Doves sparse for first week of 2021 season

By Donnie A. Lucas

Opening week of dove season including Labor Day weekend typically brings droves of hunters to town, but initial reports indicated few hunters because of a lack of local birds.

According to local game warden Jake Mort, it has been an usually slow start to the season.

“It has been extremely slow since the season opened last week on Sept. 1,” Mort said. “The average kill has been just three to five birds per hunter, so those who are hunting are having a hard time filling their limits.”

Hunters are allowed a total daily limit of 15 mourning or white-wing birds, but can have up to a three-day bag limit in their possession for a maximum of 45 birds.

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, Higginbotham-Bartlett, and Corso Firearms, 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 for buy the correct license for the season.”

He added that sometimes hunters tell him that the store sold them the wrong license.

Also, even when hunting on a person’s own property, a license is required.

Mort said that the number of “local” birds is lower than anticipated.

“I think that the big freeze in February either killed off or pushed out a lot of local birds,” he said. “We haven’t seen any waves of northern birds yet.”

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.”

Dove hunting has a split season from Sept. 1 through Nov. 12, and opening a second time from Dec. 17 until Jan. 2.

Local hunter Justin Trail typically has several big groups of hunters who make the trek to Albany each year to hunt.

“We are having to focus on the event and not the birds so far this year,” Trail said. “It has been challenging to find enough birds. It takes a lot more work to scout fields and break into smaller groups this year.”

Trail typically hosts several groups, mostly business related, to Albany for several days of hunting, food, and fellowship.

Trail also reported that one of the birds shot last week showed evidence of the damage the epic freeze caused earlier in the year.

“We found a white-wing that had completely lost one foot and had no toes on the other,’ he said. “That was most likely caused by frost bite and is proof that the weather took a toll on the local population.”

Trail said that rain is needed between north Texas and Kansas or farmers will turn over their fields and cover up food sources, forcing birds south. Traditionally, cold fronts also help push birds southward to start their migration to Mexico, and Central and South America.