I will be out hunting DOVE this weekend and I am asking everyone please try not to shot PIGEONS. I race pigeons along with some 150 club members in the Dallas, Fort Worth area. We raise our pigeon starting January 1st to race the young bird season starting the weekend of September 30th and ending the last weekend in November. We are in the mist of training and training hard for the open race on September 30. Most people train during the first 3 hours of sunlight and a few train during the afternoon. We will be training anywhere from 10 to 100 miles from our lofts with training tosses. We go to great expense to buy, breed and train our pigeons all year, so please don�t shoot pigeons. When a pigeon race starts their could be as many as 1,500 pigeons going up and headed home to their lofts and the owners will be waiting for them at home, hoping to have the winner at the end of the day. Every year I get two or three pigeons returning with shot and broken wings and feet. I hope you sportsmen will help us pigeons racer�s by not shooting them. I hope all of you get your limit of DOVE Friday and everyday you go out. I will be trying to do the same.
Good Luck
TEXAS SAGE

I noticed why the concern, several of the photo's recently showing the huge number of dove re: Krum photo's, are way too big to be dove. I've tried to take photo's of dove many times and they hardly show up and don't fly in the groups the photo's indicate. That area (Krum) rotates beginners every year. Don't shoot Pigeons. Only Dove.

TEXAS SAGE do not mean to offend but if it fly�s it dies. Flying rats (pigeons) are legal per state reg�s so guess what...I throw some lead up something is going to die!! Also ditto on the Krum photos. Was on a lease there least year and lease agent said he was covered in dove; well he had a few dove was mostly pigeons. I busted 40 alone. Why, cause I can and its good work for the dogs!

I can see a duck hunter with some pigeon bands on their lanyard

I ain't trying to be a hardazz or anything but this
sounds like VERY poor timing to be releasing competition
birds. Pigeons are fair game anytime but when there's
thousands of shotgunners in the fields you should expect
to lose some. I can't promise I won't take some given
the chance tho I do promise to eat all I kill.

PK

I AM a duck hunter with a pigeon band on his lanyard. It happens. Grain fed pigeon make good table fair. But the only fair thing to do is call the owner and let them know. I did. You can find them on the internet.
That fella was from California, killed at near Waco Tx.

I agree on the �flying Rats� but what we have are thoroughbreds of the sky. They were once called Homing Pigeons but after years of breeding to improve them they are now stronger and faster, flying home from 600 miles in a day. A good hunter knows his prey and should be able to see the difference between a homing pigeon and a common pigeon. Just like duck hunters know what they are shooting and what they can bag. It is not hard to know the difference. Like a White Wing Dove is different from a Mourning Dove, pigeons are just as easily recognizable. It is just a matter of educating yourself.

You might not know that homing pigeons have been in every war our country has been in and they have saved many of our soldier�s lives. We as pigeon fanciers are asked to supply our military with pigeons now days because the army no longer has a pigeon division, the old Signal Corp. You will find that our government has laws on the books protecting the homing pigeon. Don�t get caught shooting or harming one in any way because law enforcement will be enforcing those very laws.

Texas Heat �if it fly�s it dies�? Have you shot any Whooping Cranes lately? Shoot one and see what will happen. If it fly�s it dies Wrong. Yes you can shoot pigeons in our state but �guess what� Homing pigeons are protected. By the way the new head Game Warden for North Texas is one of the best pigeon racers in North Texas and he wouldn�t take kindly to someone shooting his pigeons. Oh, I forgot he lives in the Sanger area.

Unfortunately this is the time of year that we race our pigeons just like the 3 year olds run at Kentucky every year in the first Saturday in May at the Kentucky Derby. Who would ever want to eat a common pigeon anyway? They are nasty to hold much less to eat. All I am saying is shoot all the commons if you can tell the difference if you can�t, why risk shooting a Homing Pigeon.

HOW IN THE HECK do you get a bird to fly 600 miles to somewhere?

Why would you want to??

How in gods name are you going to train you birds during dove season and expect a few to not get shot....Im callin BS on this post

I think it is a good post and a proper request. I have hunted pigeons during the summer months around dairy farms at the owner's request. I have shot more than one banded pigeon. I would not normall shoot a pigeon while dove hunting - I completely reject the "flys it dies" idea - but after reading these posts I will certainly not this dove season.

We shoot all the pigeons we see due to farmer's request. I agree with the post above...kind of a bad time to train pigeons. No different then going down to the hill country and releasing some "racing" deer on the first weekend in Novemeber and telling everyone to try not to shoot the deer. I am sorry, but this request just makes me laugh. Are you serious or is this just a joke?

I tell you what, tell me what number your pigeon is wearing and I promise not to shoot him. Does he have a sponsor? I definately wouldn't shoot a "Miller Lite" sponsored pigeon.

First off, i don't shoot pigeons and don't plan to, but i do have problem with some of your statements.

Please provide a link stating Homing Pigeons are protected under TX state law and how we're to identify the difference.

Taking young Pigeons out and training them around this time of year, seems a little foolish in my opinion.

As for your Whooping Crane comment, their easily identifiable and federally protected.


[Unfortunately this is the time of year that we race our pigeons]
Then if one of your Pigeons get shot, seems like you'd be the one i would hold responsible. I can't think of a more ridiculous time of year to be training.

if it flies it dies,I rest my case.

Do ya breast pigion like dove?
I guess you would cook them the same as well.

"The only birds not protected by any state or federal law are European starlings, English sparrows, feral rock doves (common pigeon - Columba livia) and Eurasian collared-doves; these species may be killed at any time, their nests or eggs destroyed, and their feathers may be possessed."

Straight from TPWD Outdoor Annual

So, we not only kill the pigeons, but we are encouraged to destroy the nest and eggs as well. This is going to be a fun weekend.

Eurasian Collared Dove

This area out here is getting over run with them, I've never seen then in the fields, but the town is loaded. I feed about 50-60 out in front of my office. Behind my house i feed about 100, with about 200 Whitewings mixed in. Never shot one, only because I've not had the opportunity too, but i can only imagine, their as good or better than Mourning or Whitewings and substantially larger than both.

I noticed our poster and what i suspect may have been his Buddie or the same poster on another PC has left us, what a shame. I really wanted to know how to tell the difference between Homing Pigeons and Feral's. If it was as easy as he claimed, there shouldn't have been a problem.
My gut tells me some of our responces are now being posted on a racing Pigeon Forum.

Texas Sage,

Can you post your number so we can report the bands?

Is there a certificate, or anything?

Phish-TX

Just in case y'all are interested. Scroll up and check out Love Birds response.
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?p=151659#post151659

I would be proud of my little pigeon if he came home with a little war scar.

Dang, it is dove season and half the guys hunting probably haven't shot anything in their life and the other half has been patiently waiting months. Fly them some other time like before Sept. 1. I ain't going to shoot a pigeon but a new guy I am taking hunting might.

Train them to shy away from the mojo and you should be alright.


I think I am going to cry... http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=17214
Guess they never had a cat attack birds and bring them home to show their trophy...

Yea, You'd think the ones that make it through hunting season would be the "Quality Breeding Stock". That is what "I" would want in the military version anyway.

All others are bacon wrapped, culls.

Phish-TX

DOWN HERE HE BETTER HAVE BULLET PROOF JACKET AND A HARD HAT...IS THIS REALLY A SPORT? I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING...