Dove Hunting in Wyoming

[MT2000]

I'm probably going to be moving from South Texas to Wyoming in the next year and have some questions about dove hunting in Wyoming. My first question is: is there even enough dove in Wyoming to hunt them? I'll be moving to North Central Wyoming near Buffalo if that matters. My second question is how many dove are there in Wyoming (not an exact number, but an answer like a little, a lot, or some would be sufficient)? And lastly, what method of hunting do you use? Walk them up, sit on a bucket and wait, etc?

 

[osprey176]

That's fairly dry country up there,I'd look for water. Stock tanks in pastures are what antelope use,and the local ranchers may not charge you to hunt dove. When you get moved,start asking around, the locals in small towns are normally pretty friendly.

 

[MT2000]

There's a river that flows about 200 yards from the land I'd be moving to, and there's three large cottonwoods (some the only ones in sight) about 10 feet from the fence, so is there a chance I could catch dove flying to roost or drink even if I'm on my land?

 

[Art Eatman]

Doves prefer trees from which they can see out and around. Rarely will they land within quite-leafy trees. But they will go to water, and briefly into whatever lookout tree is there.

I'd talk to the neighboring landowner about access, so you could more easily be in range of any incoming doves.

 

[Patocazador]

If a cold front comes through, that will be the end of your dove hunting. My brother lives in Montana and seldom gets more than a week's worth of shooting before cold pushes them all south.

If there's only 3 trees around, they will use them. Eastern Wyoming has very few trees until you get into the foothills of the Bighorns.

 

[1KPerDay]

Short answer is no, it won't be anything like Texas. But there are doves here in the west, and tons of eurasians. Well, tons by comparison with the mourning doves.

As noted, hunt where there's water. Be ready... if you get your limit it's a good day.

I've only gone a few times but I usually walk around and look for them. You can try a sit/flyover position but that's never worked for me. Most of the few I've gotten have flushed out of the sagebrush or sunflower fields.

 

[Don McDowell]

Dove hunting around Buffalo and that part of the world probably won't amount to much. The better hunting is in the east central and southeast corner of the state. There must of been 3 miles of power line just wall to wall doves when I came home from town the other day. But with the Sept 1 season opener and the classical early cold front that usually comes thru dove shooting is usually short.
Setting around water source near fields is probably the most productive technique. There are so many other things to hunt around this part of the world doves just don't drive folks as hard as they do further south.

 

[Coyote3855]

It was 49 degrees with drizzle this morning in Cheyenne. All the doves went to Texas.

 

[Don McDowell]

There might be a few with their Carharts on holding out, but by the time the second wave of this front goes thru, dove season will be a non event yet again...