M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
Contact your local MNR office. They will get the correct info for ya as thats what they are paid to do.
Doves
- Thread starter diemaco
- Start date
Well, I am going to bet that the MNR will refer any inquiries to CWS. Earlier today I sent this e-mail to them:
I had been under the impression for many years that it was LEGAL to hunt mourning doves in Ontario under the authority of a migratory game bird licence. I see a statement on your website to the effect that it is ILLEGAL to hunt pigeons and doves in Ontario. I know that there is not a custom of hunting doves here like there is in the USA, but I did understand it was a permitted activity if somebody wanted to hunt them.
This is germane to a discussion on a Canadian Internet website regarding hunting, and specifically hunting mourning doves.
Can you please refer me to the appropriate law or regulation? The Ontario hunting regulations are silent on the subject, and the regulations handed out with the migratory game bird permit suggest that it IS legal to hunt mourning doves, since they are mentioned by name.
Thank you.
If CWS responds to my e-mail I will surely post their response here.
Doug
I had been under the impression for many years that it was LEGAL to hunt mourning doves in Ontario under the authority of a migratory game bird licence. I see a statement on your website to the effect that it is ILLEGAL to hunt pigeons and doves in Ontario. I know that there is not a custom of hunting doves here like there is in the USA, but I did understand it was a permitted activity if somebody wanted to hunt them.
This is germane to a discussion on a Canadian Internet website regarding hunting, and specifically hunting mourning doves.
Can you please refer me to the appropriate law or regulation? The Ontario hunting regulations are silent on the subject, and the regulations handed out with the migratory game bird permit suggest that it IS legal to hunt mourning doves, since they are mentioned by name.
Thank you.
If CWS responds to my e-mail I will surely post their response here.
Doug
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
I know here in Manitoba mourning doves are regarded as "song birds" and are protected year round. Just to the south in the Dakota's and Minnesota these same birds are game birds and can be hunted in season.
I guess that in the province of Ontario if it is unclear as to the status of mourning doves and the MNR passes inquries off to CWS and so forth... then a guy should shoot a few and go to the local MNR office with them to see what happens
.Well I have a definitive answer, and here it is:
Good morning, Mr. ###XX
See below in response to your email sent May 1, 2009, regarding hunting Mourning Doves.
In Ontario you can not hunt Band-tailed Pigeons or Mourning Doves. It does state under section 15.1 (1) of the Migratory Birds Regulations that No person shall, hunt or possess a migratory game bird except a woodcock, band-tailed pigeon or mourning dove, by the use of shot other than non-toxic shot.
The Migratory Birds Act & Regulations is federal legislation making its jurisdiction all of Canada. Mourning Doves are mentioned in this section because there is an open season on them in British Columbia from September 1-30th, in districts 3, 4 and 8.
Other than the three mentioned districts in B.C, it is prohibited to hunt mourning doves in Ontario and most other Provinces of Canada.
Regards,
(name deleted/my decision)
Wildlife Officer
Environment Canada
Wildlife Enforcement Division, Ontario Region
P.O. Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Road
Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4A6
So there you have it.
We can't hunt them here.
Doug
Good morning, Mr. ###XX
See below in response to your email sent May 1, 2009, regarding hunting Mourning Doves.
In Ontario you can not hunt Band-tailed Pigeons or Mourning Doves. It does state under section 15.1 (1) of the Migratory Birds Regulations that No person shall, hunt or possess a migratory game bird except a woodcock, band-tailed pigeon or mourning dove, by the use of shot other than non-toxic shot.
The Migratory Birds Act & Regulations is federal legislation making its jurisdiction all of Canada. Mourning Doves are mentioned in this section because there is an open season on them in British Columbia from September 1-30th, in districts 3, 4 and 8.
Other than the three mentioned districts in B.C, it is prohibited to hunt mourning doves in Ontario and most other Provinces of Canada.
Regards,
(name deleted/my decision)
Wildlife Officer
Environment Canada
Wildlife Enforcement Division, Ontario Region
P.O. Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Road
Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4A6
So there you have it.
We can't hunt them here.
Doug
canadian hunter312
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County
Well my only response to this is they are tasty little critters!!
x2...
grackle, starling, red winged blackbird, and sparrow are also very tasty...and legal to hunt in ontario
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
Its coming soon in Ontario hopefully. Keep in mind doves are not regulated by MNR, but by the CWS, like woodcock and waterfowl.
http://www.ec.gc.ca/rcom-mbhr/default.asp?lang=En&n=A5A064DE-1#_Toc314052912
A notice of intent is given that an annual Mourning Dove hunting season in Ontario is under consideration. A 2011 evaluation by CWS - Ontario Region determined that Mourning Dove could be hunted sustainably in Ontario. A summary of the findings is provided below.
