Shovelbuck
Active Member
I suppose it is strange to see when you've never had a season before. It's been common here since the 70's. I like to use about half a dozen dekes like you've shown plus 1 or 2 spinning wing type.
AZHunter
Iowa Boy At Heart
Yep! Very popular here and in Texas as well. Good luck up there! I quit dove hunting several years ago when I realized I could be just as effective throwing the shells at them or swinging my shotgun at them like a bat, which are both much cheaper options because I don't have to replace all of those shells!
Shovelbuck
Active Member
I remember reading somewhere that the national average for shots taken per doves killed was 7.
AZHunter
Iowa Boy At Heart
I started shooting doves back in the 1950's, but haven't shot them in more than 20yr's. Thinking about trying to knock off a few this yr. with my 20ga flintlock. Now that I've moved to Southern, Illinois the doves are everywhere. There's a little pond across the road from me that my friend owns and the doves pour in there to water right before going to roost. Comes in the first of Sept. around here.
Shedaddict_2008
New Member
Hunt them every year. Have a farmers that plants and harvest sunflowers so i have a pretty good place to hunt. They are a blast to shoot and they help keep your quickness and shooting skills sharp. Getting more and more exspensive to do every year due the the price of ammo though. We have a couple guys that use the mojo dove decoys and man they do bring them right in.
m_kat
Member
Here is a copy of the press release, just wondering if walmart had non-toxic out for their dove loads......
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 14, 2011
COMMISSION APPROVES DOVE HUNTING, ADDS NON-TOXIC SHOT REQUIREMENT
DES MOINES – Final approval of a rule that will allow the hunting of mourning doves in Iowa was approved Thursday by the Iowa Natural Resource Commission which also added an amendment that would require hunters to use non-toxic shot.
The non-toxic shot requirement follows several discussions by the commission during the past year concerning the impacts of lead shot to the environment and on wildlife. Lead – or toxic – shot used in hunting can be ingested by wildlife. There has been a national ban on the use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting since 1991 with non-toxic shot for waterfowl being in place in Iowa since 1987.
The rules approved by the commission allow for a dove season starting Sept. 1st and ending Nov. 9th. The final rule allows the harvest of 15 doves a day and can be either mourning or Eurasian collared-doves. The possession limit is 30 and the season is open state-wide.
Commissioners added and approved an amendment on Thursday that would require hunters to only use non-toxic shot while hunting doves anywhere in the state of Iowa.
The decision to ban toxic shot for dove hunting was based largely on the fact that much of the hunting occurs over a small area which would increase the likelihood of lead concentrations being created.
“There will be a number of hunters who will be opposed to this decision, but at the end of the day, this action by the commission will help protect Iowa’s environment and wildlife from the adverse affects of lead,” said DNR Director Roger Lande.
Media contact: Greg Drees, chairman of the Natural Resource Commission, 712-320-0610.
AZHunter
Iowa Boy At Heart
Aren't the Eurasian collard doves considered an invasive species? I have read, I believe, on the DNR website that they are and could be shot anytime with out a license.
Eurasian collared doves are, in fact, non-native, and can be considered invasive. I can' speak for Iowa's state laws, but there are NO Federal regulations (Migratory Bird Treaty Act, etc.) protecting them. As someone who works hard to remove non-natives to protect native species, please remove any and all of them if you are in accordance with state laws!
turtlshell
PMA Member
You want to see a dove population worth hunting and the dumbest hunting setup I've ever witnessed...go to Weldon Springs, MO for the dove opener. Trust me, the ratio of shots to dove kills is a lot higher than 7:1...
Iowa's dove population is not that impressive, and I've never understood the "sport". I could care less if they were the #1game species in the world, last I looked Iowa isn't argentina...and I seriously doubt people are going to "flock" to iowa to shoot a dove...but I've been wrong before
Iowa's dove population is not that impressive, and I've never understood the "sport". I could care less if they were the #1game species in the world, last I looked Iowa isn't argentina...and I seriously doubt people are going to "flock" to iowa to shoot a dove...but I've been wrong before
bowhuntr311
IowaWhitetail Addict
MN has had a dove season now for 5years or something like that. I dont think I've shot one yet. I've been thinking bout it for a few years, more like pheasant style hunting instead of over a water tank lik ein the south.
bearcatbaseball10
Member
the non-toxic requirement made it that much more expensive for that 7:1 ratio too haha. I'll head down to Missouri again I think, and just catch their early teal season while i'm at it...