Nebraska Dove Hunting Season Begins Sept. 1
LINCOLN, Neb. –-(Ammoland.com)- Dove hunting season begins soon, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has reminders for hunters of these migratory birds.
- Hunting Season – Doves may be hunted statewide. The season is Sept. 1 – Oct. 30, with daily bag and possession limits of 15 and 30, respectively. Bag limits are for mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared doves in aggregate. Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.
Game and Parks’ board of commissioners will consider at its Aug. 31 meeting a proposal to extend the hunting season of Eurasian collared doves to year-round.
- Requirements – Nebraska residents 16 years and older and all nonresidents are required to have a 2010 Nebraska hunting permit, a habitat stamp and a 2010 Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. Register at nehip.com or call toll-free (877) NEHUNTS. A federal migratory bird stamp is not required.
- Banding – Hunters who find a band on a dove should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banding office toll-free at (800) 327-BAND or report it at reportband.gov.
- Wing study – Some hunters will be asked to save a wing from each dove during the first week of the season and mail the wings postage-free to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hunters using public areas also may be asked to provide dove wings on-site as part of the monitoring effort. Data from the wings will be used to estimate annual productivity of the dove population.
- Scouting – Hunters should get out into the field and scout many potential hunting sites.
Jeff Lusk, upland game program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, says sunflower, millet and wheat fields have been planted at several wildlife management areas (WMA) across the state. Planting and weather conditions may have reduced seed production in some plots.
Go to http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/hunting/guides/upland_game/Dove/pdf/2010%20Mourning%20Dove%20Hunting%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf to view the 2010 Mourning Dove Hunting Fact Sheet. The sheet includes a list of wildlife management areas that should provide good hunting opportunities.
Permits may be purchased at OutdoorNebraska.org.