Mourning Dove Ecology and Habitat Management Resources for Landowners

Wildlife Management: Mourning Doves

Though the Mourning dove is a migratory bird, coming through the Southeast in early fall through winter, some birds will remain in Mississippi year-round. Providing ample habitat for this species will help to encourage this popular game bird to remain on your property. Doves require "grit" for digestion, feed on the seeds of forbs, grasses, and small grains, and prefer clean ground to feed upon. Managing your fields for dove requires careful attention to federal and state regulations.

These resources have been compiled from various resources and agencies and are provided here for educational purposes only. Please if you find information that needs to be updated, broken links, or if you have an additional resource you feel is pertinent.

Mourning Dove Management for Landowners
Mississippi State University Extension Service . Managing fields for mourning dove hunting is a relatively cost effective natural-resource based enterprise that does not require large amounts of land. This publication discusses the population, mating habits and life history of mourning doves and how to identify other types of doves. Where mourning doves nest and what they eat is also discussed as well as what to plant and what these food plots will cost. Information on the importance of purchasing liability insurance and following hunting regulations is provided. What to charge for hunting and a list of things the hunter should expect is also given.

Wildlife Food Planting Guide for the Southeast
Mississippi State University Extension Service. This guide provides information on food planting and habitat management practices. It covers disturbances that can benefit wildlife if handled properly including disking, mowing and prescribed burning. The importance of openings is also discussed. Habitat and food necessities for white-tailed deer, eastern wild turkeys, bobwhite quail, mourning doves, and waterfowl are given. A combination of supplemental forages in food planting is often necessary, as well as testing soil quality, fertilizing and liming. The location, size and shape of food plots as well as how to prepare them and which plants to use is included. An extensive guide on planting materials is given.

Proper Care of Harvested Mourning Doves from Field to Table
Mississippi State University Extension Service. This publication provides tips on how to store harvested doves until you are ready to clean them, when and how to clean them, and how to store the doves until you are ready to cook them. Several recipes for mourning doves are also given.

Mourning Doves

Mourning doves are medium-sized migratory birds that range from Alaska to most of South America. Recent surveys estimate there are approximately 500 million doves in the United States. Their song is a low-toned, mournful cooah, coo, coo, coo. The call of doves is a common sound in rural and suburban backyards, although it can easily go unnoticed. Although mourning doves are migratory birds, they will stay in warm climates, such as Mississippi, year-round. Whether they migrate or stay in one place year-round depends on their habitat and forage needs being met and the early winter’s not being too severe. Read more about the life history of the Mourning Dove.


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	Mississippi State University • Mississippi State University Extension Service • MSU-ES Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Forest and Wildlife Research Center • Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station