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Hunting doves and pidgeons on the farm is fun,,but lately i noticed to see much more doves around farm than before..are those doves feral birds,,and can i shoot them anytime,,like pidgeons.i dont wanna shoot mourning doves or another species what are protected ..some time of the year..cheers f,,G;)
First - confirm what species you are seeing. There are a few likely possibilities depending on where you are.
Obviously, there is the common pigeon (aka rock pigeon, aka rock dove) which is not protected and can be plentiful around farms.
There is also the Band-tailed Pigeon, a native forest bird in southern BC and especially coastal areas. These don't normally hang around farms as far as I know, and are protected, with a fall hunting season in some parts of the province.
Also, the Mourning Dove is smaller than these two, with a pointed tail and is also found in southern BC. They often hang around rural areas including farmland. They are protected aside from a fall hunting season in the Okanagan.
Lastly, and the most likely suspect, is the Eurasian collared dove. They are bigger than a mourning dove, but smaller than a pigeon, and have a squared (rather than pointy) tail. This bird was accidentally introduced to the Bahamas in the 1970s and soon spread to Florida. For whatever reasons, it didn't spread too far from there for a couple decades, but then exploded westward, then northward. They reached BC maybe 10-15 years ago (?) and have been increasing ever since. Apparently they are quite common in the southern interior now. Local and fairly common in central BC. Still quite uncommon / rare up here in the northeast, but there are definitely some around. Since this is not a native species, they *may* be unprotected. Each state / province seems to deal with them differently. I don't think BC has updated schedule C (unprotected species) to include Eurasian Collared Dove, so technically they may be completely protected.
Eurasian Collared doves are a migratory bird, and therefore a federal responsibility. The provincial Schedule "C" has nothing to do with it. There is presently no hunting season for these.
Eurasian collard doves do not migrate,,,they are a year round resident,,and are a very invasive species,,pushing mourning doves and song bird from their breeding roosts,,their numbers almost double every year in areas where they breed,,I heard through the grape vine that they will be added to the regs,,,,not sure when though,,but one problem is they are accustomed to living in residential areas and hunting them might be problematic,,but until they are posted as a schedule "C",or a designated season opens for them,,guaranteed we will continue to see their numbers grow
So tell me, how did these doves arrive , by bus? They are very much a migratory bird. As with most migratory birds, they usually only migrate when required by weather or food source. The only reason the doves in your area are not migrating south, is that they have everything they need right there.Quote:
Originally Posted by B-rad
I believe these doves escaped from captivity in the southern unites States and have spread from there. They did not migrate here naturally.
Look up the definition of "migratory". These doves are not "migratory" as per the definition. They have invaded the areas that they are presently found. Live there year round and breed. The cottontail rabbits on Vancouver Island and the lower mainland are in the same category.
Install some hidden cameras with sound recording, it is likely that many are have crossed the border and entered the country illegally with hopes of claiming refugee status. Video and sound recordings will assist CBSA in the ensuing investigations.