FWC Announces 2008-09 Migratory Game Bird and Early Waterfowl Hunting Seasons
September 15, 2008
Crow
- Season: Aug. 9 – Oct. 26, 2008 (Saturdays and Sundays only) and Nov. 11, 2008 – Feb. 18, 2009
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
- Bag limit: No bag or possession limits
Rail and common moorhen
- Season: Sept. 1 – Nov. 9, 2008
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
- Bag limits (daily/possession):
 Clapper & king rails – 15/30 (singly or in aggregate)
 Sora & Virginia rails – 25/25 (singly or in aggregate)
 Common moorhen – 15/30
 Purple gallinule – No open season
September Canada goose
- September Season: Sept. 6-24, 2008
- Note: This season is now open statewide (previously open on Lake Seminole only)
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
- Bag limit (daily/possession): 5/10.
Special early duck
- Season: Sept. 20-24, 2008
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
- Legal to take: Teal, wood duckÂ
- Bag limit (daily/possession): 4/8. The 4-duck daily bag limit may include no more than 2 wood ducks; the 8-duck possession limit may include no more than 4 wood ducks.
Mourning and white-winged dove
- Season:
 First phase – Oct. 4-27, 2008
 Second phase – Nov. 15-30, 2008
 Third phase – Dec. 13, 2008 – Jan. 11, 2009 - Shooting hours:
 First phase – noon to sunset
 Second and third phases – One-half hour before sunrise to sunset - Bag limit (daily/possession): 15/30 (singly or in aggregate) - increased from previous year.
Snipe
- Season: Nov. 1, 2008 – Feb. 15, 2009
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
- Bag limit (daily/possession): 8/16
Woodcock
- Season: Dec. 20, 2008 – Jan. 18, 2009
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
- Bag limit (daily/possession): 3/6
For general hunting season dates, follow this link
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Arizona Dove Hunters Can Extend Their Wingshooting by Heading to the Mountains
September 12, 2008
PHOENIX — The early dove season closes Monday, Sept. 15, but wingshooters can extend their wingshooting opportunities by heading to the high country and pursuing band-tailed pigeons, blue grouse and chukar partridge beginning this Friday, Sept. 12
After hunting dove in unseasonably hot desert temperatures, a retreat up north, where the daytime temperatures typically only reach 80 degrees, may be just what the doctor ordered. Band-tailed pigeons, blue grouse and chukar offer wingshooters a challenging and rewarding experience as well as great eating.
“The forecast for all three species looks to be above average to good thanks to the excellent snow and rainfall we received this winter,” says Randy Babb, Game and Fish biologist and avid hunter. “That precipitation brings the plants, bugs, seeds and acorns that are needed for new recruitment and healthy populations.”
Band-tailed pigeon season is divided into two zones. The northern zone is open from Sept. 12 to Oct. 5, while the southern zone opens Sept. 19 and runs through the same closing date of Oct. 5 (see regulations for boundaries). Band-tails inhabit ponderosa pine forests, or dense stands of evergreen oaks and pines between 4,500 and 9,100 feet elevation. They can be found in mid-morning visiting water holes and typically are in areas with high concentrations of oak acorns, elderberries, and pinion nuts . For more details, see the 2008-09 Arizona Dove and Band-tailed Pigeon Regulations at www.azgfd.gov/rules.
Blue grouse season runs from Sept. 12 to Nov. 16. Blue grouse are bluish-gray, chicken- sized birds restricted to subalpine elevations above 8,500 feet in mixed conifer and aspen forests. Birds can be found at the edges of the forest and meadow areas foraging for food. (old logging roads are good places to hunt in appropriate habitat.) Grouse hunters are reminded that Units 4A and 5A are closed, and to be certain of their target: baby turkey (poults) look similar to blue grouse. Turkey can only be hunted with a special hunt permit-tag. For more details see the 2008-09 Arizona Hunting and Trapping Regulations at www.azgfd.gov/rules.
