Published: September 03, 2008 01:39 pm            

Georgia dove hunting season opens Sept. 6

Submitted by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources



SOCIAL CIRCLE — Hunters statewide can celebrate the beginning of dove season at noon on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Traditionally considered the beginning of the fall hunting season in Georgia, dove season is a great opportunity to introduce children and grandchildren to hunting and to tailgate with family and friends.

“Georgia has some fantastic public areas for dove hunters. In fact, 37 wildlife management areas (WMAs) provide dove hunting opportunities,” says Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division Assistant Chief of Game Management John Bowers. “In addition to being the ‘kickoff’ to the fall hunting season, dove hunting is a prime time to introduce family and friends to hunting, as it is typically a fun-filled day.”

But before opening day, be sure to review dove hunting rules and regulations:

• Dove hunters over 16-years-old must possess a Georgia hunting license and a free Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program Permit (HIP Permit). Those hunting on a WMA also must possess a WMA license. Hunters may purchase licenses at more than 1,000 license agent locations or online at www.gohuntgeorgia.com.

• Shooting hours are noon until sunset on the opening day of the first (Sept. 6) season and one-half hour before sunrise to sunset for the remaining two seasons. The sunrise and sunset times for each day are on page 43 of the 2008-2009 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations guide or at www.gohuntgeorgia.com.

• The daily bag limit has been increased to 15 doves per hunter.

• Any autoloading or other repeating shotgun must be plugged to hold no more than three shotshells while hunting doves.

• As always, hunters must obtain permission from landowners before hunting on private property and should respect the land; clean up spent shells, leave gates the way they were found and remove all trash. Please leave the land in better condition than you found it!

The official 2008-2009 dove seasons are Sept. 6-21, Oct. 11-19 and Nov. 27-Jan. 10. The "Dove Hunting and Agricultural Practices in Georgia" pamphlet contains more extensive information and is available at www.gohuntgeorgia.com .

For more information on dove hunting rules and regulations, public dove fields and conditions, or adult/child dove hunts, hunters should review the 2008-2009 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations guide, available at www.gohuntgeorgia.com or at a WRD Game Management office.

Updated and accurate harvest rate estimates facilitate the successful management of doves. As such, the U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Research Division and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with several states, including Georgia, initiated a dove trapping and banding project in 2003. Hunters can participate in this conservation effort by examining harvested doves for bands and reporting band numbers to the USFWS by calling 1-800-327-BAND.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.