Mourning Dove Season In Ohio
The mourning doves coo begins season of nesting and feeding.
Mourning dove season in ohio. Many doves people see during the fall hunting season are migrating through the state. The ohio prohibition of mourning dove hunting initiative also known as initiative 1 was on the november 3 1998 ballot in ohio as an indirect initiated state statute where it was defeated the measure would have forbidden the hunting of mourning doves in ohio. As early as 1963 the ohio legislature tried to reclassify the mourning dove as a game species legalizing dove hunting but all attempts have been thwarted without majority support. It always amazes me where a bird may decide to build a nest and these birds are no exception.
A person on a dove hunt should bring at least a couple boxes of shotgun shells with them to bag their limit. Each hunting guide or outfitter has a webpage that can answer most of your questions that you have on mourning dove. There are at least 4 million mourning doves in ohio during the fall according to biologists. A tasty bird.
Ohio the buckeye state is derived from ohezu the indian word for great. Doves are the most widespread and plentiful game bird in north america and although they are the most abundantly harvested bird in our country they are far from easy to shoot. The division s temporary website has some of our most popular features available but not everything that used to be available online. The climate is generally healthful though sudden changes in temperatures are.
Then the ohio department of wildlife joined the fray establishing the state s first dove hunting season in 80 years only to have a court order take it away a. Dove hunting will be allowed sept. The elliptical wings are broad and the head is rounded. Welcome to the temporary website of the ohio department of natural resources.
Mourning doves zenaida macroura at a feeder cm 4 11 2016 for years the ohio legislature has been debating the fate of the mourning dove zenaida macroura recently the ohio senate approved a measure making the bird a game bird or in other words making it legal to hunt. The mourning doves coo may sound sad but bird watchers know that it signals the beginning of this birds habits of nesting claiming territory and raising young. Ohio will allow extra days for hunting mourning doves this year the ohio wildlife council recently extended the state s dove season 20 days. We are developing a new dynamic and user friendly website that won t be ready until late summer.
Mourning doves weigh 112 170 g 4 0 6 0 oz usually closer to 128 g 4 5 oz. The mourning dove is a medium sized slender dove approximately 31 cm 12 in in length.