can kill a limit in 40 minutes on one field, and 1/2 mile away not see a bird....that's how dove hunting is.

I'm sure the freeze had some affect, not only on numbers, but on the trees in some roost areas. We've had a fairly wet summer, so all tanks are full, scattering them further. That rain delayed grain harvests in many areas, changing patterns.

I have to think those stupid mojo decoys have had an impact on harvest numbers over the last 10 years or so as well. I know a lot of guys who'd be lucky to scare a dove without one (or three).

[texan4ut]

I was disappointed the last three years I would watch birds at warp speed flying past me to get to the big pond across the road. My decoys would slow a few but mainly just hauled arse to water. This spring I had the old pond on my place dug out and with all of the spring rains it was full. I was expecting a few birds to come in for water. Didn't happen. saw 13 opening morning but only got two shots. Thursday and Friday I think saw 5 total. It was too wet in the spring this year to get a food plot planted but I will next year.

[Adgerc15]

People vastly over-generalize when it comes to dove numbers and patterns. I was shaking my head last week at all of the threads titled something like "And birds in _______ County??" Like dove just move in droves like locusts into a county. Truth is there are a dozen factors that affect where they live, migrate, roost, feed, and water. People asking about dove numbers in a particular county or town are ridiculous. You can kill a limit in 40 minutes on one field, and 1/2 mile away not see a bird....that's how dove hunting is.

I'm sure the freeze had some affect, not only on numbers, but on the trees in some roost areas. We've had a fairly wet summer, so all tanks are full, scattering them further. That rain delayed grain harvests in many areas, changing patterns.

I have to think those stupid mojo decoys have had an impact on harvest numbers over the last 10 years or so as well. I know a lot of guys who'd be lucky to scare a dove without one (or three).

bingo

ac

[ATXRaider83]

People vastly over-generalize when it comes to dove numbers and patterns. I was shaking my head last week at all of the threads titled something like "And birds in _______ County??" Like dove just move in droves like locusts into a county. Truth is there are a dozen factors that affect where they live, migrate, roost, feed, and water. People asking about dove numbers in a particular county or town are ridiculous. You can kill a limit in 40 minutes on one field, and 1/2 mile away not see a bird....that's how dove hunting is.

I'm sure the freeze had some affect, not only on numbers, but on the trees in some roost areas. We've had a fairly wet summer, so all tanks are full, scattering them further. That rain delayed grain harvests in many areas, changing patterns.

I have to think those stupid mojo decoys have had an impact on harvest numbers over the last 10 years or so as well. I know a lot of guys who'd be lucky to scare a dove without one (or three).

I hunting quite a guy with mojos this year. That is pretty crazy how they go right at them. Thought I was going to have to swing the gun at them like a swatter they were trying to land on me.

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