dove posession limit question?

I've looked on the TPWD site and found this definition:

Possession Limit
The maximum number of migratory game birds that can be possessed at any time (three times the daily bag limit after the second day of the season).

Dumb question? The count resets after you process the birds, right? I'm pretty sure that it's not a limit of 45 for the whole season? Does possession include the ones you have in the freezer?

thx!

Possession only counts for at camp (or wherever) before you get to the house, whether they are processed or not. What is in your freezer does not count.

Also, if you are in the field/camp and you breast them out, technically a GW that wants to be a PITA can give you a ticket for not leaving a wing on for ID purposes. Doesn't happen much, but it can.

Wing on for id purposes not longer applies. This came up last year so I called T,P&W and got the official word.

yeah, most wardens know what dove are in a given are, BUT...
if you're are in the Valley where there's white-tip leaving wing or head is a good idea..
plus if you shoot collards, id leave head and neck for ID..

You're right, good to know that changed!

From TPWD (http://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoo...s/general-rules):

Species Identification

Except for migratory game birds processed at a cold storage or processing facility, or doves, one fully-feathered wing or the head must remain attached to migratory game birds while the birds are being transported between the place where taken and the permanent residence of the possessor. Note: Migratory game birds may be dressed for immediate cooking at a place other than a permanent residence (e.g., hunting camp). This does not include placing dressed birds in a cooler/refrigerator for later consumption while at a place other than a permanent residence. Hunters are encouraged to leave plumage on all doves other than mourning dove, white-winged dove and white-tipped dove (e.g., exotic collared-dove) for species identification. One fully feathered wing or head must remain attached to all migratory game birds imported from Mexico.

It's also not a bad idea to keep the wings of any Eurasian/collared-dove since they don't count towards your limit. That's called out in the same exert above, but you'd better have something to identify those birds if you have a limit of mourning dove and a few bonus collared-dove in your possession.

The collared dove should be easy for GW to spot...big old birds! Had GW check me last year and had a stack on tail gate and no white wing or mornings. GW ask when I was going to start hunting...told him soon as the migrant birds get tired of dying! He laughed and drove off.

When I go on bird hunting trips, unless I'm just really bored, I just put my birds on ice in zip lock bag dated, and clean them when I get home. You could keep birds like this on ice for a week, takes a little more space, but not much. The simplicity is worth it, and easy for GW to check.

Here's a little tidbit most don't know about...possession is 45 birds...3 full limits. Lets say your on day three of hunting. You have 2 full limits cleaned and in your cooler on ice,30 birds bagged up, marked and dated. You have 10 birds on hand from the current days hunt. You can, if the GW wants to be a hard a$$, get a ticket for 2 limits over your current possession of 10. We went thru this last season....argued with the GW and he let us go but with a warning. Here is TPWD way of looking at it. Those 30 birds you have on ice, in your truck and IN THE FIELD WHILE YOUR CURRENTLY HUNTING is the catch. TPWD wants those 30 birds OFF THE PLACE OF HUNTING...back in your motel, camper etc. Our argument was we had checked out of the motel and had no where else to keep the birds, and were 3 hours from home hunting. He said leave the coolers at the gate, behind a tree etc. Just don't have the birds in your truck, or in the vicinity of your "spot" your hunting. The obvious exception would be if you were literately camped at your hunting spot and was just stepping out to shoot.

I'm betting you could win a court battle with that but just be aware of it.

I'm not shooting over 15 a day, 30 in two days, period.

Don't need no grief from a GW while I'm enjoying what I love. I never eat more than that anyway. More fun to get my limit, put my gun up, crack a beer , breast my doves while giving my buddies chit.

Yeah, for all the GW knows, you showed up on Sep 3rd, and shot 40 birds, bagged 30 as if you shot them previous days. That's why it is good to document your hunt with your smartphone with pics, that are time stamped. I good GW just wants to know the facts, documenting your trip with smartphone will help you.

Yea that's the reason for it. But, you would thinks motel receipts, eye witness, gas receipts, food receipts.... like i said a win in court no doubt but then you gotta prove it and go thru the trouble.

Even with receipts to prove you been there for 3 days, you could have still shot 5 first 2 days, then 35 on 3rd day. But time stamped pics on your smartphone of your limits, were you shot them, when you shot them, and pics of bagging/dating them, you can easily/quickly thumb through them and get GW comfortable with the facts.

Even with pics tho, a GW that wants to make your life hell can.