mourning dove for training

blanked · Post by **blanked** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:24 am

any reason why i cant use them in place of pigeons? do they put off much scent? what else should i be aware of. there still any law involved using them for training that would be any different than pen raised quail

Buckeye_V · Post by **Buckeye_V** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:32 am

The biggest reason to not use them would be that it is illegal, as they are considered a migratory bird.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:50 am

Another reason along with what has been mentioned
Doves feathers are terrrible about coming out ...I have seen doves cause many retrieving problems
The pigeons are more of a ground bird then the doves are and also the pigeons carry alot more scent though the feathers also come out they do not coat the dogs mouth as bad as the smaller dove feathers do

I would not even consider them for training and also recommend to many people who like to dove hunt unless you have a real strong retrieving dove to not put specially first year dogs on doves

Plus the legalities

blanked · Post by **blanked** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 2:06 pm

i am just using them for a stop to flush training. so they will not be shot and just fly off

oleman · Post by **oleman** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 2:23 pm

I'm with Kninebirddog and Buckeye-V on this matter

GsPJustin · Post by **GsPJustin** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 3:32 pm

At least here in California. Capturing and interrupting a migratory bird is illegal.

birdshot · Post by **birdshot** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:28 am

blanked, when i trained flushing dogs, i loved to run the pups through fields with goat weed, so the pups could flush and chase the dove. some times the pups would have dozens if not hundreds of birds in the air. as the pups matured i began to teach sit to flush, later adding gunfire. the feathers were messy, so i carried a water bottle to wet the dogs mouth after retrieves.

why don't you take your dog up to wise county, and run him on wild quail, on the LBJ national grassland. last time i hunted LBJ, came in behind a dallas dog clubs hunt test. i shot 14 chukar.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 8:48 am

If your training a pointing dog I would not use doves for any type of training...what you will be teaching the dog with what your wanting to do is stop to flush on every bird out there when they fly off as the dove the dog will never have a chance to point. SO they will not have a scent cone of a game bird to work with. in a manner which will help a pointing dog....then when you go hunting you'll be having your dog stop to flush on meadowlarks tweety birds etc etc.

now if you working a flushing dog and can find an area of thick cover you may be able to do what birdshot has done.

blanked · Post by **blanked** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 11:57 am

so then why are pigeons ok to use for training stop to flush??

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 12:08 pm

They have more scent and you can control the pigeons ....Feathers are not as bad as the doves. and when teaching a dog to point..
stop to flush is part of the point which is an after fact point of training with pointing dogs so that your dogs do not just run around flushing birds as pointing dogs work out further then flushing dogs do thus a pointing dog should be taught to stop on scent and hold till you get there..flushing dogs work with in gun range get birdy then flush the bird and then sit