Photo by Mike Marsh.

Their harvest numbers may not be tracked with the fervor expressed by deer hunters and they may not be so highly prized as a springtime tom, but for at least a day or two, doves and dove hunting rules for most Tennessee sportsmen. The Sept. 1 opener for wing-shooters is a grand tradition. From barbecues to cookouts before and after the shooting starts, Volunteer doves get their share of the spotlight.

The best opening day and Labor Day dove shoots will find you trying to keep your hot-barreled shotgun loaded. As good as opening day is, are you really taking full advantage of what the entire dove season has to offer? There really is more to the hunt than a couple of fun-packed days. After all, dove hunting in Tennessee is broken up into three separate and often equally enjoyable seasons.

From September's heat, October's cool air, and December's chill, there are doves to be taken. Nor should they be taken lightly, not after you've had some grilled with a touch of hot sauce.

We've gone to the effort of locating a few public hunts across the state to get you started on your all-season dove quest. Hanging a tree stand can be rewarding, as can calling geese from a layout blind, but there's still something to be said for some old-fashioned wing-shooting.

PRE-SEASON INFORMATION
For dove season tips, refer to the TWRA's 2007 Tennessee Hunting & Trapping Guide. All season regulations and dates are available there, including a full listing of WMAs per region that offer dove hunting. Guides are available at all locations where hunting and fishing licenses are sold, as well as at each TWRA regional office.

For hunting on WMAs or other state-run fields, you'll want to check the guides for details on specific dates and hours. Not all WMA hunts are the same as the statewide season, and many of them have hunt hours restricted from noon until sunset. There are a few WMAs that have reduced bag limits as well.

Many dove fields on WMAs are open as posted and some do require the use of non-toxic shot. That posting may also limit the number of hunters per field. In some cases, hunters are placed at staked positions and are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis or drawn randomly. In those cases, a position becomes available after the initial hunter retires from the field. Keep in mind hunters participating in a WMA hunt will need a WMA permit or a Sportsman License.

Just before opening day, the TWRA will also post the site locations and directions for public-leased fields in each region on their Web site at www.tnwildlife.org.

DOVE OUTLOOK
Region I
TWRA wildlife biologist Jim Hamlington in Region I said the current state of public dove hunting in Tennessee is best described as stable. However, there are WMAs in Region I that stood out last year based on hunter success. The best news is there are to be more WMA fields developed this year, weather permitting.

Hamlington said that last year Bogota had a great youth dove hunt, while other good hunts were found at the leased fields in Hardin County, Camden WMA, a Fayette County leased field, Tully WMA and White Oak WMA.

Hamlington said you cannot tell early in the year where the hot fields will be in a given season. Sometimes the birds leave a field a week before the season opens. Like he said, the WMA managers are proposing to put in more fields this year in Region I, and it remains to be seen if the weather and the birds cooperate.

Also, Hamlington added, sunflower fields usually tend to produce the best dove shoots. Whether hunters choose to hit the field in September, October or December, dove shoots are usually opportunistic hunts over harvested corn and bean fields.

Still, region managers are working to help hunters find better dove shooting success. In Region I, they distributed 15,000 pounds of black oil sunflower seed to landowners and hunters in order to promote the production of family dove fields. Hunters can assuredly expect the TWRA to have the Dove Field Lease Program again this year.

Region II
"Doves are closely monitored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the help of local state governments," said Doug Markham, Region II's information and education coordinator. "The Tennessee population continues to have good health."

Markham added that Region II contains some WMAs that provide good dove shoots. He said they have several WMAs that always have good hunts, and others at which the hunting is variable: One year the fields will really bring the doves in, but the next year might struggle to attract birds.

The AEDC WMA near Tullahoma usually does well, as does Percy Priest WMA close to LeVergne, but Markham's best suggestion for the serious dove hunter is to scout a couple of days before the hunt, see how good the crops are growing in a particular field, and cross your fingers that the weather stays constant between the time you scout and the time the dove shoot starts.