Dove erratic in first week of ‘22 season
By Donnie A. Lucas
Dove hunters were greeted by two days of better than anticipated success last week, followed by a weather front that moved the majority of birds out of the area for the Labor Day weekend.
According to local game warden Jake Mort, hunters had fairly good luck on the first two days of dove season, which opened Sept. 1.
“The number of birds was better than we thought for the first couple of days, but a front changed that for the weekend,” Mort said.
This is the second year in a row that dove hunting has gotten off to a slow start.
“It has been as slow as expected,” local hunter Justin Trail, who hosts several large groups of visitors each September. “Last year there were fewer local birds due to a big February freeze, and this year it is the drought conditions that resulted in less food to draw birds.”
Trail is hosting six different hunts this week involving some 450 hunters.
“It has been a challenge, but it appears the weather will be more consistent this week,” he said. “When the weather is more typical, it is easier to anticipate bird patterns and plan better.”
Hunters are allowed a total daily limit of 15 mourning or white-wing birds, but they can have up to a three-day bag limit in their possession for a maximum 45 birds.
“We need hunters to understand that the bag limit is 15 birds combined for both a morning and evening hunt,” Mort said.
The game warden added that the lack of birds is completely due to weather conditions.
“There needs to a be some cold fronts to push birds down,” he said. “Everyone I have talked to is saying conditions are the same up to the Oklahoma border. Hopefully we will see birds come in later in September and early October.”
License Information
A resident hunting license and migratory bird stamp or endorsement is required by all dove hunters despite their age. An adult resident hunting license is $25, while senior citizen and youth license are $7 per year. A migratory bird endorsement is an additional $7.
A supercombo hunting and fishing license, which includes all endorsements for a residents of Texas, is $68, or $32 for 65 years of age or older. Out-of-state hunters must purchase non-resident licenses.
The permits are sold locally at Blanton-Caldwell and Higginbotham-Bartlett, or can be purchased online at www.tpwd.texas.gov.
“Hunters need to carry a copy of their license or be able to provide digital proof on their phone,” Mort said. “There really hasn’t been a problem with hunters having the correct documents so far. They just need to remember it is their responsibility to buy the correct license for the season.”
There are two new phone apps that will keep track of licenses and endorsements so that hunters only have to show a digital copy of their license on their phone.
The apps are My Texas Hunt Harvest or TPWD Outdoor Annual.
Once downloaded, a license and endorsements can be purchased through the apps which connects hunters with the TPWD.Texas.gov website site used to make online purchases.
“The Texas resident license does not include the mitigatory game bird endorsement, only the supercombo hunting and fishing license does,” Mort said. “Everyone also has to get the Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification, which is free.”
He added that sometimes hunters tell him that the store sold them the wrong license, but the responsibility lies with the hunter,
Also, even when hunting on a person’s own property, a license is required.
Mort said that this is the first season that all licensing and endorsements, including deer tags, can be purchased online.
Drought Hurts
Dove Populations
Dove hunting has a split season from Sept. 1 through Nov. 12, opening a second time from Dec. 17 until Jan. 2.
Trail also reported fields hunted last week are not repopulating quickly.
“The birds don’t have a lot of durability,” he said. “Once a field has been hunted, birds are leaving and not repopulating as quickly.”
Trail said that the shortage of food to attract birds is making this season tougher than usual.
