8/15/2007

Hunters should prepare for heat of dove season

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas’ famous, or infamous, summer heat finally made its appearance this week. With record-breaking temperatures, Arkansas dove hunters would be wise to make a few adjustments and additions to their preparation for the Saturday, Sept. 1, season opening.

In the good news, bad news category is that in general, numbers of doves are good across the state, but the hot weather has been brutal – and this is a factor to be considered.

For legions of Arkansas outdoors people, preparing for dove season on Saturday means a Friday night search for (1) shotgun, (2) shells and (3) hunting license. The suggestion from AGFC people is to allow a little more time to get ready, and this is assuming you already have a place to hunt.

Take care of those three basics of gun, ammunition and license but be sure the license is accompanied by HIP registration. That’s Harvest Information Program, and it’s quick and free but also required by federal regulations.

Think of the heat and put some extra water in your gear. Ice water is nice, but in the field, just water is the essential factor. A 12-ounce or half-liter bottle slips nicely into a game bag or cargo pants pocket.

Still thinking of heat, get a neck cooler, one of those fabric rolls that you wet and loop around your neck. Evaporation cooling is the system. A tightly rolled bandanna is a handy substitute. A damp wash cloth in a Zip-Loc bag will be welcomed after a couple hours of hunting.

To the dove hunting itself: Try for an early morning or late afternoon hunt. If midday 100-degree heat is hard on you, think of the doves. It is hard on them too, meaning they are not likely to be active. They will be moving around, feeding and watering, early and late, however.

It has been hot, it has been dry, and small surface water sources are probably gone for the doves. If a farm pond is in your dove area, it should be a good stand for one or more hunters.

Doves are seed eaters, and weed seeds are a larger part of their diet than grain from crop fields. The heat and below-average rain has cut down on both the weeds and the crops, but they still are where the doves will be looking for food along with searching for water. A long-favored hunting tactic is to find where doves are feeding, where they are watering and to set up on a path between these two areas.

Arkansas’ dove hunting season this year is Sept. 1 to 23, Oct. 6 to 21 and Dec. 15 to Jan. 4, 2008. The daily limit is 15 birds. Federal rules require repeater shotguns to be plugged so they can hold no more than three shells, including one in the chamber