[ArmedBear]

I've heard from longtime hunters that doves have no color vision. However, I've always understood that color vision was characteristic of all birds.

Do some birds have no color vision, or reduced color perception like dogs?

Or is that a mistaken belief?

[MCgunner]

Didn't take ornithology being I was a fisheries type, but I seem to recall birds have color vision except for perhaps raptors, owls, night hunters. I would suspect owls to be color blind because they hunt at night and need the rod cells in the retina. I would think birds like dove and water fowl who move by day would need the visual acuity of color vision.

I think doves just have bird brains. LOL They are pretty stupid. You can be sittin' by the truck jumpin' around and they'll fly right over you. Later in the season, though, even doves wise up.

[ArmedBear]

Later in the season, though, even doves wise up.

Not as of late Friday night.:D

[MCgunner]

Have you ever noticed after a few weeks of season, when you draw down on a dove, it starts all these jive snipe like dodging tactics? I swear I've had 'em duck right when I pulled the trigger. They seem to learn exactly when to dodge. They do learn, eventually. LOL Opening weekend, they just fly right into the shot pattern. Later on, they become aerobatic flyers.

[ArmedBear]

Pigeons, yes. Oh yes.

And late, late in the year (we have two dove seasons), the doves definitely "jink." That's the local term for it here. Actually, they did that on opening day, too. I'm just kidding.

However, after shooting at the iridescent flying varmints, I think game doves are easy, even when they jink. Not that I hit them every time, or anything, but I don't waste as many boxes just to hit a few.:) Pigeons REALLY do evasive maneuvers when they see you.