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JEFFERSON CITY--Missourians looking for a place to hunt mourning doves shouldn^t have to look far. The Missouri Department of Conservation gives special attention to doves^ needs at conservation areas around the state and has information about those areas for dove hunters.
Typical dove management strategies include planting sunflowers and wheat as dove food plots. Harvesting those fields in late summer provides the combination of abundant food and open ground that doves find irresistible. Come opening day of dove season Sept. 1, such spots are prime hunting territory.
Some of the areas managed specifically for doves are well known. These include James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area in Jackson County, Bois D^Arc Conservation Area (CA) in Greene County, Lamine River CA in Cooper and Morgan Counties, Eagle Bluffs CA in Boone County and B.K. Leach, William A. Logan and William G. and Erma Park White CAs in Lincoln County.
But that^s just the beginning. Dozens of other CAs scattered around the state offer similar opportunities for dove hunters. A list of these CAs can be found on the Conservation Department^s website http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/gamebird/dove/. For more information about these areas, call the Conservation Department regional office nearest you. Those offices are located in Cape Girardeau (573/290-5730), Clinton (660/885-6981), Columbia (573/884-6861), Kansas City (816/356-2280), Kirksville (660/785-2420), Springfield (417895-6880), St. Charles (636/441-8740), St. Joseph (816/271-3100), Sullivan (573/468-3335) and West Plains (417/256-7161).
It^s a good idea to visit the area you plan to hunt before opening day to find the exact location of food plots. Also advisable is checking regulations posted at each area. Nontoxic shot is required at some wetland areas, and special rules may apply on heavily hunted areas.
Dove hunting rules at Leach, Logan and White CAs have changed this year. Dove hunting on these areas is allowed only on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. during September. Hunting spots at White and Logan CAs will be allocated by drawings at noon on hunting days. These drawings will take place at the White CA headquarters on Highway Z at Whiteside. Hunters at Leach CA will take part in a drawing at noon each hunting day at the headquarters building off Highway M southeast of Elsberry.
Ten Mile Pond CA in Mississippi County will hold a youth-only dove hunt the morning of Sept. 2. Youths age 15 and younger are eligible for the event. Each youth must be accompanied by an adult. The adult must have a valid hunting permit if the youth is not hunter education certified. Participants must check in at 5:30 a.m. Sept. 2 at Ten Mile Pond CA headquarters. The headquarters building is off Highway VV, 5 miles southeast of East Prairie. For more information, call 573/290-5730 or e-mail LANCAM@mail.conservation.state.mo.us>.
- Jim Low -
Uploaded: 8/29/2000
Uploaded: 8/29/2000