Texas Weekly Migratory Bird Hunting Report - 10/1/2008
October 1, 2008
Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.
North Zone Dove: Mourning dove continue to use milo, corn and soybean fields along the Red River. Cooler mornings and north winds have pushed new birds to the area, but best hunts have come in the afternoon around water and trees. Playa lakes around Amarillo and Dumas have been fair in the afternoon. Outfitters say playas are in good shape following recent rains. Fields north of Abilene have been best in the afternoon around water. Expect a new wave of birds this week as forecasts call for more north wind. Prospects are fair to good.
Central Zone Dove: Hunter participation has waned somewhat, which has allowed birds to build in fields and along tree lines. Mourning dove numbers are solid near Brownwood, Stephenville and San Saba in the afternoon around water. Corn and milo continue to hold whitewings on the outskirts of San Antonio. Hondo and Uvalde fields have been steady since South Zone pressure began. Milo fields have been good near Del Rio in the morning, then birds have been flying to gravel and water in the afternoons. Fields near Hankamer, Winnie and Dayton are holding mourning dove, but few hunters have taken advantage due to storm cleanup. New birds should show this week with forecasted north winds and cooler temperatures. Prospects are fair to good.
South Zone Dove: Dove have been best around water in the afternoon near Three Rivers, Fashing and George West. Good hunts were posted near Cotulla and in McMullen County fields of milo and croton. Laredo, Port Mansfield and Harlingen have been good around milo, corn and wild sunflowers. Stock tanks adjacent to these fields have held the brunt of the birds in the evening. Goatweed and water have held birds near Port Lavaca and Collegeport. El Campo hunting has been steady, though the area needs fresh recruits to sustain heavy hunting pressure. With north winds forecasted this week, the region should get a new deposit of birds. Prospects are fair to good.
Waterfowl: Teal season ended Sept. 28 and results were steady across the coastal prairie. Marsh hunting was virtually non-existent on the east side of Houston due to the damage from Hurricane Ike. A few pintails and shovelers are showing along the coast. Teal hunters reported seeing scattered flocks of specklebellies on the rice prairies. Ponds are drying from lack of rainfall. Generally, conditions have been dry since summer, with the exception of rain associated with the hurricane. It remains to be seen how the storm surge of saltwater, which killed most vegetation in the marsh on the east side of Houston, will affect waterfowl wintering patterns. Most of the aquatic duck food was killed from the saltwater intrusion. The Panhandle region is holding good amounts of water on playa lakes which is good news for waterfowl arriving during October.
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Pheasant Population in Minnesota Remains at 10-year Average Despite Drop in Index
September 11, 2008
Despite a cool, wet spring that caused a 24-percent drop in Minnesota’s pheasant index, the estimated number of pheasants in Minnesota remains at its 10-year average.
“The southwest likely will provide the best opportunities for pheasant hunters,” said Kurt Haroldson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife research biologist. “Minnesota’s west central, south central and east central regions also are likely to provide good pheasant harvest opportunities.”
The annual August roadside count of wildlife showed a pheasant index of 81 birds per 100 miles driven. The index exceeded 100 birds in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The 2007 index of 106 birds resulted in a harvest of 655,000 roosters, the highest pheasant harvest since 1964.
“Moderate winter weather throughout much of Minnesota’s pheasant range increased hen counts above the 10-year average,” Haroldson said. “But cool, wet weather from April to June resulted in only an average number of broods and fewer chicks per brood.”
This fall’s pheasant population could be higher than the 10-year average if nesting efforts were delayed and hens remained on nests - or were caring for young broods - during the first two weeks of August. That’s when DNR wildlife managers and conservation officers drove designated routes and counted animals for the survey.
“If that’s the case, this year’s survey may have undercounted pheasants,” Haroldson said. “If not, hunters can expect an average-sized pheasant population but with relatively more adults and fewer juveniles.”
The gray partridge index was similar to last year, but 55 percent below the 10-year average. Mourning dove indices also declined from 2007, the 10-year average, and the long-term average. Cottontail rabbit and jackrabbit indices were similar to last year, but jackrabbit indices are well below 10-year and long-term averages.
