Dove season opens Thursday

By Sam Waller

A hot, dry summer is shaping up to force another below-average dove season in Shackelford County.

Game warden Jacob Mort said conditions have led to a low bird count in the area.

“Driving around the county right now, there’s not a lot of birds,” Mort said. “There are some localized groups in some areas, but across the county, I’m afraid it’s going to be bad.”

Dove season runs Sept. 1-Nov. 13 and Dec. 17-Jan. 1 in the North Zone (north of Interstate 20), which includes all of Shackelford County. Dates for the Central Zone are Sept. 1-Oct. 30 and Dec. 17-Jan. 15.

Mort said the overall health of the bird population is good, but the lack of food supply has led to low numbers.

“Dove don’t mind dry weather conditions at all – that’s actually what they prefer,” he said. “But with the heat we’ve had this summer and the lack of rain to go along with it, it didn’t provide any vegetation and as good a food source as there should have been.”

The recent change in the weather, bringing cooler temperatures and light rain, will help on one front, Mort said.

“It will help the hunters themselves with more tolerable conditions,” he said. “But as far as the birds go, we’re going to have to have some colder weather up north to push those birds south. We just don’t have a lot of birds right now in Shackelford County.”

Mort said there are no major changes in hunting regulations for the upcoming season, and cost of licenses remains the same. Bag limit is 15 birds per day (no more than two white-tipped) with a possession limit of three times the daily limit. Resident licenses are $25 apiece, while Senior Resident and Youth licenses are $7.

One difference this year, Mort said, is the implementation of digital licenses.

“For migratory birds, you no longer need to have a printed license, but you do need to have a copy of the license on your phone,” Mort said.

A digital license must be available while hunting or fishing. The license can be viewed through Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Outdoor Annual and My Texas Hunt Harvest mobile apps.

Mort encouraged anyone witnessing hunting violations to report such incidents to him at 817-343-3499.

“If people see any type of violation, report it to me immediately,” he said. “They can call my cell and report the violation.”