The beginning of September marks the start of a new hunting year in Texas with the opening of dove season. According to the most recent National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation, 1.2 million hunters across the nation (400,000 in Texas) spend $1.3 billion every year for dove hunting alone. The economic potential of dove hunting for rural communities and landowners is tremendous, second only to white-tailed deer in Texas. There are simple techniques landowners can do to make their property more attractive for dove, which potentially means fetching a higher price for a dove lease or being able to offer more dove hunts resulting from increased dove activity. Knowing what plants dove require is key to effectively managing them.
Mourning doves eat almost exclusively hard-coated seeds from plants such as croton (a.k.a. doveweed, goatweed), sunflowers, ragweeds, oats, wheat, milo, and pigweed just to name a few. Another common dove in Texas, the white-winged dove, eats fruit in addition to seeds. These plants are mostly annuals, meaning they grow for one season, produce seed, and die. The problem is, without disturbance, such as fire and grazing, annuals will eventually be outcompeted by grasses (though this is not an issue on cultivated land and some grasses also produce seed that dove eat).
We have developed two new videos to demonstrate when and how to correctly employ two simple techniques to maintain a food supply for dove year after year: disking and shredding. Disking acts as a disturbance by breaking the top 2-4 inches of soil, which will expose annual seeds to sunlight that they need to grow. Watch this short video to learn more about when and how to disk.
Shredding, or mowing, acts much like a cow by removing the top growth of plants that are blocking sunlight to the seedbed. Shredding strips on sunflower or crop fields can provide a constant seed source for dove throughout the season. Watch this short video to learn more about when and how to shred.
Using these techniques is not complicated or difficult, but the correct timing and application is necessary. Dove management can also benefit quail, wild turkey, and white-tailed deer as well.
It's important to remember that doves are migratory birds and hunting is regulated by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which prohibits baiting. To answer any confusion regarding this, read Extension publication "Normal Agricultural Operations and Dove Hunting in Texas." For a more detailed description of dove biology and management, read "Dove Management in Texas."
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch videos related to wildlife habitat management, pond and fish management, and feral hog control techniques.