Summer is perfect time to get ready for dove season

With the sweltering temperatures that we have recently endured, it might seem inappropriate to think about hunting. We associate most hunting seasons with the cool, crisp days of autumn or the bitter cold days of winter. Unless you are a hard core squirrel hunter, you are probably limiting your hunting activity to daydreaming as you stare wistfully out the window of an air conditioned building or motor vehicle.

Actually, now is the perfect time to start making hunting plans in earnest. That is if you intend to hunt mourning dove in Missouri.

The 70-day season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 9.

Now is the time to get out and scout for concentrations of birds. How do you do that? It's a relatively simple process.

It involves driving through agricultural areas in late afternoon. You should be looking for fields of corn or milo (sorghum) that have been harvested. Waste grain acts like a magnet and will attract dove from miles around. Such fields will be hot spots for an opening day dove hunt. Watch for numbers of dove perched on telephone lines. It is common for the birds to alight on power lines adjacent to feeding areas before dropping to the ground.

When you do locate a promising field, be sure to contact the landowner and obtain permission prior to your hunt. It isn't likely that you will be the only hunter in a particular field so you should take a few moments before you load your shotgun to check things out. Take notice of the location of other hunters. That way, you will know in what direction you can safely shoot. This is essential when a dove dips down and flies low across a field.

Not only should you know the location of other hunters but also the location of houses, roads, and vehicles. You want to remember that a shot can travel several hundred yards when fired upward at high-flying birds.

The dove population in most of Southeast Missouri is slightly better than last year. As usual, the numbers are highest in the southern-most counties of Dunklin, Pemiscot, New Madrid, Mississippi and Scott. These same counties, because of their southern location, should have more crops harvested by opening day compared to Cape Girardeau and Perry counties.

If you don't have the opportunity to locate some promising hunting locations on private property, you might want to take a look at hunting on Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) areas. Although most areas will provide some dove hunting opportunities, the Bootheel areas will likely hold the highest number of birds.

The daily limit isf 12 and there is a possession limit of 24. Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Special regulations

There are, however, some special regulations to be taken into account on certain MDC areas: Otter Slough Conservation Area (Stoddard County) and Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area (Mississippi County) are only open to dove hunting on specified dates.

The first two weeks of the season are hunted three days a week, half days only. This method has proven successful in keeping birds on the areas for longer periods of time by providing this kind of refuge.

Hunting is better, with higher harvest averages, when hunting on alternate days instead of all day every day. After the first two weeks, the areas are open all day every day.

Therefore, on these two areas, hunting is open Sept. 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, and 13 from sunrise to 1 p.m. There will be a drawing opening day. Statewide regulations are in effect Sept. 15 through Oct. 14. These wetland management areas close to all hunting and public use from Oct. 15 through the end of the waterfowl hunting season.

All hunters must check in before hunting each day.

Otter Slough Conservation Area has 125 acres of sunflowers. Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area has 200 acres of sunflowers. At Little River Conservation Area (Dunklin and Pemiscot counties), dove hunting is allowed every day of the season. This area does not close Oct. 15. Shooting hours are sunrise to 1 p.m. every day. Hunters must sign in before entering the field using the yellow upland hunter cards that are provided. Fill out the top portion of the hunter card and drop it in the sign-in box drop slot. After the hunt is complete, fill out the bottom portion and drop it in the drop slot. Habitat type at Little River Conservation Area is millet.

At Duck Creek Conservation Area (Bollinger, Stoddard, and Wayne counties), dove hunting is allowed from sunrise to sunset from September 1 through October 14. The area closes to all public use at midnight, the night of October 14 (which is really October 15). Self check-in is required at the area headquarters. The area has a few sunflower fields.

Note that shooting hours for each of these areas starts at sunrise (not one-half hour before). Also, dove hunters must use non-toxic shot. The possession of lead shot is prohibited while hunting dove on these special management areas.

Hunters can help study

This year, Missouri hunters can help biologists gather information about North America's most popular game bird, the mourning dove. All they have to do is call 800/327-2263 when they bag a banded bird.

Missouri and 25 other states intend to put leg bands on 38,000 doves over the next three years and then track their survival through hunter reports. The effort will add to knowledge of the birds' survival rate, the number of birds taken by hunters each year and where they are taken. This knowledge is critical to understanding how hunting regulations affect mourning dove populations and will translate into more effective dove management.

Hunter should watch for birds with metal leg bands. Each band has an identifying number and the toll-free phone number to call.

Banded birds also can be reported on the Internet at www.pwrc.usgs.gov by selecting key words "Bird Banding Lab."

Hunters get to keep the bands. Those who report taking banded birds will receive a certificate identifying the age, sex, date and location where the bird was banded.

We associate dove hunting with Labor Day weekend and warm weather. Many hunters hunt the first week or two of the season and then stop because the birds seem to move out as the weather cools off. To a certain extent this is true but it doesn't mean that your dove season has to end prematurely.

Most of the doves that are hunted during the first part of the season are "local" birds. They were born and raised in the immediate area. The first blast of cool air will cause those young birds to migrate further south. That same cold air that caused the local birds to migrate will bring migrant birds into the area from further north.

Some excellent hunting can be enjoyed well into October on migrant birds.

Gene Myers is a Missouri Department of Conservation agent in Cape Girardeau County.