Story from Texas Dove Hunters Association
Another year has passed, and the Texas BB Challenge continues to grow not only in entries but in prizes and number of bands turned in. With now nearly 3,000 Eurasian Collared Dove having been banded and released the odds of winning get better and better.
In 2021 we had 61 bands reported and of those 61 people reporting their band, 16 were entered in the contest. Each year we release 800 more birds in random areas in Texas. Over the years these areas are selected by differing habitats and hunting pressures, the results help us study the birds desire to move around and why. The easiest data to collect is time and distance traveled but we are also very interested in why. Most of the time it is the available food source in the area, but we also look at prominent hunting areas and weather. They are released in places such as East Texas in heavily wooded areas and very little grain being grown in places like Southwest Texas where the habitat is mostly brush, cactus and mesquite.
Each year birds are harvested and reported from all over the state, but one interesting result that surprises us more each year is that to date, not one bird has been reported from outside the state of Texas. Do they stay in Texas? We literally release birds all over the state including bordering towns around the state lines like Brownsville, Laredo, El Paso, Odessa, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, Texarkana and Beaumont. The bands are very generic and only say “TBBC winner,” with a phone number and band ID number.
Aside from the contest, the research findings we are able to pull together based on the data collected from each band turned in are providing more valuable results every year. Now, having completed our fourth year of collecting data, the findings continue to provide unexpected results. Three of the four 2019 bands reported this year had traveled about 400 miles to reach the Lubbock area where they were initially trapped. Directionally the majority of the bands reported are headed north. This is where we examine the dominate habitat from where they are released in comparison to those who hardly move at all. Instinctively, the birds that seemingly move due to habitat preference are headed north, very few are heading south where a lot of the same grains are planted and a shorter distance. As we pay closer attention to their migration tendencies some patterns are beginning to form but with more time the results will become more clear.
The contest itself is a season-long event from opening day of September 1 to December 31. It is open to anyone hunting dove in Texas with a Texas hunting license. In 2021 there were 61 bands turned in of which 16 of the hunters were entered in the contest. You must be entered prior to harvesting the bird and willing to submit a polygraph if/when asked. There are four different divisions in the contest, the prize division, the Outfitter division, the First Flight high school division and the First Flight youth division.
PRIZE DIVISION:
Polaris Ranger: Diron Holt, Donated by Hoffpauir Outdoor Superstore
Scimitar Horned Oryx Hunt: Mark Brittain, Donated by Record Buck Ranch
Hybrid Sheep Hunt: Ricky Spradley, Donated by G2 Ranch
Ultimate Dove Hunting Packages (2): Jose Montes and Justin Sharp, Donated by Negrini, Chama Chair, Briley, Frio, Blake Jones Designs, Bird Down Brand, Peregrine Field Gear, Dove Cord, Cowboys Wild Game Washer and White Winged Fields Outfitter
$500 McKenna Quinn Gift Card: Gery Keller, Donated by McKenna Quinn
(2) Vaquero Chairs: Jacob Calloway, Donated by Chama Chair
Chambless Game Totes: Allen Glenn, Donated by Chambless Game Totes
TDHA Custom Frio Cedar Ice Chest: Kenna Arthur, Donated by Frio
TDHA Lifetime Membership: Daryll Gremillion, Donated by Blake Jones Designs and Negrini
Cowboys Wild Game Washer Pack: Cameron Orear, Donated by Cowboys Wild Game Washer
TDHA Field Pack: Mike Martin, Donated by Peregrine Field Gear, Bird Down Brand and Negrini
Ultimate Gun Rest: Barton McLaughlin, Noe Perez, Fidelio Salinas, Donated by Bird Down Brand
All winners in the Prize Division also received a Dove Rack donated by Hunter Orange
OUTFITTERS DIVISION:
Trophy trout fishing trip in Baffin Bay: Mark Roberts of Mark Roberts Dove Hunts, Donated by Baffin Bay Rod & Gun Club
Early Bird Prize; Browning Maxus shotgun: Brook Owens, Provided by TDHA
Social Media Promo Prize; Bird Bag Belt: Mike Browning, Donated by Blake Jones Designs
All 61 hunters that reported bands, received a one-year membership to Texas Dove Hunters Association. Each hunter also received a certificate on the band that they had harvested giving details on the study for that particular bird.
Each year more birds will be trapped, banded, and released in Texas. Bands do not expire from one year to the next, increasing the odds of winning. Hunters must enter annually in order to be eligible to win. The entry fee is $20. The 2022 Texas BB Challenge entries will go on sale June 1, 2021 and can be purchased online at bandedbirdchallenge.com or by calling the office at 210-764-1189. Don’t go to the field without your entry in the BB Challenge!