Chukar partridge season is liberal and runs from Sept. 12, 2008 – Feb. 8, 2009. However, Arizona has an extremely limited population of chukar. Good starting points for attempting this hunt can be found in the rough canyon country of Snake Gulch and Kanab Creek north of the Grand Canyon. For more details see the 2008-09 Arizona Hunting and Trapping Regulations at www.azgfd.gov/rules.
Any of these hunts can be combined with a family camping vacation and offer a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. Besides the hunting aspect, getting outdoors is a great way to teach youngsters about wildlife and nature.
For more information about small game hunting in Arizona, visit the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Web site www.azgfd.gov/hunting.
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Teal Prospects Look Good For Saturday’s Opening Day in Arkansas
September 11, 2008
LITTLE ROCK – This week’s torrential rains may have put a damper on dove season for some hunters, but it may be a welcome sight for Arkansas’ teal hunters. The special September teal season in Arkansas begins on Sept. 13 and continues through Sept. 28.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission waterfowl biologist Luke Naylor said the recent cold front likely pushed some bluewings down from the north. “We’ve got a ton of water in the state. That should make for some pretty good conditions for teal hunters,” Naylor said. “All we need is a nice cold front to push some teal into the state,” he added.
Scouting is important, but teal are often here today and gone tomorrow, so even if teal appear to have left an area you still may have a quality hunt due to birds jumping from one place to another or new birds arriving, Naylor explained. “In other words, do some preseason scouting to find an area with some teal and give it a try or just head out to a spot that has water where you’ve had success in the past,” he said.
“Blue-winged teal are very sensitive to cold weather,” said Naylor explained. “In September, as cold fronts push down from Canada and the northern U.S., large concentrations of blue-wings will migrate southward to warmer climates. Their primary wintering grounds include the coastal marshes of Louisiana and Texas as well as Central and South America,” he said.
Naylor said blue wings make up 95 percent of the September migration (the other teal species being green-winged teal) and will seek out a variety of habitat during their stopovers in Arkansas.
“They prefer marshes, harvested rice fields, moist-soil impoundments and agricultural reservoirs. Teal prefer shallow mud flats. Ideal water depth is less than six inches,” he said. “Having said that though, inland reservoirs and oxbow lakes also provide good teal habitat in their upper reaches. Shallow water is the key,” he added.
Scouting early will help hunters find the best spots to set decoys. “Hunters don’t need many decoys. I generally use 12 to 18 decoys, teal if possible, but mallard decoys will also work,” he explained.
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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
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Missouri Dove Hunters Asked to Report Banded Birds
September 2, 2008
The birds are part of a national effort to ensure good dove management.
JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri dove hunters have a chance to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, garnering hunting trophies while helping ensure good management of mourning dove populations.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is among 34 states participating in an effort to gather practical information about the nation’s most popular game bird. The agency is placing leg bands on approximately 2,500 mourning doves annually at 15 conservation areas. Hunter reports of taking banded doves will add to scientific understanding of how many doves there are and how hunting affects dove numbers.
“Birds are so mobile, and it is impossible to count them directly,” said Resource Scientist John Schulz. “Instead we capture a relatively small sample of the entire population and band them. Then we compile reports of banded birds taken by hunters and analyze information about where and when they were taken. The resulting statistics reveal a surprising amount of useful information.”
Schulz noted that hunters’ participation is critical to good dove management. He asks hunters who take banded doves to report their finds, using information printed on the bands.
The Conservation Department traps doves using wire cages baited with grain and fits the birds with leg bands before releasing them. Banders average around 100 doves per site, but as many as 600 doves may be banded on some areas.
Hunters who shoot banded birds have three ways to report their good luck. They can send a post card to BIRD BAND, Laurel, MD 20708, call 800-327-2263, or report the band online at reportband.gov/. Regardless of the reporting method, hunters provide the band number, and where and date the bird was killed.
