Dove question?

Fear not, you aren't eating the feathers! Probably just a color phase. I will start looking here in delawhere.[w00t]
 
Mike
It looks completely normal. There is a wide variation in the iridescent of the feathers. That one just is on the end of the spectrum.
 

I'm no expert, but as a resident of PA have hunted doves from 1963, until 2010, when I moved to the "NO DOVE HUNTING" state of NY.

From what I see in your photos.

The bird is a Male Mourning Dove. Males are always more colorful than the female, when mature. A good look at the head of the bird also tells, male, or female.

IMO a mature Male, and very a good study bird for decoy carvers.


As I've post prior.

I would call Sept. Doves, lessers, and late season Doves, greaters, due to weight and plumage. Experts tend to break it down differently, some with much longer terms.


If you like to read, and learn about Doves, I recommend -

THE DOVE SHOOTERS HANDBOOK by Dan M. Russell

DOVE HUNTING by Charley Dickey

Some of the info in the books is dated, but both carry a wealth of knowledge about Doves you will not find elsewhere.


I wake up to the call of Mourning Doves, 9 months out of the year. Watch them very closely, and feed them daily.

To say I miss Dove hunting is a understatement.


Best regards
Vince
 
A fine looking bird. I wish I had looked closer at the "bull" dove I harvested the other day, but I think it had a similar blue tint. I guess I will have to get out and collect a few more specimens from WA state for comparison. Right now my spot is all smoked out with fires though.
 
Yep, a prime mature male.Some are just more colorful than others.
 
I am guessing it was around 30 some years ago I was dove hunting in Virginia and about 4-5 doves buzzed me in a corn field I was hunting. I noticed one appeared to be an orange color. I shot it and sure enough it had been dipped in an orange dye. It was also banded. I assume that the banded ones got a makeover with the dye to draw your attention to them so they could make sure the data was collected. I got some ribbing from my companions that I could not tell a dove from a parrot.

A friend shot a banded dove yesterday but it was on a gray bird with no dye job. I don't know how common the dying of dove was but that one I shot was the only one I have ever heard of that was dyed like that.
 
JC Cross said:
I am guessing it was around 30 some years ago I was dove hunting in Virginia and about 4-5 doves buzzed me in a corn field I was hunting. I noticed one appeared to be an orange color. I shot it and sure enough it had been dipped in an orange dye. It was also banded. I assume that the banded ones got a makeover with the dye to draw your attention to them so they could make sure the data was collected. I got some ribbing from my companions that I could not tell a dove from a parrot.

A friend shot a banded dove yesterday but it was on a gray bird with no dye job. I don't know how common the dying of dove was but that one I shot was the only one I have ever heard of that was dyed like that.
Click to expand...

Perhaps a racing pigeon that fell in with some doves?
 

PA had banded, and reward bands for Mourning Doves when I lived there.

Only know of a few hunters in our group in PA, that got the reward bands.

Never was aware of color dyed doves.
 
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