Load 'Em Up: Dove season gets underway Sept. 1 in most of Texas
By MATT WILLIAMS
Outdoors writer
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Time seems to fly when you are on the road and having fun. Last time I seriously thought about it, the 2007-08 dove season opener was more than a month way.
Time has narrowed the gap considerably. In less than two weeks I plan to be slatered in bug dope and standing waist deep in a croton field somewhere, hopefully with a small mound of spent shot shells at my feet and a near limit of mourners and whitewings in my bag.
 Photo by Matt Williams Sept. 1 marks the beginning of dove season in most of Texas.  Photo by Matt Williams Hunters are hopeful that pre-season forecasts depicting a banner year will hold true. |
If I'm lucky, there will be a few of those plump Eurasion collared doves in the mix. The collared doves are considered exotics and don't count against a daily bag limit. Just call them bonus birds.
Dove season gets underway on Sept. 1 in the North and Central zones, which basically includes all real estate north of a line that follows US Highway 90 between Del Rio and San Antonio, and Interstate 10 between San Antonio and Orange.
Outside of a special white-winged dove area, everything south of the line will be off limits until Sept. 21. That is when the South Zone dove season gets underway.
Never mind all the pre-season fluff about dove season, and how is reputation as of the most anticipated events of the year for hook and bullet crowds. Just about anybody who owns a good scattergun already knows that, sort like they know what a bust last season turned out to be.
As a whole, Texas dove hunters struggled last year. Experts say the slow year occurred because the season fell on the heels of one of the worst droughts in recent times.
The dry weather reduced food production, the amount of cover and negatively impacted nesting efforts of doves.
The poor hunting year is reflected in Texas Parks and Wildlife Department survey data that indicates last season was the worst on record in nearly two decades for Texas dove hunters.
In 1986, there were 400,000 dove hunters in Texas. Last season there were about 272,000 dove hunters.
Texas dove hunters typically kill 6-8 million birds each year. Last year's harvest was a meager 5.7 million birds, well below the previous year and a far cry from the long-term marks.
Wildlife biologists are painting a much prettier picture this year, largely because of the exceptionally wet summer. Food sources are abundant and nesting efforts have been highly successful.
"Above-average precipitation statewide has created ideal habitat conditions for dove," said Jay Roberson, TPWD dove program leader. "I expect above-average production this year and success should be higher provided the doves aren't dispersed."
Several factors could impact hunter success, particularly early in the season when most dove hunters spend their time afield. The availability of food is a biggie.
With so much natural forage out there, biologists say the birds could be more spread out rather than concentrated on managed fields where many hunters gather.
Dove also are prone to move around a lot when weather patterns change drastically, particularly when the change involves a cold front, rain or a hurricane.
Some areas of state already have received abnormal amounts of rain in August as the result of a tropical storm called Erin. With more turbulent weather brewing offshore, even more rainfall is likely in coming weeks, particularly if Hurricane Dean made landfall near Texas.
Ideally, the weather will settle down by the month's end so hunters can enjoy the long weekend afield. The season opener falls on the Saturday ahead of Labor Day, which means many hunters will be able to enjoy multiple hunts before returning to work after the holiday.
Those who are still be looking for a place to hunt should check out the classifieds of local and metropolitan newspapers, or the chamber of commerce offices in dove hub towns such as Coleman, Brownwood, Sweetwater, Abilene, Uvalde and Hondo. The Internet also is a good source to locate outfitters with day hunt packages to offer.
Expect to pay $75-$125 per day for unguided hunts through most outfitters. The hunts should be on land the outfitter has permission to access via ownership or some type of lease.
Ideally, the outfitter should have a working knowledge of how the birds travel, and where the best shooting opportunities are at during early morning and late afternoon flight periods.
As an alternate to booking through an outfitter, you might consider checking out the state's Public Dove Lease Program (PDLP). The program, run by TPWD, includes about 140 different units that range in size from under 100 acres to several thousand acres.
An $48 fee will provide you access to all of the units. The fee covers the cost of an Annual Public Hunting Permit (APHP), which also provides year-round access and hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, quail and other wild game on more than 1 million acres of public land statewide. The APHP is available at regional field offices, or wherever hunting licenses are sold.
There are public dove hunting units in most regions of the state, but the better ones consume agricultural fields. Many of the are located along the I-35 and I-10 corridors.
Printable lists and maps of the individual units are available over the Internet, www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/public/lands/dove_hunting_areas/. Otherwise, maps will be sent by mail. It can take up to two weeks for them to arrive.
Permit holders should understand that access to the dove fields is on a first-come, first-served basis. Visiting hunters should space themselves accordingly, be courteous to others and hunt safely. It also is important not to litter and to pick up spent hulls before you leave.
Dove Season Dates and Bag Limits
North Zone: Sept. 1-Oct. 30; 15 birds, not more than two white-tipped doves.
Central Zone: Sept. 1-Oct. 30 and reopens Dec. 26-Jan. 4; 12-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped doves.
South Zone: Sept. 21-Nov. 11, reopening Dec. 26-Jan. 12; 12 birds, not more than two white-tipped doves.
Special South Texas Whitewing Zone, west of I-35 and south of U. S. Highway 90, white-winged dove afternoon-only (noon to sunset) hunting the first two Saturdays and Sundays in September, 12 birds, not more than four mourning doves and two white-tipped doves.
