
Fig. 1. Mourning doves frequently select evergreens, such as this 
spruce, as nesting sites in early spring. This adult male is feed- 
ing two squabs, Minnesota. (Photo by R. Bennett, USDA-SCS). 
Management Unit Concept 
In the early 1950's, biologists recognized the need for 
separate management of specific mourning dove popula- 
tions throughout the United States. Wight (1954) pointed 
out that the flyways developed for waterfowl regulation 
(Lincoln 1935) were unsuitable for mourning dove man- 
agement. He further urged that an analysis of mourning 
dove banding data be conducted to delineate functional 
units for this species. In response to this and other appeals, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published an analysis 
of the then existent banding records for mourning doves 
in the United States (Kiel 1959). Kiel concluded that there 
were three clearly defined areas within the country which 
contained mourning dove populations that were largely 
independent of each other. He suggested that these three 
zones be considered as separate management units. As a 
result, the Eastern (EMU), Central (CMU), and Western 
(WMU) management units (Fig. 3) were established as 
Operational entities by 1960 (Kiel 1961) and management 
decisions have been made within those boundaries since 
then, 

m_ carolinensis 
FA Zone of overlap 
Fig. 2. Breeding range of the mourning dove (Aldrich and Duvall 
1958; Godfrey 1966; Leopold 1972; Salt and Salt 1976; Arm- 
strong 1977; D. Bystrack, personal communication). 
WESTERN 



CENTRAL 
‘aaa, 
wi NON-HUNTING STATES 
CL] HUNTING STATES 
Fig. 3. Boundaries of Western, Central, and Eastern mourning 
dove management units. Hunting and non-hunting status of 
various States are indicated, 1967-72. Nebraska, Ohio, and Wyo- 
ming allowed hunting seasons during some years after 1972; 
South Dakota discontinued dove hunting between 1972 and 
1977, 
Population Monitoring 
Mourning dove breeding populations are monitored 
annually by a series of randomly selected call-count routes 
in the United States. Currently, there are more than 1,000 
