"Norther Birds"

I understand doves are migratory, but what exactly is a "Northern bird"? How do you know when they are here? When the dove we shoot here opening week dont have milk on their lips?

are most us already done dove hunting by the time they get here?

Mine usually show up late September and all through October, when the cool fronts start pushing through. When the northerns show up is when I start hunting. They come in waves, seems there are some on every front. But if you get a really rare cold front, it will blow them all out and head them south.

Norther birds are usually birds that migrate down and are mature birds and not the "first year" and local birds we see all over Texas on the opener. They will migrate down later in the season and then usually eat all your corn under your feeder during deer season. The second season for dove in the winter usually people shoot a lot more of the "norther birds".

Just me, but I think you can watch the fronts; especially a really cold one. I don’t see those fronts early in September.
The northern dove will be more blue, they will always be bigger, they are all about the same size, no pin feathers, they are stronger. When you breast them, their meat looks lighter; not dark like local birds. It’s almost like they have been grain fed to make the hard trip. You will always see yellow fat on their breast; another reason they are good. And they will come in large groups and leave in 2 or 3 days. My opinion.

Dad always told me they were bigger birds and you will notice the difference.

This.

They require a different dove whistle as well. Has a less twangy tone.

So a day or 2 before the front, on the front, or after? I am still trying to get that timing sown. Mixed results.

It's one of those Oklahoman whistles. Or maybe a Kansas whistle. Either way, it's hard to make that sound without the Texan coming through.

I call a ln outdoors store in each state and get one shipped so I cover all bases.

They will be larger in body size and most will have that purple tint on their upper breast feathers. Local birds will have the same cream/tan color on their breast

great and interesting info guys, thank you.

BTW, I ordered a Kansas dove whistle off Amazon

I would think their migration logic is the same as ducks in that they are looking for the easiest way to migrate. I'm thinking the day after a front blows through. Whether they stop or not, and for how long, is the question.



Be sure and pay the import tax on that Kansas whistle. And don't hurt yourself trying to imitate those jayhawk dove. I still haven't recovered from last year.



Being a vestigal product of Iowa, I'm going to say those are Iowa dove. Clearly not Oklahoman. Oklahoma doves are small and scrawny and look like refugees from Bangladesh.

Seriously, every year I say I'm going to hunt dove during the second split. But by then the seeds are gone and fields all mowed and I am at a loss to know where to go.