“The better we understand mourning doves’ biology and population dynamics, the better job we can do managing them,” said Schulz. “The hunter’s role is an important one.”
Missouri’s dove season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 9. The daily and bag limits are 12 and 24, respectively. For more information about migratory bird hunting, visit mdc.mo.gov/8927, or get a copy of the 2008 Migratory Bird Hunting Digest wherever hunting permits are sold.
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Dove Season Set to Open on Sept. 1st Throughout North Carolina
August 26, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina’s dove season opens statewide on Monday, Sept. 1 at noon with a daily bag limit of 15 doves per hunter per day.
Traditionally Labor Day weekend is the opening of dove season in North Carolina and includes both Saturday and Monday – giving most hunters two days off from work to hunt. However, under the federal frameworks for hunting migratory birds the season cannot open before Sept. 1, so the season will open on the Monday of Labor Day weekend this year.
After opening day, hunting opens a half hour before sunrise to sunset. Dove season will be split into three segments this hunting season, with the first segment from Sept. 1 through Oct. 4. The second segment is from Nov. 24 through Nov. 29, and the final segment from Dec. 12 through Jan. 10.
When dove hunting, wildlife officers with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission advise:
- BE SAFE: When hunting in a group, know where others are and communicate. Never shoot at low-flying birds and alert companions when a bird is too low to safely allow a shot. Wearing proper eye and ear protection is advised.
- SHOOT RESPONSIBLY: Know your field of fire and don’t pepper people, nearby buildings or vehicles with falling shot.
- KNOW THE RULES: Don’t hunt over baited fields. According to state regulations, placing, exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of salt, grain or other feed that could serve as a lure for migratory game can constitute a baited area.
- ENROLL IN HUNTER EDUCATION: First-time hunting license buyers must successfully complete a Hunter Education Course, offered free across the state.
- FOR MORE INFORMATION: Click here to consult the online version of the 2008-2009 N.C. Inland Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations Digest or call (919) 707-0031.
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Dove Season to Kick Off Fall Hunting in Oklahoma
August 19, 2008
Largely viewed as the kick-off to fall hunting in Oklahoma, dove season’s Sept. 1 opening day is sure to attract sportsmen to the field, no matter where in Oklahoma they live.Â
Last year’s dove season took on some unusual qualities. Not only did the 2007 dove season come after an unusually rainy year that created muddy conditions and forced many farmers to harvest their grain fields later than normal, but some hunters also took part in a new season format with the formation of the southwest zone, which offered additional hunting opportunities during late December and early January. Biologists say the circumstances of last year’s dove season did not appear to affect the success of hunters, however.
“Last year, the rainy conditions may have had some affect on certain areas where hunters were used to finding higher concentrations of birds most years, so some hunters may have had to look at different areas to hunt,” said Rod Smith, southwest region wildlife supervisor for the Wildlife Department. “But dove hunters are persistent, and they were able to locate some good areas and found plenty of birds. This year, though, the management of crops is pretty much back to normal, and we should have a good year.”
The southwest zone will be open again this year as well. The season for the southwest zone is the same as the statewide season — Sept.1 - Oct.30 — but also Dec. 27 – Jan. 5. The southwest zone starts on U.S. 62 from the Texas border west of Hollis, east to Interstate 44, Interstate 44 south to OK 7, OK 7 east to U.S. 81 and U.S. 81 south to the Texas border at the Red River. Regulations for the rest of the state have not changed.
Dove hunting is wildly popular in Oklahoma. In fact, with the exception of the opening day of the deer rifle season, there are more Oklahomans in the field on the opening day of dove season each year than at any other time.
Dove hunting is a favorite for several reasons. For starters, there is plenty of action. Youngsters and adults alike can have an enjoyable yet challenging hunt in Oklahoma no matter where they choose to hunt. Dove can be found from one corner of the state to the next, but hunters do not have to travel far to find them. Excellent hunting can be found on wildlife management areas managed by the Wildlife Department, some of which have been managed specifically for doves. Additionally, persistent dove hunters can often obtain permission from landowners to hunt private land, such as those where grain fields have been recently harvested.
