Outdoor News Daily

You might see more young doves when Utah’s 2007 dove hunt opens Sept. 1.

The number of adult mourning and white-winged doves might be down a bit from last season, but the number of young doves should be up.

“The number of adult doves our biologists heard during ‘coo count’ surveys in May was down a bit from the spring before, but it was still right in-line with the 10-year average,” says Tom Aldrich, migratory game bird coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

Aldrich says doves breed from early May through August. They’ll lay several clutches of eggs during that time. Storms often kill young doves, but a lack of storms this summer means most of the doves hatched in Utah should still be here when the hunt opens Sept. 1.

“The number of young birds might be really good,” Aldrich says. “That might offset the lower number of breeding adults we heard this past spring.”

Saturday opener

Unless Sept. 1 falls on a Sunday, Utah’s dove hunt always opens Sept. 1.

This year, Sept. 1 is on a Saturday. “Having the hunt start on a Saturday will allow kids to get out and hunt on a day when a lot of doves are normally around,” Aldrich says.

Aldrich reminds parents that the minimum age to hunt doves and other small game in Utah has been removed. Young people must still pass the DWR’s Hunter Education course before they can hunt, however. And they must be accompanied by an adult while hunting.

For more information about the DWR’s Hunter Education classes, visit http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/huntereducation.

Where you’ll find doves

To find success, Aldrich encourages you to locate doves before the season opens.

To help you find doves, remember that seeds are the only food they eat. Doves eat seeds from agricultural plants and from weeds. Some of their favorite seeds include wild sunflower seeds; seeds from harvested agricultural crops, such as waste grain; and seeds from weeds (some of the best weed-producing areas are areas that have been disturbed by road building).

Doves also need roosting cover and shade during the middle of the day. And they need water.

“When you find these three things in close proximity to each other—seeds, cover and water—you’ve probably found a good dove hunting spot,” Aldrich says.

Aldrich says you can find doves in almost every county in Utah. Box Elder and Utah counties are the two counties in Utah where many of the doves in the state are taken.

“No matter what the weather does, doves start moving south in mid-August,” Aldrich says. “This is tied in with the length of the day. As soon as the days start to get shorter, the doves start their southward migration.”

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 prevents Utah, or any state, from opening their season sooner than Sept. 1.

Aldrich says doves usually migrate in flocks of 50 to 100 birds. The young leave first, followed by the females and then the males. They can travel about 50 to 100 miles a day.

“When the doves start to leave, the doves you saw yesterday are probably one county south of you the next,” Aldrich says. “But remember that doves north of Utah will often move in and take their place.”

Utah’s 2007 dove season—and band-tailed pigeon—season run Sept. 1–30.

Because of shorter days and rain storms in the fall, counties in southern Utah often provide hunters more opportunity to take doves throughout the season.

Reminders

Make sure you’re registered in the Migratory Game Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) for the 2007 season. You can register at http://www.uthip.com.

It’s a good idea to wear hunter orange during the dove hunt, especially during the opening weekend. “Doves don’t seem to notice the hunter orange, and wearing it makes you stand out more to other hunters,” Aldrich says.

Most dove hunting happens on private land. Make sure you get written permission from the landowner before hunting on his or her land.

It’s usually hot during the dove hunt. Make sure you clean your doves quickly and keep them cool in an ice chest.

Take good care of your dog. Bring water for it, and be careful about taking your dog into an area that might have rattlesnakes.

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