Where do South Carolina doves come from?
Although doves are a migratory species, the majority of doves harvested in South Carolina are resident birds. The resident birds breed in South Carolina, and may spend their entire lives within the state’s boundaries. Of 559 recoveries of doves banded in South Carolina between 2003 and 2007, only 38 (6.8%) have occurred in states other than South Carolina. These out-of-state recoveries include 27 recoveries in Georgia, 4 in North Carolina, 3 in Florida, and 1 each in the states of Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Louisiana. During that same time period (2003-2007), 19 doves banded in other states were recovered in South Carolina. These recoveries include 6 birds banded in Pennsylvania, 2 from Ohio, 2 from Missouri, 2 from Maryland, and 1 each from the states of Georgia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana.
