Woods & Water: Hunters will be able to click for dove fields
With Tennessee’s 2004 dove season beginning at 12 noon on Wednesday, Sept. 1, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has made looking for a dove field in Tennessee a little easier.
Starting around the middle of August, hunters can visit the agency’s website at www.tnwildlife.org and find a list of public fields on TWRA’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMA’s), plus dove fields that TWRA has leased. The web page will include maps of each region with the dove fields identified, along with additional information about each field.
“Several changes have been made in TWRA’s dove field program that should strengthen it,” said Tim White, TWRA small game biologist. “In an effort to increase the number of fields that we can make available to hunters, the Agency will lease three types of dove fields.”
Some fields leased this spring will be managed for doves, improved silage fields will be leased as the season nears, and the typical fall harvested fields will be leased as well.
Currently, Warren County has one leased field located on McClain Rd. in the Morrison area. It will be open to dove hunting on Sept 1st, 4th & 11th only. Hunting will begin at noon on opening day. The field is approx. 12 acres in size and will be a cut corn field. To get to the field take Hwy. 55 to Morrison, go through the red light and turn left at the next road pass the red light. This should be the Phillip King Rd. Go approx. 2.5 miles and turn left onto McClain Rd. and look for the signs. Hunters are reminded that signs located at the hunt site will list any special instructions related to parking, hunt dates, etc.
The page will be updated as new information becomes available. Hunters who do not have access to TWRA’s website, can contact the TWRA Regional Office in their area
or watch their local newspapers during the latter part of August for dove field information. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
TWRA WARNS OF BAITED FIELDS
The traditional Sept. 1 dove season is almost upon us, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is reminding hunters to check any dove field before they begin hunting to make sure it is not a baited field.
It is the responsibility of every hunter to be certain that he is not hunting over a baited field. So how does a hunter know if it is legal to hunt a particular field? The key to determining whether or not a field is legal is whether bona fide agricultural practices have been employed. If corn, milo, wheat, or some other grain crop has been planted and harvested in a normal manner, it is perfectly legal to hunt. However, if cracked corn, wheat, or some other grain has been poured on the ground in big piles that is not a bona fide agricultural practice and would be illegally baited.
Every hunter should check the field before beginning a dove hunt. If a field has been freshly disked and has a large concentration of doves, check to see what type of grain is attracting the doves. If there are cracked corn, soybeans, sunflower seeds, or other grain, and no evidence that those grains are simply typical remains from harvesting the crop that was grown there, it is best to leave. If grain is present along with crop stubble that makes it apparent the crop was harvested from that field, it is legal.
Wheat is sown at this time of year in Tennessee as a standard agricultural practice, so if a hunter checks a field that has been disked and sown with wheat, it may be legal. But the wheat must be evenly distributed, not sown more than one time in the same area, and cannot exceed a normal planting rate. If the wheat is in piles or deep strips, it is illegal. If there is an excessive amount of wheat, even though it is evenly distributed, it is illegal.
One thing a hunter should ask himself is, how well does he know the landowner? Does he always comply with wildlife regulations?
Remember that an area is considered baited even ten days after all the bait has been removed. This regulation is to protect the doves, because they will continue to come back to a baited field for up to two weeks after the bait has been removed. If a hunter has any doubt that a field may be illegally baited, the best thing to do is leave the area and contact the TWRA. If you want specifice information on dove baiting or to view a list of frequently asked questions concerning baiting, visit www.tnwildlife.org/dovetext.