16 
Distribution from Central Management Unit States 
(All Doves) 
Direct recovery data for all doves have been combined 
to illustrate general distribution from each CMU State. The 
information in this section is summarized in Tables A-18 
and A-28 and pertains to direct recoveries only. 
Central Management Unit — General 
Of the 332,314 bands placed on doves in the CMU during 
the study period, 5,266 direct recoveries were obtained. Of 
these, 4,134 (79%) were made in the CMU, 292 (6%) in 
the EMU, and 48 (1%) in the WMU. The Southern Zone 
accounted for 792 (15% ) of the recoveries; Mexico reported 
the most (695, 13%). Birds banded in Montana had the 
lowest proportion of recoveries taken in the CMU (39%) 
and those from Arkansas and South Texas had the highest 
(94%), 
Montana. — Slightly more than 13,000 mourning doves 
were banded. Because hunting was not allowed in the State 
throughout the period, all 97 direct recoveries of doves 
banded in Montana were from outside the State. Thirty- 
nine percent of the recoveries were from other States of the 
CMU, chiefly Colorado (22%) and New Mexico (10%); 
17% were from the WMU, mainly California (7%) and 
Arizona (5%). The largest proportion of recoveries from 
Montana occurred in Mexico (43%), especially in the 
Western Highlands (39%). Only one recovery was made 
south of Mexico (Guatemala). 
North Dakota. —Over 15,000 mourning doves were 
banded, from which 121 direct recoveries were reported. 
Hunting also was not allowed in North Dakota during the 
study period and recoveries were all from out of State. Over 
half of the recoveries were reported from other reference 
areas of the CMU, particularly North Texas (24%) and 
South Texas (17%). Nearly 40% of the recoveries of birds 
banded in North Dakota came from the Southern Zone 
(Mexico 27% and Central America 10%). The Western 
Highlands of Mexico constituted a particularly important 
recovery location (21%), but birds were also recovered in 
four Central American countries (Guatemala 4% , El Sal- 
vador 3% , Honduras 1% , and Nicaragua 3%). Less than 
8% of the recoveries came from the EMU (6%) and the 
WMU (2%) combined. 
Minnesota. — Minnesota also was a non-hunting State 
during the study. More than 25,000 doves were banded 
from which 271 out-of-State recoveries were reported. 
About 44% of these recoveries came from other areas of 
the CMU, principally North Texas (16%) and South Texas 
(23%). Equal proportions of birds banded in Minnesota 
were recovered in the EMU (26%) and Mexico (26%). Prin- 
cipal EMU States of recovery were Louisiana (11%) and 
Florida (5%); in Mexico, the Western Highlands were 
important (20%). Less than 4% of the recoveries were re- 
ported from Central America, but they came from four dif- 
ferent countries. 
South Dakota. — More doves (nearly 48,000) were banded 
in South Dakota than any other CMU State during the study 
period. Dove hunting seasons were permitted during 
1967-72 but not during 1973-74. Despite the two non- 
hunting years, 564 (62% ) of the 917 direct recoveries were 
reported from South Dakota. Other CMU reference areas 
accounted for 21% of the recoveries (North Texas 8%, 
South Texas 9% , New Mexico 2%, Kansas 1%, all others 
1%). The Southern Zone was an important harvest area 
(15% of the recoveries). Mexico accounted for 13% of the 
total, mainly in the Western Highlands (11%), and five 
Central American countries tallied a combined 2%. The 
EMU, particularly the Gulf Coast States, was responsible 
for 2% of the recoveries from South Dakota, whereas the 
WMU had less than 1%. 
Wyoming. — Wyoming had open hunting seasons on 
mourning doves during 4 of the 10 years of the study 
(1973-76). About 7,000 birds were banded from which 39 
were direct recoveries, only 4 (10%) of which were taken 
in Wyoming. The two CMU States directly south of Wyo- 
ming accounted for 23% of the recoveries (Colorado 10% , 
New Mexico 13%) and Mexico accounted for nearly half, 
specifically the Western Highlands (36%) and the North- 
west Coast (10%). About 10% of the recoveries were re- 
ported from the WMU. 
Nebraska. — Over 26,000 mourning doves were banded 
and 171 were reported as direct recoveries. Since this State 
did not allow mourning dove seasons during 1967-74 (the 
banding period), all direct recoveries were taken out of 
State. Nearly half of these recoveries were reported from 
other CMU States, particularly Texas (North and South 
Texas, 21% each); 2% were taken in the EMU. The South- 
ern Zone was an important harvest area with 44% of the 
recoveries reported from Mexico and 6% from Central 
America. The Western and Central Highlands areas of 
Mexico accounted for 37 and 4%, respectively. 
Towa, — About 24,000 mourning doves were banded and 
204 direct recoveries were reported. All recoveries were 
from out of State since Iowa also allowed no hunting of 
doves during the study period. Over half of Iowa’s re- 
coveries (51%) were reported from other CMU States; most 
of these were from Texas (North Texas 20% and South 
Texas 24%). Other prominent CMU recovery States were 
Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas (5% combined). The 
EMU was an important harvest area for birds banded in 
lowa, accounting for nearly 30% of the recoveries, par- 
ticularly in Gulf Coast States (Louisiana 12% , Florida 6% , 
Alabama 4%, and Georgia 3%). The Southern Zone 
accounted for about 20% of the recoveries; the Western 
Highlands of Mexico (10%) and Guatemala (3% ) were the 
most prominent. 
Missouri. — About 21,000 mourning doves were banded. 
Hunting seasons were allowed throughout the period and 
667 direct recoveries were obtained, of which 485 (73%) 
were taken in Missouri. Other reference areas in the CMU 
accounted for 8% of the recoveries, principally North Texas 
