mourning dove?

[quivira kid]

Hey all, I'm new here... been lurking for a month or so. I've learned a LOT from the site so far. Has anyone ever used dove feathers for anything? Which feathers? Any advice will be welcomed!

Zac

[Flyrodde]

Welcome aboard. No experience with dove feathers myself, but I have found that most feathers have a use for something.

[flyandtie]

Is it legal to use dove?
And no I havn't ever used it.

[ducksterman]

Should be for certain people....there's a season on them....

[alra195]

Dove are no different than any other miratory bird you're allowed to hunt. I've used some of the breast, flank and back feathers for collars on nymphs. Makes very buggy looking legs. If you plan to hunt some you may as well add a few to your tying supplies.

[quivira kid]

Is it legal to use dove?
And no I havn't ever used it.

Oh yeah... just like any migratory duck or goose. Now if it were robin or something, no. I went and got a few tonight and didn't save any feathers, as they were pretty roughed up. I'll try and get a few nice ones tomorrow. Thanks for the input.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

As already mentiioned, the breast and back feathers should do nicely for soft hackles and spiders, as would the undercovert feathers on the wings. Don't hunt the ones by the house. My wife feeds them and we enjoy their song.

REE

[EdD]

The wing feathers can be dyed yellow and split down the quill to make a modern dressing of the old Yaller Hammer flies so beloved for so long in Southern Appalachia.

Ed

[Donald Nicolson]

I don't know much about the North American doves/pigeons, but for quite a few years I tried to
obtain Wood Pigeon skins or feathers, the colours looked great, nice pale greys etc.
I know that thousands of them are shot and eaten every year here in the UK, but I could not
find a supplier who had any. When I read G. E. M. Skues on the subject of usefull feathers for
fly dressing, I found out why there were none for sale.

This is a quote from his list -

Pigeon, Wood. - This bird affords a number of beautiful blue feathers of colours that look admirable, whether one resorts to neck or wing, or back. But there is a harshness, a stiffness and opacity, and a tendency to split about the feathers which are characteristics common to all the feathers of the pigeon tribe, rendering them very disappointing to the dresser. Still, they are given in some of the books, and, without recommending them, the writer feels bound to give them. For all purposes for which the lighter coloured feathers of the woodpigeon can be used, the feathers of the common gulls and sea swallows are greatly to be preferred.

Pigeon, Domestic, and other Varieties. - The hackle from the glossy neck of a ruddy brown pigeon is used for a Derbyshire pattern called the Whistler. The wings of white varieties can be used for the Coachman and other white winged flies. But see remarks under ?Pigeon, Wood.?

If you have a free source of dove feathers, go ahead and try them, you have nothing to loose.
Personally, I intend to take Skues advice and use something else.

[bowfin47]

WEBBED FEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If a magratory bird does NOT have WEBBED FEET, you CAN NOT sell, barter, trade, give or otherwise distribute those feathers!!!!

Dove, Rails, Coots, American Woodcock and other NON-web footed birds fall under this category.

If YOU are the HUNTER, then you MAY posses and use those feathers, BUT in the USA, YOU CANNOT GIVE that fly to ANYONE ELSE!!!!!!! NOR can anyone give any of those feathers to YOU!!!

Just think of anything that is not a duck, goose, or starling as ILLEGAL, just like a robin, blue jay, woodpecker, eagle, gull, owl, hawk, cardinal, hummingbird, heron, oreole, or vertually any other raptor, songbird, or other bird native to the USA!

This also applies to picking up those loose feathers from the ground! If they didn't come from a duck or other webbed footed bird.....

Damn, people read the law!

It doesn't matter what YOUR OPINION is.

The FEDERAL AGENTS only care about the LAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am always amazed at the opinions that float around about this subject and the number of people who refuse to listen to tyers who are passing along such sound advice...

Bowfin47

PS

Yes. Donald, I realize that you live in Scotland and are subject to very, very different laws.