Attn Brad Bortner

W

Worth Mathewson

Active member
Brad, I want to run something past you. For the past few years I have been in a small war with Brandon Reishus at the ODFW regarding the Eurasian collared dove in Oregon. I strongly think it should be a game bird with a season and limit. He doesn't. My reason is that wing shooters in western Oregon only have waterfowl and snipe to hunt. The ringneck pheasant, that once had a huge population were all but gone by the 1970s. With them went the mourning dove. There are still some doves around, but not many, and it is very hard to find numbers to base a shoot around. There are valley quail, but most are found near homes. There are both blue and ruffed grouse, but these are largely shot by hunters driving logging roads and blasting them there. Same with mountain quail. The bandtail pigeon has a short season with a two bird limit. The end result is that hunters that enjoy wing shooting, other than waterfowl and snipe, need to travel over into eastern Oregon for good days.
As I am certain you are aware, the ODFW tried to introduce Sichuan pheasants and red legged partridge in western Oregon about 25 years ago. The reason was to give hunters something to hunt, as there was very little else. The department spent a rather large amount of money with the effort. Unfortunately neither bird lasted.
So here comes the Eurasian. It came on its own, and didn't cost the department a dime. Yet they were ruled as vermin. Unlike the mourning dove, which base its diet around seeds, the Eurasian also feeds on greens, therefore making it possible to do well. Also during the last few years it has began spreading out from urban areas.
My contention is that if the bird was listed as a game bird, over time the population would greatly increase. Currently they are being shot in great numbers, especially during the winter months when they form flocks. I know one individual who with two friends, killed over 125 last November in two days south of Portland. I think that managed correctly, the Eurasian would offer great days in the field, like the mourning dove once did in western Oregon. And I am thinking about bird hunters yet to be born. I will be interested in your opinion. Best, Worth
 
Hi Worth,

Hope you are doing well. How's this weather effecting your planting? Hope you guys are not too isolated during this weird time.

You bring up an interesting point. Collared doves have certainly spread far and wide and you are right they seem to be much more abundant on the west side of Oregon and Washington than mourning doves. They don't seem to mind the wet and tolerate people well. As for your question, they are a non-native species so they are not protected under Federal law, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act so the Feds have no jurisdiction. I don't know what state laws apply for Oregon protecting the birds. I would venture to guess that they are not protected under any current state law and that the Legislature would have to authorize ODFW to manage the birds. If they got authority to manage them then they could enact whatever regulations that they felt were appropriate like other resident game birds. I know some states manage non-native birds that have been introduced. Mute swans is the example that jumps to mind, but the circumstances are much different. I don't think any other state is protecting and managing them. Are there people who feel that collared doves should be protected from overharvest? Are there people who feel they are agricultural pests? I don't have any idea whether the lack of protection has lead to harvest that is holding back the population. I don't know anyone who has done any scientific work on them either. My sense is that they are still increasing but I don't know if that is just what I am seeing locally or if its still happening regionally. I don't have an opinion on whether Oregon should manage them or not. I tend to think of them like starlings and English Sparrows, just a nuisance species that doesn't belong here. But I've only shot one whereas I passionately hate starlings and will go out of my way to kill them.
 
Brad, Thanks for your reply. However, I have to question your "they don't belong here" remark. Do you feel the same way about pheasants, chukars, and gray partridge? To a degree, they don't belong here either. Then there is the matter that the ODFW rules the Eurasian as a exotic, therefore no protection. Why not the other three? I am puzzled why the Eurasian is termed a migratory bird? They don't migrate. Finally, the recently retired head of upland birds for the ODFW also feels that the Eurasian should be listed as a game bird. Best, Worth
 
Worth, all of those species are non-native and states have chosen to treat them as gamebirds. How do you feel about rock doves or common pigeons? Egyptian geese? Mute swans? Mandarin ducks? All of those are naturalized in Oregon. Each state has its management authority outlined in legislation. I don?t know if they have the authority to add doves or any of those species to their gamebird lists without action by the legislature. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act limits federal protection to native species and those are listed in the Treaties. The USFWS publishes a list of those species; there are currently 1027 species recognized as being covered by MBTA. USFWS would resist being asked to add any other species without proof that they were native to North America.
 
They are considered an invasive specie in the state of Washington, as well. Even in my small, agriculturally based community, they are in relative abundance in town, but rarely seen out of it. I understand they present a better gunning possibility in Central WA; with them showing up with morning doves during the September morning dove season.
 
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