Don’t miss dove opener!

There are plenty of dove hunting opportunities available across the state.

With just over a week to go before the opening of the 2012 dove season, many public hunting opportunities remain available through two programs offered by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. * Six fields are included in the agency’s Private Lands Dove Field program. * Hunting is also available on 15 of the state’s Wildlife Management Areas.

In the Private Lands program, the MDWFP leases grain fields from landowners and professionally manages them for optimum dove hunting opportunities. Space is limited at each of the six sites, five of which are located in the North Zone and one in the smaller South Zone.

There are two methods of hunting in the program. “Memberships” are sold for each individual field (costs vary per field). For more opportunity, the MDWFP offers a “Dove Club Membership” at two levels — $200 that includes opening weekend privileges and $150 that begins after the opening weekend — that allows hunting at all fields in the program.

Hunting is allowed on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays during the first two seasons in each zone. For opening weekend, Sept. 1 and Sept. 3 (Labor Day), hunters must hunt from assigned stands only. After that, it’s first come, first serve. For information and to purchase memberships, check online at http://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/dove-program.aspx.

The website offers a description of each field, plus maps that show all the features of the fields — stands, water holes and parking areas.

The 15 WMAs with dove fields are scattered throughout the North Zone, and also include professionally managed fields.

Regulations and seasons vary from WMA to WMA, but one thing is true of all fields — unless exempt by age or otherwise, a $15 WMA permit is required.

The WMAs with dove hunting include, north to south, Tuscumbia, Hell Creek, Sardis Waterfowl, Charles Ray Nix, Divide Section, O’Keefe, Black Prairie, Sky Lake, Muscadine Farms, Leroy Percy, Yockanookany, Howard Miller, Mahannah, Okatibbee and Copiah County.

For maps and other information, visit the agency’s website at http://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/wmas/wma-dove-fields.aspx.

Mississippi’s North Zone seasons are Sept. 1-Sept. 23, Oct. 13-Nov. 11 and Dec. 15-31.

The South Zone seasons are Sept. 1-8, Oct. 6-Nov. 11 and Dec. 21-Jan. 13.

The limit is the same statewide, 15 mourning and white-winged doves in aggregate per day with a possession limit of 30 after opening day. There is no limit on Eurasian collared doves and they are legal to harvest.

About Bobby Cleveland 1343 Articles
Bobby Cleveland has covered sports in Mississippi for over 40 years. A native of Hattiesburg and graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Cleveland lives on Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson with his wife Pam.

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