Mourning Dove Hunting in New York
Subject: Mourning Dove Hunting in NY
Introduction
During the early 1900’s most states banned wild turkey hunting and around 25 banned mourning dove hunting. Most of these bans were reversed between 1970 and 1995. Today, wild turkey hunting is allowed in 49 states and mourning dove hunting is allowed in 41 states. (New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Alaska do not allow dove hunting).
NY’s first modern wild turkey hunting season was in the fall of 1959; one year after the Legislature granted the Conservation Department the authority to regulate turkey hunting. The Legislature has not however, authorized the DEC to set a mourning dove hunting season.
Never the less, there is an interest in dove hunting among some NY hunters and mourning dove populations can indeed sustain hunting in NY.
Natural History of Mourning Doves
Mourning doves are among the most abundant and widespread species. They are found in every county in NY but avoid the high peaks of the Adirondacks and Catskills.
Although a migratory species, not all mourning doves migrate, even in NY. However, since they are prone to frostbite, mourning doves with missing toes are common.
These birds are seed eaters and forage on bare ground. Although they do feed on residual waste grain after crops are harvested, they do not damage unharvested crops, therefore they are not a crop pest. They have also been characterized incorrectly as “The Farmers Friend” because many decades ago, some people believed that by eating seeds, doves controlled nuisance plants. However that has been known to be false for many years; and to the contrary, it is now known that seed-eating birds such as mourning doves facilitate the spread of plants by eating seeds.
Although both parents care for the young during a nest cycle, mourning doves do not always mate for life. Each nest usually contains two eggs. Incubation takes about 15 days and fledglings leave the nest 12 to 14 days after hatching. Mourning doves have been known to nest or attempt to nest seven times in a single season.
Even in southern and southwestern states nesting is essentially over by mid-August, and some early-hatched juveniles migrate as early as late July. By the first week of September, the migration of most nesting populations is usually underway, the juveniles typically leaving before the adults.
Numerous diseases and parasites affect mourning doves: psittacosis, histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis, Avian Pox, West Nile Virus, Plasmodium sp. (Avian Malaria), Chlamydophila psittaci (Chlamydiosis), and Trichomonas gallinae (Trichomoniasis).
Doves do not live long and more than half of the population dies in one year. There is a saying which states “an 18 month old mourning dove has not been alive for a while.”
Population Status:
Population data goes back to 1966. Since 1966 mourning dove populations have been increasing in NY. According to a Cornell paper published in the 1980s, mourning doves numbered around 10 million in NY at that time (1980s).
NY is one of 27 states which comprise the Eastern Management Unit. In 2014 the EMU population estimate was 68,270,783 (SE=3,483,106). The 2014 HIP estimate for mourning dove harvest in the EMU was 4,889,800 ±197,500 mourning doves, by 310,200 hunters.
Both population size (winter) and breeding distribution of mourning doves has increased to the north of NY in Canada. There has been a steady increase in mourning dove numbers in New York over the last 50 years and they are hunted sustainably in adjacent states which have comparable abundance indices. Mourning doves which summer and/or are born in NY have been subjected to hunting in other states during fall migration for decades.
Mourning dove populations are carefully monitored by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. During this monitoring, which has existed for many years alongside dove hunting, the mourning dove populations have remained abundant without dropping precipitously; which indicates the existing dove conservation strategy is sound. Nevertheless, the US Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Shore and Upland Bird Support Task Force and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies periodically review and update mourning dove conservation needs, seek new information, and adjust hunting regulations as needed.
Introduction
During the early 1900’s most states banned wild turkey hunting and around 25 banned mourning dove hunting. Most of these bans were reversed between 1970 and 1995. Today, wild turkey hunting is allowed in 49 states and mourning dove hunting is allowed in 41 states. (New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Alaska do not allow dove hunting).
NY’s first modern wild turkey hunting season was in the fall of 1959; one year after the Legislature granted the Conservation Department the authority to regulate turkey hunting. The Legislature has not however, authorized the DEC to set a mourning dove hunting season.
Never the less, there is an interest in dove hunting among some NY hunters and mourning dove populations can indeed sustain hunting in NY.
Natural History of Mourning Doves
Mourning doves are among the most abundant and widespread species. They are found in every county in NY but avoid the high peaks of the Adirondacks and Catskills.
Although a migratory species, not all mourning doves migrate, even in NY. However, since they are prone to frostbite, mourning doves with missing toes are common.
