Banded Mourning Doves

[Oak]

Mourning Dove Banding Program

Earlier this summer, the CDOW and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banded over 700 mourning doves across Colorado. Doves were trapped, fitted with aluminum, individually numbered leg bands and then released.

This effort is part of a nationwide program to help biologists determine annual survival rates, harvest rates and distribution of the harvest as well as refine techniques for future dove-banding programs. Hunters may encounter doves banded by other states as well.

To assist with this research, the DOW is asking dove hunters to look for leg bands on the mourning doves they shoot. Hunters are a critical link in this mourning dove banding study. By checking all harvested doves for bands and reporting banded doves, hunters help biologists manage this important migratory game bird. Because dove bands are small, hunters can easily overlook the bands, so all birds should be carefully checked.

Hunters who harvest banded doves are asked to report the band number to the Federal Bird Banding Laboratory (www.reportband.gov or 1-800-327-BAND).

 

[Dangerous Dave]

This is either a good thing or a bad thing. I know many on this site consider me a conspiracy geek who sees commies behind every rock. That's only partially true.
Good thing: maybe the CDOW is actually doing an actual biological study and wants to observe survival rates.
Bad thing: Is "the public" innitiating this study? In other words, is a preservationist group pressuring the CDOW into justifying or banning dove hunting?

I bring this up because one of the last antihunting tatics tried in California was -you guessed it- a dove hunting ban. Assemblyman Joe Nation (D) was being backed with 100s of thousands of "contribution" dollars to "protect the dove of peace." His contributors? Every antihunting presevationist / antiwar / gay group you or I could care to mention.
He was pressuring our Fish and Game Commission with demands of every study he could dream up... a bird count for starters. How does one count a migrating dove? He even innitated a Assembly bill to this effect.
I met with him in his office, stated my facts for him and was asked to leave. He was a lousy debater. When I pressed him for more information about who was all behind this dove hunting ban, he threatened to call the Sheriff's Dept. I told him not to bother because I knew nearly everyone in the department.
I and about 100 other hunters did a grassroots phone campaign that might have helped. Luckly his bill was defeated in the Senate by a slim margin. Antihunter money buys a lot of votes... and pressures wildlife departments into doing studies to justify their existance.

 

[Wally Dog]

Oak,
I shot a banded one in SW ID 15 or so yrs ago. It's one my greatest trophies. It was banded as a juvi near Tucson the year prior to my harvest.
WD

 

[Oak]

I guess there has been a large, coordinated banding program among 25 or more states for the last few years. There should be a few flying around. Your bird is an excellent data point...AZ to ID! Cool.