AGFC Fields Ready for Opening of Dove Season
September 3, 2008
LITTLE ROCK – Opening day of dove season is this Saturday. For those hunters still looking for a field to hunt, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission maintains dove fields on some wildlife management areas. These plots are open to the public and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We’re stepping up opportunities for the dove season opening on our lands,” said Ricky Chastain, AGFC assistant chief of wildlife management. “With many privately-owned fields being an invitation-only proposition, we want to offer something for hunters, especially youth, who are new to the sport.”
The acreage put into dove fields is fairly small when compared to the size of the entire WMA because most hunters spend only a few days a season chasing these birds.
“Dove hunting fields can handle a hunter for every two acres or so,” Chastain said. “Most of the wildlife openings on our properties are small with irregular borders to serve a number of different wildlife species. Our dove fields will only provide limited opportunity in most cases,” he said.
What’s left of Hurricane Gustav has put a damper on the opening weekend, Chastain said. “Without a doubt, this rain will have a negative effect on the fields themselves, “ he said. Hunters are urged to talk with area managers about total acreage available for hunting, status of management on the fields and the interest shown by other hunters.
AGFC Dove Fields
Brinkley Regional Office (877) 734-4581
Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA
UA Pine Tree Experimental Station WDA
Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms WMA
Departee Creek WMA
Monticello Regional Office (877) 367-3559
Bayou Meto WMA
Choctaw Island WMA
Little Bayou WMA
Trusten Holder WMA
Hope Regional Office (877) 777-5580
Hope Upland WMA
Rick Evans Grandview Prairie WMA
Mayflower Field Office (877) 470-3650
Camp Robinson SUA
Cypress Bayou WMA
Holland Bottoms WMA
Prairie Bayou WMA
Fort Smith Regional Office (877) 478-1043
Fort Chaffee WMA
Dardanelle WMA
Ozark Lake WMA
Russellville Regional Office (877) 967-7577
Galla Creek WMA
Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA
Petit Jean River WMA
Related posts
Fifty-one Fields Available For Public Dove Hunting In South Carolina
August 4, 2008
Fifty one public dove fields will be available across the state during the 2008-09 season through the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Management Area program.
The 2008-09 mourning dove season will run as follows: Sept. 1-6 (noon until sunset); Sept. 7–Oct. 4; Nov. 22-29; and Dec. 19–Jan. 15. Legal hunting hours for mourning dove season, except for Sept. 1-6, are from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset. For the 2008-09 mourning dove season, the daily bag limit is increased from 12 birds per day to 15 birds per day. This change is based on extensive analysis and recommendations from dove biologists from eastern states striving for a consistent mourning dove season and bag limit throughout the Eastern Management Unit (EMU). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concurred with the increased bag limit and it is available for the 2008-09 dove season. Prior to this change, states in the EMU had an option of a 12-bird bag limit with a 70-day season or a 15-bird bag limit with a 60-day season. Some states in the EMU had previously selected the 15 bird/60 day option, and others (including SC) had selected 12 birds/70 days.Â
Hunters are reminded that mourning dove season will open this year on Monday, Sept. 1. Dove season traditionally opens on either the first Saturday in September or on Labor Day, whichever comes first. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, seasons for migratory game birds cannot begin before Sept. 1. The state’s mourning dove season is set each year by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Board within a framework of regulations and timetables issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The number of hunters will be limited by a public drawing on three fields, the Evans Property field in Anderson County, the Draper Tract in York County, and Donnelly Wildlife Management Area in Colleton County. Hunting and hunter placement on all other public fields is on a first-come basis, beginning at noon.
For more information on the application process for these hunts, contact the DNR Clemson office at (864) 654-1671, extension 16 (Evans Property), the DNR Unit 2B office at (864) 427-5140 (Draper Tract), or the Donnelly Wildlife Management Area office at (843) 844-8957.
