8/1/2007

Dove season isn’t far away; make some preparations

LITTLE ROCK – With temperatures hovering in the 90s it’s difficult to realize, but dove hunting season begins in a month. In Arkansas, dove hunters’ attitudes fall into four broad categories. One, “it’s not for me; too hot.” Two, “let’s go out opening day and shoot some doves; get us ready for the real hunting seasons.” Three, “celebration time.” Four, “here is 60 days of opportunity in the outdoors.”

Take your pick, and you may not fit exactly into any of these niches. Still, dove hunting is fun, enjoyable and traditional for thousands of Arkansas outdoors-minded people. That “celebration time” category is tradition, not just an excuse to fire a shotgun a few times then tie into some barbecue and fried catfish with your hunting buddies. Some Arkansas dove hunts are annual gatherings of more than one generation.

As with most hunting and fishing outings, a dove hunt goes much better and with greatly improved chances of success if some advance planning is done. That’s not to say a hunter can’t find enjoyment by just pulling a shotgun from the closet on opening day, filling pockets with bird shot loads and heading out. Many do just that.

Here are some suggestions from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to make a dove hunt more successful and more fun:

First, get a place to hunt. If you already own, lease or have access to a dove spot, you’ve made this first step. If finding a place to hunt means driving down some gravel roads on opening morning, your chances of a good dove hunt range from slim to none.

Second, scout out your hunting place. Decide if you will probably be hunting early morning, late afternoon or middle of the day. Then go out and just look around. Pay close attention to doves you see flying and make mental or written notes on their course, how high they are flying and where they stop. Search out trees, fence rows and other places that you can use for a dove “stand.”

Three, keep in mind the two essentials for doves – food and water. Some hunters add a third item here – gravel. Doves are seed eaters, and this means weed seeds, sunflowers, wheat if it’s available, rice and milo. Opinions are mixed about soybeans. Corn usually doesn’t attract doves. When doves eat, they then go for a drink of water. Ideally, a good stand would be between the field they are feeding in and a pond, a creek or a river.

Four, do some shooting. You may be an excellent shotgun shooter, but if you haven’t fired one since last winter, you need some practice. A round or two of skeet, trap or sporting clays is a good investment for a dove hunter. Find a buddy and a hand-thrown clay target rig. Take turns and this will serve the basic purpose as a session at a shooting range.

Five, check over and sort out the gear you plan to use. Clean the shotgun. Get a plentiful supply of ammunition. Find lightweight camouflage clothing, and this includes a cap or hat. If standing for long periods bothers you, go for a light folding stool; some have handy storage compartments.

Six, be sure you are legal. This means a current hunting license and HIP registration. That’s Harvest Information Program. It’s mandatory, and it’s free. You can do it when you buy the license or afterward at any license dealer, AGFC office online at agfc.com or by calling 800-364-GAME. Legal also means having your repeater shotgun plugged so it holds no more than three shells. Check this; don’t rely on memory from last season.

Seven, enjoy the getting ready. It’s part of this facet of Arkansas life that is the hunting experience, the opportunity in the outdoors.

The 2007-2008 mourning and Eurasian collared dove season is Sept. 1-23, Oct. 6-21 and Dec. 15-Jan. 4, 2008. The daily bag limit will remain at 15, with possession limit 30. Doves are migratory game birds, so federal rules of shotguns plugged to hold no more than three shells are in effect. State and federal migratory waterfowl hunting stamps (duck stamps) are not required, but HIP registration is required. There is no daily or possession limits on the Eurasian collared dove.