# Are doves color blind?



## 85LoneStar (Feb 26, 2006)

I'm taking my two boys (12 & 14) dove hunting this weekend with three of my cousins. Since there are so many of us, I thought I would not hunt and walk with the boys to try and keep them safe. I trust my boys but I haven't hunted with my cousins before and 5 or 6 hunters can get crowded.

So, I was thinking of me and the boys wearing our blaze-orange camo hats we wear while deer hunting.

Do you think the orange will scare the birds?

Thanks,
Scott


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## troy merrill (May 21, 2004)

Might not scare them on the opener, when most birds have never been shot at. By day two you'll need something less flashy.


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## fatrat82 (Feb 27, 2006)

you might also just try picking out a tree to sit under and pass shoot the doves. That way people are not walking into each others shooting lane.


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## deebo (May 22, 2004)

what kind of dove hunting are you doing that involves walking? the only walking i do is to pick up a bird. set up with everyone in their spots and make sure everyone is a safe distance apart and most importnatly knows where the others are sitting. there shouldnt be any problem.


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## 85LoneStar (Feb 26, 2006)

deebo said:


> what kind of dove hunting are you doing that involves walking?


We'll be hunting north of Austin. The first time I was there, many years ago, we walked through many acres of mesquite trees, basically flushing the doves as we went.
The last time however, we sat around a fence line and a stock tank and waited.

I'm not sure what version it will be this year. I quess it depends on how well the birds are moving.

I've been told that they come to water best in the evening.


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## coxhw (Jun 7, 2007)

Make sure you and your boys are wearing shooting glasses. I almost caught a 7-1/2 in my left eye last year. It's a good thing I had glasses on.


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## deebo (May 22, 2004)

Lonestar, if you are walking and flushing birds, flame orange is a GREAT idea for the boys! You are more or less quail hunting when you do that, and flame orange is a must when walking up any kind of bird in the brush. Even though the birds might see the orange, that shouldnt matter since you are flushing them. 

As far as evening tank hunting, i would skip the flame orange, but definitly make sure everyone is well spread out, and that everyone knows EXACTLY where everyone is. that is the key to it. Glasses are also a must have in my opinion. When we hunt small tanks in the evening, lots of time we sit 2 hunters together to fit more people at the tank with safe distences apart. Lots of time you get bigger flocks coming in at night so people can sit together and still get plenty of shooting. Dove hunting is a blast, but keep it safe. I appreciate you thinking about safety for the boys.


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## Chunky (Oct 15, 2006)

First, I believe all birds can see color.

That being said, especially early in the season, should not be a big deal. Movement is just as bad as the color.

The real point here is safety first always. So what if it cost you a bird or two, the pleasure is not measured in the size of the bag, but the adventure and time spent together.


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

I know that doves and pigeons see in the ultraviolet range.


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## Aggieangler (May 28, 2004)

Are you on a day lease North of Austin? I am always looking for more spots as an option close to home. If you are, would you mind PM'ing me the contact info to look into a spot later in the season? I have a place to hunt the opener.


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

I heard that doves definitely can not see pink, it makes you invisible to them. For your boys I would recommend the blaze orange, but for you guys hunting crowded leases or public this weekend I would recommend decking out in all pink to give yourself an advantage over the masses.


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## troy merrill (May 21, 2004)

capn said:


> I heard that doves definitely can not see pink, it makes you invisible to them. For your boys I would recommend the blaze orange, but for you guys hunting crowded leases or public this weekend I would recommend decking out in all pink to give yourself an advantage over the masses.


That's an excellent idea. I was not aware of that. Thanks!


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

capn said:


> I heard that doves definitely can not see pink, it makes you invisible to them. For your boys I would recommend the blaze orange, but for you guys hunting crowded leases or public this weekend I would recommend decking out in all pink to give yourself an advantage over the masses.


I heard they can not see bunny ears either Capn! bwaaahaaa


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## Slightly Dangerous (May 21, 2004)

Got this bit of intelligence from the bird people:

Cells called *cones* are also present in eyes. Cones allow the brain to perceive colors. A human may have 10,000 cones per square millimeter while some birds may have up to 120,000 per square millimeter! Nocturnal birds who have the extremely high concentration of rods will have very few cones - it is much more important to be able to see in low light and not very important to distinguish colors. On the other hand, birds who forage and feed in the daylight see colors very clearly from far off. It's been said that a hummingbird can spot red flowers from over a half mile away.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

I know that they see the color blue and hate it. Don't know about orange though.

TH


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## 85LoneStar (Feb 26, 2006)

capn said:


> . . . but for you guys hunting crowded leases or public this weekend I would recommend decking out in all pink to give yourself an advantage over the masses.


And perhaps stop at all airports and rest stops on the way home?


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## LandLocked (Apr 28, 2005)

Yes, they can see orange. They also will detect movement and after being shot at a few times by something orange that moves will avoid getting to close. 

I would have your boys wear the orange, and suggest your cousins and yourself do as well, if they have not done very much hunting. Most of the hunting accidents I have either seen or heard about resulted from someone dove hunting from a fixed location, dove stool, following a bird and squeezing off a round in the direction of someone who was moving and just so happened to be in a different location.

Long pants, long sleave shirts, hats and glasses should be worn. All of these will help if a stray #8 comes there way. Tell your boys to be mindfull of others around them. Tell them to keep a mental notation of the location of everyone at all times. Tell them to observe the other hunters. You can usually tell right off the bat if someone is a loose cannon. Someone that is getting overly excited, squeezing off rounds as fast as they can pull the trigger etc. are the type of folks you want to have some distance from. Be careful when hunting over water. Pellets can skip over water. Seen a couple of folks take a stray pellets when this happened.

If you plan on hunting this area later in the season I would recommend against walking through the mesquites. Your busting their roost when you do that. Take a pair of binoculars. There should be a feeding field/area close by. They will be trading out from the roost (mesquites) and the feeding fields. Very common for them to funnel in and out over a small area. Find that tradeing area and your in business. PLUS, none of the birds would have been shot at in areas where they either roost, feed or water. They will have no real reason to vacate the area.

Before the hunt, have a no BS safety meeting with everyone involved.


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## Topwater blowup (Feb 20, 2006)

They definately can see the color BLUE. good luck and safe hunting to all.


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