The most important habitat for pheasants is grassland that remains undisturbed during the nesting season. Protected grasslands account for about 6 percent of the state’s pheasant range. Farmland retirement programs make up the largest portion of protected grasslands in the state.
“Hunters, landowners, wildlife watchers and others interested in maintaining and enhancing habitat need to support federal and state programs that provide economic incentives for habitat,” Haroldson said. “Without those programs Minnesota would see a drastic decline in pheasant and other farmland wildlife populations. Another practice that would be a great help to farmland wildlife would be to delay mowing of roadsides until after Aug. 1.”
The August roadside survey began in the late 1940s and was standardized in 1955. DNR conservation officers and wildlife managers in the farmland regions of Minnesota conduct the survey annually during the first two weeks in August. This year’s survey consisted of 171 routes, each 25 miles long, with 152 routes located in the ring-necked pheasant range.
Observers drive each route in early morning and record the number and species of wildlife they see. The data provide an index of relative abundance and are used to monitor annual changes and long term trends in populations of ring necked pheasants, gray partridge, eastern cottontail rabbits, white tailed jackrabbits and selected other wildlife species.
The 2008 August Roadside Report and pheasant hunting prospects map can be viewed and downloaded from http://mndnr.gov/roadsidesurvey
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Minnesota’s pheasant season begins Oct. 11 and runs through Jan. 4, 2009. The daily bag limit is two roosters, with three roosters allowed from Dec. 1 to Jan. 4. The possession limit is six, with nine allowed from Dec. 1 to Jan. 4. Shooting hours are 9 a.m. to sunset.
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Texas Weekly Migratory Bird Hunting Report - 9/3/2008
September 4, 2008
Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.
North Zone Dove: Good hunts were posted in Harrison County around goatweed and plowed ground. Those who hunted in the morning were able to miss the rains associated with Hurricane Gustav; however, rains moved in during the afternoon and put a damper on flight in the northeast region of the state. Many people in the northeast region did not hunt due to preparations for the storm. Soybean fields and milo near Bogota were solid for limits of mourning doves. Lubbock, Abilene and Amarillo saw good shoot in milo, sunflowers and watering holes in the afternoon. Knox City hunters had great opening day shoots with a mix of whitewings and mourners in peanut fields. Not much water in the region, so many birds have been shot in the afternoon around watering holes. A cold front is forecasted to move through the region mid-week, which could push new birds in or out of the area. Prospects are good.
Central Zone Dove: The hotspot of the state was the San Antonio region. Milo and corn fields on the outside of the San Antonio city limits held excellent numbers of whitewings that made for easy limits in the morning. Hondo and Uvalde reported similar results. Those who did not scratch a limit in the morning finished their bag in the afternoon. Outfitters reported a better afternoon flight. Fields in Liberty County saw strong concentrations of mourning dove over goatweed, rice and milo. Fields near Hempstead, Sealy and Brookshire were solid. Hunters near Rockwall reported their birds moved out before the opener. Prospects are good.
Special White-Winged Dove Area: Prospects look good for the Sept.6-7 and Sept. 13-14 special afternoon-only hunting season. Fields around Uvalde and Del Rio look promising. South Texas fields of sunflowers, milo, corn and watering holes are holding the brunt of birds. Laredo, Harlingen, Port Mansfield and Brownsville are loaded with whitewings. Prospects are good.
Teal Prospects: Reports from around the coast indicate strong numbers of teal on the prairies and marshes. The coast has not had much rain in the past two weeks and hot temperatures have aided in evaporation. Water is not in abundance, but those with water should have plenty of birds. The Panhandle received five days of rain in late August that helped fill playa lakes for teal season. Bluewing numbers look good there. The region around Knox City is mostly dry, with scattered reports of birds. Some outfitters fear they may have to dip in their pockets and pay for pumped water.
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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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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.