These birds are seed eaters and forage on bare ground. Although they do feed on residual waste grain after crops are harvested, they do not damage unharvested crops, therefore they are not a crop pest. They have also been characterized incorrectly as “The Farmers Friend” because many decades ago, some people believed that by eating seeds, doves controlled nuisance plants. However that has been known to be false for many years; and to the contrary, it is now known that seed-eating birds such as mourning doves facilitate the spread of plants by eating seeds.
Although both parents care for the young during a nest cycle, mourning doves do not always mate for life. Each nest usually contains two eggs. Incubation takes about 15 days and fledglings leave the nest 12 to 14 days after hatching. Mourning doves have been known to nest or attempt to nest seven times in a single season.
Even in southern and southwestern states nesting is essentially over by mid-August, and some early-hatched juveniles migrate as early as late July. By the first week of September, the migration of most nesting populations is usually underway, the juveniles typically leaving before the adults.
Numerous diseases and parasites affect mourning doves: psittacosis, histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis, Avian Pox, West Nile Virus, Plasmodium sp. (Avian Malaria), Chlamydophila psittaci (Chlamydiosis), and Trichomonas gallinae (Trichomoniasis).
Doves do not live long and more than half of the population dies in one year. There is a saying which states “an 18 month old mourning dove has not been alive for a while.”
Population Status:
Population data goes back to 1966. Since 1966 mourning dove populations have been increasing in NY. According to a Cornell paper published in the 1980s, mourning doves numbered around 10 million in NY at that time (1980s).
NY is one of 27 states which comprise the Eastern Management Unit. In 2014 the EMU population estimate was 68,270,783 (SE=3,483,106). The 2014 HIP estimate for mourning dove harvest in the EMU was 4,889,800 ±197,500 mourning doves, by 310,200 hunters.
Both population size (winter) and breeding distribution of mourning doves has increased to the north of NY in Canada. There has been a steady increase in mourning dove numbers in New York over the last 50 years and they are hunted sustainably in adjacent states which have comparable abundance indices. Mourning doves which summer and/or are born in NY have been subjected to hunting in other states during fall migration for decades.
Mourning dove populations are carefully monitored by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. During this monitoring, which has existed for many years alongside dove hunting, the mourning dove populations have remained abundant without dropping precipitously; which indicates the existing dove conservation strategy is sound. Nevertheless, the US Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Shore and Upland Bird Support Task Force and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies periodically review and update mourning dove conservation needs, seek new information, and adjust hunting regulations as needed.
Management Authority:
The 1916 Migratory Bird Treaty between the United States and Great Britain (representing Canada) and the accompanying 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act gives the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service overall responsibility for managing migratory birds (including mourning doves) within the United States.
Authority and responsibility for management of mourning doves in the United States is vested in the Secretary of the Interior. This responsibility is conferred by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 which, as amended, implements migratory bird treaties between the United States and other countries. Mourning doves are included in the treaties with Great Britain (for Canada) and Mexico (U.S. Department of the Interior 2013). These treaties recognize sport hunting as a legitimate use of a renewable migratory bird resource.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service sets the framework for migratory game bird hunting regulations based on recent population estimates, a posteriori knowledge, and other factors. State Wildlife Agencies (the DEC) are required to conform to this framework in setting hunting regulations for migratory game birds.
Before the DEC can instate a hunting season the State Legislature must reclassify mourning doves as a game bird. Under the current designation (protected bird) the DEC does not have the authority to instate a hunting season.
Legislative History: Several dove bills have been introduced in NY over the years. For one reason or another none of them advanced.
The 1916 Migratory Bird Treaty between the United States and Great Britain (representing Canada) and the accompanying 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act gives the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service overall responsibility for managing migratory birds (including mourning doves) within the United States.
Authority and responsibility for management of mourning doves in the United States is vested in the Secretary of the Interior. This responsibility is conferred by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 which, as amended, implements migratory bird treaties between the United States and other countries. Mourning doves are included in the treaties with Great Britain (for Canada) and Mexico (U.S. Department of the Interior 2013). These treaties recognize sport hunting as a legitimate use of a renewable migratory bird resource.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service sets the framework for migratory game bird hunting regulations based on recent population estimates, a posteriori knowledge, and other factors. State Wildlife Agencies (the DEC) are required to conform to this framework in setting hunting regulations for migratory game birds.
Before the DEC can instate a hunting season the State Legislature must reclassify mourning doves as a game bird. Under the current designation (protected bird) the DEC does not have the authority to instate a hunting season.