Dove season is even more appealing to new hunters because it offers two days of free hunting. September 6-7 marks Oklahoma’s Free Hunting Days, and Oklahoma residents do not need a hunting license, fishing and hunting legacy permit or HIP permit to go afield.
Dove hunters also enjoy a generous daily limits of 15 doves, except in the southwest zone, where the daily limit is 12 doves. The limit may consist of any combination of mourning doves, white-winged doves and Eurasian collared doves.
To hunt doves, sportsmen need a hunting license and a fishing and hunting legacy permit, unless exempt. Additionally, all hunters, unless otherwise exempt, must carry a Harvest Information Permit (HIP) while afield. For complete hunting license information and dove hunting regulations, be sure to pick up a copy of the “2008-09 Oklahoma Hunting Guide” at a sporting goods retailer or at wildlifedepartment.com.
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First 2008-2009 Early Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons Begin Sept. 1
August 18, 2008
ANNAPOLIS — Today, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the 2008-2009 early migratory game bird hunting seasons.
“The dove season, which marks the traditional start of hunting activity each year in Maryland, opens on Monday, Sept. 1, and continues through Oct. 11,” said Bill Harvey, DNR migratory game bird manager.
The second dove season runs from Nov. 15 to Nov. 28. The third split dove season begins Dec. 20 and runs through Jan. 3. The daily bag limit for doves will remain at 12 for the 2008-2009 hunting season.
Maryland’s woodcock season is split into two segments, Nov. 8-28 and Jan. 16-24.
The early resident Canada goose season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 15 in the eastern zone. In the western zone, the season will continue through Sept. 25. The daily bag limit is eight geese per day. During the early resident Canada goose season, hunters may use shotguns capable of holding more than three shotshells and shooting hours are extended to one-half hour past sunset.
September teal season begins Sept. 18 and continues through Sept. 27. Hunters should note that the boundary for the September teal season zone changed slightly last year, visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/ewfchart.asp for the zone description. Shooting hours for the September teal season are sunrise to sunset.
All migratory game bird hunters, including landowners who are license exempt, must obtain the HIP (Harvest Information Program) permit and the Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp in addition to a general hunting license. Hunters must possess the printed receipt showing proof of purchase of the Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp while hunting migratory game birds. Migratory bird hunters are no longer required to sign and attach the Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp to their hunting license. Hunters may now purchase licenses and stamps online by accessing the DNR’s website at www.dnr.state.md.us.
All waterfowl hunters age 16 and over must possess the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Federal Duck Stamp). Hunters are still required to sign the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Federal Duck Stamp) and have it in their possession while hunting waterfowl. Hunters may obtain federal duck stamps at U.S. Post Offices, National Wildlife Refuges, and some DNR sport license agents.
Nontoxic shot is required for hunting rails, snipe, waterfowl, and coots. Hunters may not possess or use nontoxic shot larger than size No. T or use or possess any lead shot while hunting rails, snipe, waterfowl, and coots. Approved types of nontoxic shot and other information on migratory bird hunting is listed in the free booklet Hunting and Trapping in Maryland 2008-2009 or on the DNR’s website: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/index.asp.
For a table that lists the dates and bag limits for Maryland’s 2008-2009 early migratory game bird hunting seasons, visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/weblesschart.asp. For a quick reference to the early resident Canada goose and September teal seasons and bag limits, visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/ewfchart.asp. Hunters are encouraged to report banded migratory game birds by calling 1-800-327-BAND (2263) or through the Internet at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/.
