doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Winter doves, anybody seen any?

95% mourning doves in south GA. We had what appeared to me to be a spike in ringnecks a few years ago, especially around built up areas. I suspect my city has carried out some kind of clandestine eradication judging by local observation...Geo

still seeing some at the bird feeder....

Stan I understand your point completely. If you have birds working a field you can concentrate them with a Mojo. I use one on a 18' conduit pole. Like to put it along a hedge row where they work through a shallow point or on a hill in the center of the field. It just draws them like a magnet to funnel them into my shooting zone.

We have a good number of birds right now with zero hunting pressure. You just need to find where the migration is roosting if you can't find where they are feeding. With so much feed around I work backwards. Have a thicket with a lot of Eastern Cedar trees in it that holds dove well in cold weather. But as we all know Dove are where you find them this time of year.

Steve, in my area of GA the ratio is nearer 99% mourning and 1% Eurasians. We go to shoots often and though we may see hundreds of doves coming into the field to feed, we won't see the first Eurasian. Then, next place we may see two or three.

SRH

Regarding the 18' pole, a mojo dove mimics a bird lighting at the moment it is landing to feed, not one flying over the countryside. Having it up 18' in the air is not necessary as long as it's visible from above, which all birds are when in flight. I think folks make the mistake that the higher the mojo is the further it'll pull birds in from a long ways off. I see this alot so please don't take offense.

No offense taken. I'm trying to turn Dove towards me, not trying to get them to land. In that situation having a Mojo up high where, it gets a lot of attention, helps. Putting one down low does little if the Dove is on the other side of the hedge row or can't see it at all.

I use to have six mounted Dove on an old style antenna atop a ten foot pole. Put that up with a few decoys on the ground in the field you could pull all the birds your way. Dove, even in Winter time, like to sit on the edge of a field in a tree or along a wire and rest while they look it over. I'm just trying to get them to focus their attention to where I'd like them to go.

The problem I and many others have with Mojos down low is that they suck birds down too low, where they are not safe to shoot. I don't want a Dove landing ten yards away from me I want them flying at full speed 20-30 yards out. Preferably with a tail wind so they mimic teal over decoys at Mach 2. It's not about the bag it's about the shot. And eight birds on a bitter cold day, with winds of 25 plus, pushing birds fast and crazy all over the place, counts more to me than two limits taken.

No question dove are very drawn to decoys. I agree that probably the best way is to use stationary ones as high up as you can get them, because like you say they love to loaf on a high wire before entering a field.

I just wonder what a dove thinks when it sees a mojo way up there in the air, like it's landing into thin air. Hey, if it works then great.

I also agree I don't like them swooping down too low to land near a mojo. I always position mine up well beyond where I'm set up so it draws them in range but they are still moving at mach1 speed. I get satisfaction taking them high and fast.

case maker,

I've been using Mojos since they were first offered for sale, and I must agree with KYJon. I use a tall pole when a center pivot is not available, after being given one by Gil. They work amazingly better than on a short one.

No offense taken, just differing experience. Another advantage to a high placement, you don't have to worry about low birds nearly as much. And, that's a big problem with low placement.

SRH

What I really hate is a 3rd season foggy daylight shoot with someone who puts a Mojo on the short stand they come with. I've left the field when I see that going on. And prayed no one I'm fond of gets sprayed...Geo

As one who has been shot to the point of drawing blood, twice, I especially agree with you, Geo. Doves will literally come in under the radar and try to light on the spinning wing Mojo stand. If it's two feet off the ground, that's trouble.

SRH