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TPWD Finalizes Dove, Teal Seasons
July 31, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department finalized the early season migratory game bird regulations, which includes dove and teal seasons for 2008-09. Texas hunters will see a 16-day September teal season and no changes to the South Dove Zone segments.
The North Zone runs Sept. 1-Oct. 30, with a 15-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped dove; the Central Zone is Sept. 1-Oct. 30 and reopens Dec. 26-Jan. 4, with a 12-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped dove. Possession limit is twice the daily bag.
This year, the South Zone dove season is Sept. 20-Nov. 9, reopening Dec. 26-Jan. 13 with a 12 bird bag and not more than two white-tipped dove. Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.
The Special White-winged Dove Area, which now encompasses land west of I-35 and south of U. S. Highway 90, opens to white-winged dove afternoon-only (noon to sunset) hunting Sept. 6-7 and 13-14 and reopens Sept. 20-Nov. 9 and again from Dec. 26-Jan. 9. The daily bag limit during the first two weekend splits is 12 birds, not more than four (4) mourning dove and two (2) white-tipped dove. The daily bag limit during the remainder of the Special White-winged Dove Area is 12 birds, not more than two (2) white-tipped dove. Possession limit is twice the daily bag.
Teal season is Sept. 13-28 with a daily bag limit of 4 birds. Possession limit is twice the daily bag.
Hunters should note the dove and teal season dates and bag limits are not included in this year’s Outdoor Annual of hunting and fishing regulations. Information will be available in the Early Season Migratory Game Bird Digest supplement, available Aug. 15 on the TPWD Web site and wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
A proposed dove season rule that would have removed one week of hunting opportunity from the end of the first season segment in the South Zone and added it to the end of the second season segment was not approved. Although public comment was supportive of the proposed amendment, the department has decided to retain the traditional structure because of other considerations resulting from public comment.
“Public comment received by the department indicates a growing concern among hunters, landowners, outfitters, and local businesses that economic factors are increasingly affecting hunting habits or will affect them in the future,” said Mike Berger, TPWD wildlife director. “The department therefore made the decision to leave the traditional season structure in place for the current year while launching an outreach effort to determine if the traditional and historic dove season structure should be altered for future seasons.”
In keeping with hunter and landowner preferences, dove seasons have traditionally been opened on the earliest day legally allowed under frameworks established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, irrespective of which day of the week the date fell. Under federal law, dove hunting in the United States cannot begin before Sept. 1.
Sept. 1, as opening day of dove hunting in Texas, has been part of the state’s hunting tradition ever since the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 was signed. Treaties with Canada and Mexico established the framework for the taking of all migratory game birds, including dove.
“This year, Sept. 1 falls on Labor Day, a Monday, which is a good thing because it’s a holiday for many Texans, and like having another Saturday,” said Vernon Bevill, TPWD game bird program director. “The bad thing is, the next day isn’t Sunday, it’s back to work Tuesday.”
Similarly, this year’s South Zone dove season opener falls on Saturday, Sept. 20. Traditionally, dove season in South Texas has opened on the Friday after the 20th unless the 20th is a Saturday. Federal frameworks currently prevent opening the South Zone before the 20th.
Berger said recent public comment received by the department indicates a strong preference for seasons to open on a Friday, so as to create a three-day hunting opportunity to open the season. Recent public comment also indicates a preference for the 60-day/15-bird configuration in the South Zone.
“A recurrent theme was the concern that increased consumer costs, particularly transportation costs related to energy prices, make anything less than a three-day opening weekend economically unjustifiable,” said Berger. “Similarly, proponents of the 60-day/15-bird configuration stated that economic considerations would cause them to curtail the number of times they could go hunting, leading them to prefer a higher daily bag limit. In the past, hunters and others have expressed an aversion to delaying the opening day until the first full weekend, preferring the earliest possible opener.”