Official shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset for all migratory game bird hunting EXCEPT for: (1) mourning dove during the first season segment, when shooting hours are from noon to sunset; (2) teal during the September teal season when shooting hours are sunrise to sunset; and (3) early (September) resident Canada goose season when shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
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Picking the Best Spot in the Dove Field
August 14, 2008
Authored by Lee McClellan
Frankfort, Ky. – You are the second truck in the parking area at the public dove field on Sept. 1, the opening day of this year’s dove season in Kentucky. You’ve shot some trap to get ready for dove season, bought some quality shells and feel ready to get your 15-bird daily limit.
You set up beside a clump of bushes on a hill that allows an unobstructed view of the entire dove field. You figure this is the best spot. The dove field gradually fills as the morning burns toward public shooting hours at 11 a.m., but no one else sets up within 75 yards of your spot. Doves dive-bomb sunflowers nearest a dead tree in the corner of the field.
That same corner erupts with shotgun fire at 11 a.m. The same few hunters appear every few minutes to retrieve their birds. You shoot at a few high flying birds and miss. The only things you take home in your vest are empty shell hulls.
Even if you’ve honed your shooting skills, you may come home empty-handed if you don’t pick a good spot to set up. Jon Gassett, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, has some tips.
“I like corners of a field with an outcropping of trees,” he said. “Doves are like fish - they like structure. Dead trees are good as well. They like to light into dead trees and rest.”
So a hunter preparing to stake out a spot on a dove field should look for a dead tree or a clump of trees in a corner of the field. Other spots work well if hunters already claimed the corners.
“A power line running near the field is another great spot to set up,” Gassett explained. “Doves love to perch on power lines before flying down to feed.”
Power lines also provide doves a sight line to follow in flight. Doves use power lines, driveways and lines of trees to lead them to resting, watering and feeding spots.
“Bare dirt is a big draw for me when I’m deciding where to set up in the dove field,” said Lexington resident James Charas, an avid dove hunter and expert wing shooter. “Doves love bare dirt. If I can find a spot with bare dirt and a dead tree, power line or a couple of large trees nearby, that is where I will be hunting.”
Doves often fly through a gap in a line of trees at the edge of the field or through a gap between two hills. A hunter set up on either side of the gap should enjoy good shooting.Â
Concealment plays a great role in hunter success. Doves are notoriously naïve on opening day. They fly slow and close. This gives the impression to some hunters that you don’t need to wear camouflage for doves. Wearing camouflage, staying hidden under a tree or behind a hay roll until ready to shoot and donning a wide brimmed camouflage hat all increase hunter success. This is especially true after opening weekend.
“I can’t believe what some people wear to the dove field,” Charas said. “They’ll wear a white T-shirt, white socks and khaki shorts. You can see them a mile away. I wear at least a camouflage shirt and hat every time I dove hunt.”
Dove hunters will enjoy 10 more days to hunt for the 2008-2009 season. The first segment of dove season opens Sept. 1 and closes Oct. 24. The second segment opens Nov. 27 and closes Dec. 5, while the third segment of dove season opens Dec. 27, 2008 and closes Jan. 2, 2009.
The 2008-2009 Kentucky Hunting Guide for Doves, Wood Duck, Teal, Woodcock, Snipe and Crow is available now over the internet at fw.ky.gov. This guide lists dozens of public dove fields all over Kentucky that hunters may use.
If you hunt one of these fields or get invited to a private hunt, set up in a good spot and be ones of those leaving with a vest bulging with doves, not spent hulls.
Author Lee McClellan is an award-winning associate editor for Kentucky Afield magazine, the official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. He is a life-long hunter and angler, with a passion for smallmouth bass fishing.
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Where to go Small Game Hunting in Eastern Colorado
August 14, 2008
Join the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) for a free evening seminar to explain the Walk-in Access program that provides small game hunters with places to hunt in Eastern Colorado. Learn about places to hunt in the northeastern and southeastern parts of the state, with a particular focus on dove season. Biologists and wildlife managers will provide information on dove hunting, how to best use the walk-in access program, and a short update on new regulations.  Pre-registration is required and space is limited.
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