Legislative History: Several dove bills have been introduced in NY over the years. For one reason or another none of them advanced.
Other Considerations
Recent budget proposals allocated $40 million to DEC to “address a variety of capital needs including public access projects to connect hunters, anglers, bird watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts to un-tapped State owned lands”. Obviously this proposed allocation bodes for the fact that the Governor and the state appreciates the attributes and benefits of outdoor recreation, including hunting. Ironically however, there is the will to invest $40 million dollars while ignoring an untapped, abundant, and sustainable natural resource, namely mourning doves.
State wildlife agencies, such as the DEC’s Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources receives substantial funding from hunting license revenue; thus loss of hunting license revenue is a concern.
According to the NY DEC, the number of hunters in New York has been declining by 2% per year since the 1980s, and our hunter recruitment rate is among the lowest in the nation (55 new hunters for every 100 who stop).
Although overall participation in hunting has declined, the decrease in deer hunters is nowhere as dramatic as the change in the number of small game hunters. Over the past 40 years, many former small game hunters did not become deer hunters, rather they dropped out.
The last three states which reinstated dove hunting all experienced an increase in small game hunting license sales coinciding with the first dove season. A fourth state, Michigan, did not sell additional small game licenses, however, the first year dove hunting was allowed they did sell 5,000 dove stamps (permits to hunt doves). It should be noted that in 2004 dove hunting was only allowed in 6 of Michigan's 83 counties. In Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa new dove hunting opportunity likely was a “pull factor” which encouraged some former hunters to start hunting again explaining the sudden spike in small game license sales.
Recent budget proposals allocated $40 million to DEC to “address a variety of capital needs including public access projects to connect hunters, anglers, bird watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts to un-tapped State owned lands”. Obviously this proposed allocation bodes for the fact that the Governor and the state appreciates the attributes and benefits of outdoor recreation, including hunting. Ironically however, there is the will to invest $40 million dollars while ignoring an untapped, abundant, and sustainable natural resource, namely mourning doves.
State wildlife agencies, such as the DEC’s Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources receives substantial funding from hunting license revenue; thus loss of hunting license revenue is a concern.
According to the NY DEC, the number of hunters in New York has been declining by 2% per year since the 1980s, and our hunter recruitment rate is among the lowest in the nation (55 new hunters for every 100 who stop).
Although overall participation in hunting has declined, the decrease in deer hunters is nowhere as dramatic as the change in the number of small game hunters. Over the past 40 years, many former small game hunters did not become deer hunters, rather they dropped out.
The last three states which reinstated dove hunting all experienced an increase in small game hunting license sales coinciding with the first dove season. A fourth state, Michigan, did not sell additional small game licenses, however, the first year dove hunting was allowed they did sell 5,000 dove stamps (permits to hunt doves). It should be noted that in 2004 dove hunting was only allowed in 6 of Michigan's 83 counties. In Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa new dove hunting opportunity likely was a “pull factor” which encouraged some former hunters to start hunting again explaining the sudden spike in small game license sales.
Minnesota's dove season was reinstated in 2004, Wisconsin's was 2003.
The economic input, conservation revenue, and (distinction from the deer hunting population) of NY’s small game hunting community is underestimated. According to the DEC about 100,000 people participate in small game hunting. Ducks Unlimited has over 15,000 members who live in NY and local DU chapters raise millions of dollars every year in NY. The Ruffed Grouse Society and Pheasants Forever each have 5 chapters in NY. There are 4 chapters of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association and numerous hunting retriever clubs exist scattered across the state. By comparison, the DEC’s Conservationist Magazine which embodies all forms of outdoor recreation only has a readership of around 19,000 and to maintain that level of circulation the DEC must offer a sweepstakes along with subscriptions. During May, 2016, the DEC website advertised subscription rate was 7 issues for $12, 14 issues for $21. Another special described as a “wildlife watchers special” was offered at the rate of 10 issues for $15, plus a field guide normally sold for $15 included with subscription at no additional charge.
Managing shared lands and shared natural resources is incumbent upon the DEC and obviously they have extensive experience identifying the objective criteria and balancing (seemingly) competing interests as much as possible. Although a mutually exclusive fallacy persists among those opposed to expanding hunting opportunity, hunting generally enhances opportunity for other activities, rather than diminish them. Consider the Refuge Improvement Act which stipulates six Public Priority Uses of Wildlife Refuges: Hunting, Bird and Wildlife Watching, Fishing, Wildlife Photography, Research, and Education. Hunting and fishing not only takes place with these activities, it subsidizes all of them, including the research which is the source of the knowledge used to protect wildlife in the first place.
