Seven special-opportunity dove fields will be open to the public this season through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s special-opportunity Dove Club Program.

Beginning 10 a.m. (EDT) July 1, sportsmen can purchase Dove Club permits by submitting a completed Special-Opportunity Dove Club Permit Worksheet to any county tax collector’s office or authorized license agent.  Permits also can be bought online at www.wildlifelicense.com or by calling toll-free 1-888-HUNT-FLORIDA (486-8356).  Worksheets are available on the Web at MyFWC.com/hunting under “Special-Opportunity.”

Dove Club permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and as long as they remain, the deadline to purchase them is 11:59 p.m. (EDT) Sept. 9.

The permit allows one adult and one youth (under age 16) to participate in all scheduled hunts (up to eight days) for a designated dove field.  These Saturday half-day hunts cost $150 and enable both the permit holder and youth to each take a daily bag limit of birds.

The seven special-opportunity dove fields are: Brown Farm Public Small-game Hunting Area (PSGHA) in Holmes County, Caravelle Ranch (Putnam County), Combs Farm PSGHA (Baker County), North Newberry PSGHA (Alachua County), Allapattah Flats (Martin County), Fussell Farm PSGHA (Polk County) and Frog Pond (Miami-Dade County).

Dove hunting opportunities are in high demand, and these special hunts provide the perfect social setting for friends and family to hunt together.  Interested hunters are encouraged to purchase permits early because the most popular fields sell out fast.  And hunters who purchase these season-long permits save more than half the cost of buying individual daily dove permits for the season.

Daily dove permits cost $35 and enable one adult and one youth (under age 16) to hunt together on one half-day hunt but allows only one bag limit of birds between the two hunters.  Daily dove permits do not go on sale until Sept. 18. For more information on these great public land dove hunting opportunities, click on MyFWC.com/dove.