Mourning Doves are one of the most abundant, widely distributed and heavily harvested game birds in North America. Mourning Doves currently are hunted in 40 of 50 U.S. states, where in recent years about 17 million birds are harvested annually by nearly 1 million hunters. In Canada, British Columbia has had an annual Mourning Dove hunting season since 1960. Ontario also once had a province-wide Mourning Dove hunting season that occurred for one year in 1955, but it has not been reinstated since that time. Since 2004, CWS has received a number of requests to reinstate an annual fall Mourning Dove hunt in Ontario. In response, in 2011 CWS undertook an evaluation of the feasibility of opening a Mourning Dove hunting season in the province. Several large, long-term data sets and review of recent studies were used to evaluate Mourning Dove breeding (and winter) population status and trends, Mourning Dove harvest potential, various aspects of human dimensions, and to identify information gaps necessary for conservation and management. Major findings of the report were: 1) The Ontario breeding population, as indexed by the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), has increased substantially (~ three-fold) in both numbers and distribution since the mid-/late 1960s; 2) The First and Second Breeding Bird Atlases of Ontario have documented an increase in breeding evidence and a northward breeding range expansion between the mid-/late 1980s and mid-/late 2000s; 3) Winter dove population sizes, as indexed by Christmas Bird Count, have increased considerably since the late 1970s; 4) Despite a decline over the past 10 years, relative abundance of doves, as indexed by number of birds per BBS route, in their core breeding areas within the Carolinian and Lake Simcoe-Rideau regions of the province (Bird Conservation Region 13) are similar to those in northern U.S. states where doves are currently hunted; 5) Preliminary calculations suggest that the estimated breeding population of 1.2-1.3 million Mourning Doves are anticipated to produce a fall population (fall-flight) that could accommodate anticipated hunter harvest rates with minimal impact to the Ontario Mourning Dove population; 6) Band recovery data confirmed that Mourning Doves that breed in Ontario have been subjected to harvest in the eastern U.S. for decades; 7) Results from a relatively small public opinion survey conducted by a non-governmental organization showed that a majority of Ontario residents polled in 2006 would not be opposed (58% in favour, 25% neutral and 17% opposed) to establishment of a Mourning Dove hunting season if it was determined that the Ontario population could sustain harvest. Based on this and other supporting evidence presented in the report, CWS concludes that the Ontario Mourning Dove population could sustain harvest and establishing a hunting season is biologically justifiable at this time.
http://www.ec.gc.ca/rcom-mbhr/default.asp?lang=En&n=A5A064DE-1#_Toc314052912
A notice of intent is given that an annual Mourning Dove hunting season in Ontario is under consideration. A 2011 evaluation by CWS - Ontario Region determined that Mourning Dove could be hunted sustainably in Ontario. A summary of the findings is provided below.
Mourning Doves are one of the most abundant, widely distributed and heavily harvested game birds in North America. Mourning Doves currently are hunted in 40 of 50 U.S. states, where in recent years about 17 million birds are harvested annually by nearly 1 million hunters. In Canada, British Columbia has had an annual Mourning Dove hunting season since 1960. Ontario also once had a province-wide Mourning Dove hunting season that occurred for one year in 1955, but it has not been reinstated since that time. Since 2004, CWS has received a number of requests to reinstate an annual fall Mourning Dove hunt in Ontario. In response, in 2011 CWS undertook an evaluation of the feasibility of opening a Mourning Dove hunting season in the province. Several large, long-term data sets and review of recent studies were used to evaluate Mourning Dove breeding (and winter) population status and trends, Mourning Dove harvest potential, various aspects of human dimensions, and to identify information gaps necessary for conservation and management. Major findings of the report were: 1) The Ontario breeding population, as indexed by the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), has increased substantially (~ three-fold) in both numbers and distribution since the mid-/late 1960s; 2) The First and Second Breeding Bird Atlases of Ontario have documented an increase in breeding evidence and a northward breeding range expansion between the mid-/late 1980s and mid-/late 2000s; 3) Winter dove population sizes, as indexed by Christmas Bird Count, have increased considerably since the late 1970s; 4) Despite a decline over the past 10 years, relative abundance of doves, as indexed by number of birds per BBS route, in their core breeding areas within the Carolinian and Lake Simcoe-Rideau regions of the province (Bird Conservation Region 13) are similar to those in northern U.S. states where doves are currently hunted; 5) Preliminary calculations suggest that the estimated breeding population of 1.2-1.3 million Mourning Doves are anticipated to produce a fall population (fall-flight) that could accommodate anticipated hunter harvest rates with minimal impact to the Ontario Mourning Dove population; 6) Band recovery data confirmed that Mourning Doves that breed in Ontario have been subjected to harvest in the eastern U.S. for decades; 7) Results from a relatively small public opinion survey conducted by a non-governmental organization showed that a majority of Ontario residents polled in 2006 would not be opposed (58% in favour, 25% neutral and 17% opposed) to establishment of a Mourning Dove hunting season if it was determined that the Ontario population could sustain harvest. Based on this and other supporting evidence presented in the report, CWS concludes that the Ontario Mourning Dove population could sustain harvest and establishing a hunting season is biologically justifiable at this time.
6mm Shooter
CGN Regular
- Location
- White City, SK
I hunted doves in Texas this fall and it was the most fun I have had with a gun. The field was sunflowers planted for the sole purpose of attracting doves. The trees I am walking towards are in Mexico.
I do not disagree with the principle you espouse, but your local Conservation Officer may not have the same opinion................
Doug
fishslinger
CGN Regular
- Location
- southern ontario
I hope the season goes thru it would be a lot of fun.