Hunters looking for a place to hunt dove should consider TPWD’s public hunting opportunities. According to Linda Campbell, TPWD public hunting program director, the department manages more than 50,000 acres of dove hunting units. Hunting access to these areas is available with purchase of a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit, available Aug. 15 wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
A map booklet detailing locations and additional information about the 143 public dove hunting units is included with the Annual Public Hunting Permit and will be available on the TPWD Web site beginning Aug. 15. A permit is not required to access the map booklet information online.
TPWD dove program coordinator Jay Roberson anticipates an above average hunting season for doves this fall, based on habitat conditions. “We had a pretty dry spring and doves do well in those conditions,” he noted. “The birds weren’t responding last year to predictions of good food availability and many doves stayed to the north. I’m guardedly optimistic this year.”
Roberson reported hearing of good numbers of doves across South Texas and anticipates hunters should have good success if they can identify flight patterns. Conditions are expected to change in the weeks heading into the season, particularly in the wake of recent weather resulting from Hurricane Dolly.
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Shoot Bluerocks to Get in Shape for Bird Hunting Seasons
July 22, 2008
Its hard to believe, but its true, Nebraskas hunting seasons are right around the corner. Its time to buy some bluerocks and start practicing your shotgunning skills.
I like to hunt birds, such as doves, pheasants, quail, ducks and geese, so when I hunt its with one of my shotguns. To keep my shooting skills sharp, I spend a lot of time shooting bluerocks before the seasons open.
I shoot so much partly because I just like to shoot, but also because I know I have to be sharp on the morning of Sept.1, when the first mourning dove speeds past the spot where Ill be set up beneath a tree at the edge of a grain field.
Like most other hunters, I find it more difficult to consistently bag a limit of doves than any of the other birds I hunt.
I really admire the skill of good trap or skeet shooters, but Ive noticed that even the best of them still have problems grassing a limit of doves. I think the reason is that there are some constants in trap and skeet shooting, but dove hunting is an entirely different game.
In my opinion, shooting a few rounds of sporting clays is excellent preparation for shooting game birds. Shooters are faced with clay targets of different sizes thrown at a variety of angles, speeds and distances. You never are quite sure where the clay will come from or which direction it will be headed, which is similar to the shots you get at game birds in the field.
Although not everyone has access to trap, skeet or sporting clays ranges, any hunter can improve their chances for success in the field by preparing and practicing correctly with bluerocks.
Practice is definitely the key to becoming a good wing shot, and how you practice is even more important. You should practice shooting the same kinds of shots at about the same distances and under the same conditions that you will have when shooting live birds in the field. Here are a few suggestions:
Practice enough that you become comfortable handling and shooting your gun. Safely loading, unloading, holding, mounting and firing the gun should become second nature.
Pattern your gun and find the best shotshell brands and loads for your particular gun. Wear the same clothes and practice with the same gun and shells you will use when hunting.
Work on shooting basics – pointing the gun, swinging smoothly and follow- through.
Spend most of your practice time working on the more difficult shots – those crossing shots that make you swing toward your trigger arm and those going straight away or coming straight at you. If you have trouble with a certain shot, practice until you master it.
Practice shooting from a field shooting position – sitting on a stool or an overturned bucket; kneeling; or standing on uneven ground.
Never shoulder the gun before the target is thrown. Instruct the trap operator to throw the clay target at various angles whenever they want, rather than you calling “pull” when you are ready.
Practice following your shot through to train yourself to keep the barrel moving as you pull the trigger, if you stop swinging you’ll shoot behind the target.
In the field, shoot at birds the same way you practiced at the bluerock range. Dont shoulder the gun and follow an incoming bird for a long distance. Most hunters do better if they wait to mount the gun when a dove is in range, then swing and shoot quickly in one motion.
Train yourself to keep your head down and your cheek on the gunstock, if you lift your head to see the target break, youll miss the shot more often than not.
Be tough on yourself when practicing. Safety comes first. Be aware of how you handle your shotgun and dont let yourself get careless.
Its going to be an exciting season for Nebraskas shotgunners from the opening day of dove season until the closing day of pheasant, quail and Hungarian partridge seasons on Jan. 31, 2009. Get out and participate in this year’s hunting seasons as often as you can.
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