It can be controversial to fund non-game projects with revenue derived from hunters through wildlife restoration grants (Pitman Robertson grants). It is even more controversial to use hunting license revenue for non- game conservation because some interpret the law stipulating such revenue should only be used for wildlife to mean it should only be used for hunting programs. However, habitat enhancements for game species often benefit non-game species. Conservation of game species is one strategy to fund species “nobody cares about”. Pollinators are important to our economy, our food supply, and to the overall ecology. Many important pollinators, such as those that specialize on certain food crops or certain wild native plants have been declining in population and face numerous threats. One threat is habitat lose. Various species of native bees are one declining pollinator. Unlike mourning doves, which are habitat generalists, native bees can thrive only in certain habitats. Although mourning doves do well in a variety of habitats they will exist in greater numbers or can be attracted to same habitat that is obligatory for some native bees: hedgerows in fields (protection from strong winds and block pesticide drift), flowering trees and grasses (food), bare or sparse ground with loose soil (most live in underground burrows and need these conditions to burrow), and standing dead trees (other bee species live inside dead trees. Mourning doves use hedgerows for shelter, roosting, and feeding. They are seed eaters and grasses provide seeds, flowering trees provide shelter. Mourning doves do not scratch for food and forage for food on bare or sparse soil. On private land some dove hunters promote a high seed yield to attract doves by disturbing the soil with farm machinery or planting row crops (sunflowers, corn, milo, sorghum). These practices loosen the soil. In fair weather mourning doves often prefer dead trees for roosting. Doves might select dead trees so other doves can find them.
Managing shared lands and shared natural resources is incumbent upon the DEC and obviously they have extensive experience identifying the objective criteria and balancing (seemingly) competing interests as much as possible. Although a mutually exclusive fallacy persists among those opposed to expanding hunting opportunity, hunting generally enhances opportunity for other activities, rather than diminish them. Consider the Refuge Improvement Act which stipulates six Public Priority Uses of Wildlife Refuges: Hunting, Bird and Wildlife Watching, Fishing, Wildlife Photography, Research, and Education. Hunting and fishing not only takes place with these activities, it subsidizes all of them, including the research which is the source of the knowledge used to protect wildlife in the first place.
It can be controversial to fund non-game projects with revenue derived from hunters through wildlife restoration grants (Pitman Robertson grants). It is even more controversial to use hunting license revenue for non- game conservation because some interpret the law stipulating such revenue should only be used for wildlife to mean it should only be used for hunting programs. However, habitat enhancements for game species often benefit non-game species. Conservation of game species is one strategy to fund species “nobody cares about”. Pollinators are important to our economy, our food supply, and to the overall ecology. Many important pollinators, such as those that specialize on certain food crops or certain wild native plants have been declining in population and face numerous threats. One threat is habitat lose. Various species of native bees are one declining pollinator. Unlike mourning doves, which are habitat generalists, native bees can thrive only in certain habitats. Although mourning doves do well in a variety of habitats they will exist in greater numbers or can be attracted to same habitat that is obligatory for some native bees: hedgerows in fields (protection from strong winds and block pesticide drift), flowering trees and grasses (food), bare or sparse ground with loose soil (most live in underground burrows and need these conditions to burrow), and standing dead trees (other bee species live inside dead trees. Mourning doves use hedgerows for shelter, roosting, and feeding. They are seed eaters and grasses provide seeds, flowering trees provide shelter. Mourning doves do not scratch for food and forage for food on bare or sparse soil. On private land some dove hunters promote a high seed yield to attract doves by disturbing the soil with farm machinery or planting row crops (sunflowers, corn, milo, sorghum). These practices loosen the soil. In fair weather mourning doves often prefer dead trees for roosting. Doves might select dead trees so other doves can find them.
No form of hunting can accurately be characterized as “easy”. However certain attributes of dove hunting enable people with a broad array of limitations to participate in hunting that would not be able to hunt other species. There is even an event for handicapped hunters, formerly the One Arm Dove Hunt, now the Amputee Dove Hunt.
Nutrient Dense Meat
Mourning dove meat is packed with macro and micro nutrients. It is more nutrient dense then most other meats and foods.
Nutrient Dense Meat
Mourning dove meat is packed with macro and micro nutrients. It is more nutrient dense then most other meats and foods.