I was wondering what the dove population is looking like this year. I live in Northern MN and I'm seeing doves here and there. I can remember growing up and seing one dove and that was by hay farms. Now it seems I see them on the roads and on powerlines where they have never been before. So I figure the population must be going up if their showing up spotty around here.

Surewood, funny you should ask because I was out mowing my CRP plots for maintenance purposes and I cannot ever remember seeing more doves than I have this year.

I was thinking that this was a seriously huntable population.

My place is in south central South Dakota and may be more conducive to doves.

I have still yet to tag one out of the air. Look forward to trying though . Less than a month away!!!!

There are plenty of them here in southwest Minnesota right now.

well also there was those crp fields started last year and i didnt see a single dove LAST YEAR... i went out deer scouting and i could have shot my limit out there im talking north of the metro

its almost that time

I've got the mojo ready, 4 boxes of shells :D, and a couple of loaded wheat fields.

i remember in texas they used to like the SORGUM and SUNFLOWER SEEDS you could shoot your limit in 30 minutes. I havent seen anyone plant sorgum up here? we have a few cases of 7 1/2 ready we usually hunt in a gravel pit we have a nice cook out during mid day ahhh the smell of gun powder. this should keep me from thinking on deer for a week or so

I am from Grand Rapids and we don't see many doves here. I have a couple of questions. When do they migrate? Do they stay around as long as food supply is present? Should I purchase decoys? I will be taking a scouting trip to southern Minnesota and try to get permission to hunt them. What area of southern Minnesota should I concentrate on.



Thanks for all the advise!!

Jim

Get a mojo dove decoy if any. There is some surghum and sunflowers in MN. I have a couple acres in my DOVE plot. I have been seeing alot this year. Since they brought back dove hunting it is starting to make a run for my favorite hunt. Good luck to all, and be safe.

It doesn't take much to move doves this time of the year. A couple of real cool days along with a cold rain will move them out in a hurry. They will leave even if food is still present. There's always a few that hang tough but if you are seriously thinking about going I would do it as early in the season as possible. There's a lot of them here in the southwest corner right now. I've got decoys but hardly ever use them. I agree with mylineswet if you are going to use a decoy I would get a mojo.