8/17/2007

Missouri has plenty of doves, but some fields not ready

Hunters will have to use their heads and their feet more this year to find quality dove hunting spots.

JEFFERSON CITY-Mourning doves are abundant in Missouri now, but finding those birds on opening day of dove hunting season might be a little harder than usual on account of weather, according to the state's dove expert.

Resource Scientist John Schulz called the mourning dove "one of North America's best all-around game birds."

"They are resilient and prolific," said Schulz. "They pretty well take care of themselves. About all we can really do toward dove management is try to concentrate them for hunters."

Schulz said his observations and anecdotal reports from other Conservation Department workers indicate that dove numbers are strong statewide. Annual surveys show about the same number of breeding doves as last year, which was above the 10-year average.

To concentrate large numbers of doves where hunters can find them, the Conservation Department plants fields of their favorite foods - sunflowers, wheat and millet. Those fields thrive in some years, drawing swarms of doves. Other years - like this one - the Conservation Department's dove fields don't fare as well.

"Sunflowers have to be planted early in the spring to mature by opening day of dove season on Sept. 1," said Schulz. "Heavy rains prevented planting during the best time on many areas this year. Those fields won't be ready on opening day. On some other areas, we got sunflower planted early only to have them flooded out."

He said these problems have been made worse by dry weather that kept crops from producing. The result is spotty quality of dove fields. He said hunters should check the condition of fields at their favorite areas, see if doves are using the fields and plan their hunts accordingly. Dove hunters looking for a silver lining in this generally dismal picture should remember that doves prefer to feed on bare ground, and drought-stricken dove fields offer plenty of bare ground.

"There will be decent hunting on lots of areas," said Schulz, "If you can find a place with plenty of dove food, you could still have a fantastic hunt, but on a lot of our areas opening day won't live up to memories of the best years, when thousands of doves flocked to the fields."

Schulz advised hunters to remember that doves are drawn to other seed-producing plants besides cultivated crops. Patches of ragweed, wild sunflowers and other native weeds can provide excellent hunting, especially if they are associated with open ground.

Ponds also can be dove magnets in dry years. Even a tiny patch of water may draw doves for a drink after morning and evening feeding periods. Ponds with low water usually have bare soil exposed around their edges making them more useful to doves.

For dove field locations on conservation areas, visit www.missouriconservation.org/hunt/dove, or call the nearest Conservation Department office.

Missouri's dove hunting season runs from Sept. 1 through Nov. 9. Mourning, collard and white-winged doves all are legal. The limit is 12 doves of all three species in the aggregate daily and 24 in possession.

Dove hunters ages 16 through 64 must buy a Small Game Hunting Permit to pursue doves. All dove hunters 16 and older must have a Missouri Migratory Bird Hunting Permit for dove hunting.

Full details of dove hunting regulations are found in the 2007 Migratory Bird Hunting Digest, available wherever hunting permits are sold.

Schulz reminded hunters to pick up spent shotgun shells and remove them from hunting areas when they leave. Empty shotgun shells are litter, and leaving them behind carries the risk of a littering ticket.

It also is worth remembering that hunters must keep birds they kill separate and identifiable from those of other hunters. Having two or more hunters put their doves into one cooler or other container could violate this requirement, unless they use individually identified bags or other means to keep the birds separate.

-Jim Low-