Effect of Spinning-Wing Decoys on Mourning Dove Harvest Vulnerability in Tennessee
SEAFWA Journal Volume 4, March 2017
Effective harvest management for mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) requires information regarding factors affecting harvest. We tested the effects of spinning-wing decoys (SWDs) on mourning dove harvest vulnerability on dove fields in central Tennessee during opening weekend of hunting 2007 and 2008. Use of a SWD did not affect numbers of shots red, doves harvested, doves missed, or doves crippled. Heavy hunting pressure may have limited SWD effects on dove harvest by hunters using them. Use of SWDs does not seem to increase overall harvest in mourning dove populations, so regulations...