Dove hunters asked to report banded birds

Missouri dove hunters have a chance to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, garnering hunting trophies while helping ensure good management of mourning dove populations.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is among 34 states participating in an effort to gather practical information about the nation’s most popular game bird. The agency is placing leg bands on approximately 2,500 mourning doves annually at 15 conservation areas. Hunter reports of taking banded doves will add to scientific understanding of how many doves there are and how hunting affects dove numbers.
“Birds are so mobile, and it is impossible to count them directly,” said Resource Scientist John Schulz. “Instead we capture a relatively small sample of the entire population and band them. Then we compile reports of banded birds taken by hunters and analyze information about where and when they were taken. The resulting statistics reveal a surprising amount of useful information.”
Schulz noted that hunters’ participation is critical to...
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