Yesterday was the rare occasion that I manage to squeeze in time to train a friend's Spotted Dove. It has been with me for moons now & this is the second time I took him on an outing. 2 other Spotted Dove trapper was with me. Catching up with them on what is happening in their circle of members & manage to test out my new foldable chair from Coleman. Next to include in the accessories is a cooler box to chill some beer ;-)
foot note: the Spotted Dove is a popularly kept bird in this region. There are two types being kept. One for its song for competition purposes. Another for purposes of catching the wild birds. The wild Spotted Dove is of no value in song competitions. They are kept for home listening purposes and to be trained as a "pikat"- lure to catch the wild birds.
To the undiscerning, their voice sounds similar, but to an aficionado, there are many varieties of call.
Training as a "pikat" simply entails getting the bird used to travelling, pitched on the ground or a trap cage depending on preference. The bird should sing almost immediately to call for the wild birds in the area and change its tempo & calling tones as the wild bird approaches. Finally , luring the wild birds for a one on one fight on the ground which is booby trapped with tiny lassos ;-)
...... I can't resist telling this.... the hardcore trappers of such birds could be out in the jungle/field from morning till dusk at every available opportunity. From stories, they were likely the ones who find bodies of murdered victims dumped in jungles, second only to the local workers in the area :-D
The wild caught Spotted Dove are worthless monetarily, selling them would often not enough to even cover the fuel cost of travelling (unless you use mist net to mass harvest). But its in the fun and joy of trapping them that hobbyists are addicted to. Addicted in the real sense of the word ;-)
- Time you enjoy wasting wasn't wasted -