A county-by-county list of public dove fields and special youth hunts can be obtained by writing: DNR, Attn: Public Dove Fields, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202, or by calling (803) 734-3609 in Columbia. The Public Dove Field List is also available at County Extension Service offices, Soil and Water Conservation District offices, local DNR offices.
Hunters participating in public dove hunts on DNR Wildlife Management Area dove fields should be aware of special regulations in place on these fields. Hunters may not take shooting positions on public fields before noon. Hunters will be restricted to 50 shells per hunt on all Wildlife Management Area public dove fields, and shooting hours will end at 6 p.m. on all public fields during the first segment of the South Carolina dove season (Sept. 1–Oct. 4).
A limited number of openings are available on eight special youth dove hunts scheduled for Abbeville, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Sumter, Union and York counties. Participants are selected by pre-registration or drawing for all youth hunts with the exception of the Orangeburg County youth hunt, which has no pre-registration requirement.
Individuals who plan to hunt on these public fields will need a South Carolina hunting license and a Wildlife Management Area permit. Also, all persons hunting migratory birds (including doves) are required to have a migratory bird permit. Migratory bird permits can be obtained free-of-charge at all hunting and fishing license vendors.
DNR protects and manages South Carolina’s natural resources by making wise and balanced decisions for the benefit of the state’s natural resources and its people.
Related posts
Mississippi Dove Field Rules and Regulations
August 4, 2008
Â
Hunting allowed only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays after 12:00 PM.- Hunting will be allowed during the dates of September 1-21, 2008 and October 3- November 9, 2008 for dove zone 1 and September 1-14, 2008 and October 11-26, 2008 for dove zone 2.
- Hunters must hunt from a designated stand on Sept 1 and Sept 3. A hunter’s permit number will be their stand number for these two days. Hunters may be able to hunt from any designated stand location on a first come first serve basis on any hunt date after Sept 3.
- No more than two shooters per stand, of which only one may be an adult. Two youths may be able to hunt from a stand but only under the direct supervision of a non-hunting licensed adult, 21 years old or older. One limit of doves is allowed per hunter per day.
- Any hunter under the age of 16 years old is considered a youth and must be under the direct supervision of a licensed adult, 21 years old or older.
- No shooting at low flying birds. All rules of gun safety must be followed.
- No littering. All spent shotgun hulls must be picked up and removed.
- Vehicle parking will be in designated areas only.
- No alcoholic beverages will be allowed.
- All State and Federal laws will be enforced and must be followed.
- Any unsafe act or violation of any of these rules and regulations can lead to loss of hunting privileges on any MDWFP Private Lands Dove Field Program field.
Dove Field Permit Types and Costs
Dove field permits may be bought in your name or in the name of another licensed hunter. If multiple permits are bought in your name, you may be able to take guests hunting on those extra permits. The person whose name is on the permit must be on the field hunting while his guest(s) are hunting. Example: A person who may want to take different persons with them on different hunts would want to purchase multiple permits in their name. If any of these guests would want to be able to go to the field on their own, they would need to buy their own individual permit.
During the online purchasing process, permit ownership may be changed prior to the close of the sale. Once the sale is final, permits are not transferable or refundable.
  Permit Type 1 - Individual Field Permit
Allows a person to hunt a reserved stand in an individual field on opening weekend (see rule #3) and that same individual field for the entire season. (Price as listed)
 Permit Type 2 - Dove Club Permit with Opening Weekend Privileges
Allows a person to hunt a reserved stand in an individual field on opening weekend (see rule #3) and that same and all other dove fields after opening weekend. ($200.00)
 Permit Type 3 - Dove Club Permit without Opening Weekend Privileges
Allows a person to hunt all dove fields after opening weekend only. ($150.00)
Hancock County / Kemper County  / Leake County /  Lincoln County / Pike County
Related posts
Dove Club Permits Go On Sale July 1
June 23, 2008
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.
Recent Comments