Upland/Small Game
Dove Hunting
8/18/14 @ 12:38 PM
Hey Everyone,
I was just wondering if any of you have any information on the activity of the dove fields/public hunting land within an hour and a half of Madison. I am a UW Madison student and absolutely love dove hunting, but due to being a student I don't have much time for scouting. Thought I could help save some time by only checking out the fields that have been reported to have doves. Any info on fields you've had success at would be very much appreciated. Thanks!
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River_chaser-
The DNR puts in a number of fields, they spend the money on them and they fail. They don't have rules, guidelines or any consequences to the farmer that planted them. The DNR says- Hey Mr Farmer- You can raise corn or beans on this public land for free- You just have to put in a sun flower field. The farmer plants the sunflowers and walks away. Why not manage the fields, why not have a DNR agent assigend to make sure the farmer fullfills their end of the agreement.
This will then make the fields that are planted actually have a crop and attract dove. When these fields are up and running, they can then expand it to other areas. this will spread the dove out, limiting over harvest, spreading out the hunting pressure and making for a more enjoyable hunt. We spend $10.00 on a meal at MCdonalds. I am more than willing to spend $10.00 for just one nice hunt after work.
Finding private land to hunt doves is not the easiest thing to do. There is a number of people out there that do not agree with hunting dove. Why not use otherwise unused DNR ground to help support a great sport? One looks to other states around us and sees a robust dove hunting program with money spent and successful hunts to be had.
In the case of waterfowl stamp, funds were and are used to restore and manage lost habitat necessary for reproduction. Same is the case of the inland trout stamp.
As for the pheasant stamp, the phesant being a non native bird has limited ability to reproduce and survive here so stamp funds are needed to raise up the birds in protected, enclosed environment.
While turkey management is necessary to the extent that we dont depopulate them again, the state has an abundance of good habitat. Personally I question the need for a stamp on this species now that natural reproduction and habitat are obviously abundant. but the DNR has need for the money and hunters are willing to fork it over without much complaint so it sounds like there is not much arguement there and I am likely a severe minority on this issue with turkeys.
I dont see these issues of habitat and reproduction with doves. Doves can successfully reproduce almost anywhere; spruce trees, basketball poles, rain gutters. There is no shortage of reproducing doves nor of dove habitat. Making public lands attractive to doves via crop planting holds the possibility of concentrating the birds and making them vulnerable to excess harvest. I cannot say with certainty that this will happen but in the case of waterfowl we have need of closed areas for this very reason. Previous posts have alluded that crowded fields and game hogging are the inevitable result. From a philosophical standpoint I personally see no reason to manage a game animal that neeeds no management beyond basic bag limits.
Let me ask this. Besides pheasants is there any other animal that is managed via the DNR placing or attracting them into a concentrated area for the sake of more convenient harvest? From your posts, that sounds like what your looking for. Yes, most of us lure animals in for the sake of harvest, but we do this on our own accord and its limited to our personal efforts or the efforts of a paid guide. Maybe there is but I cant think of any other creature where we put the DNR in charge of concentrating the quarry for us and I see no good reason to do so with doves
River_chaser- We buy a federal duck stamp. We buy a state duck stamp. Those dollars go for managing waterfowl. Why not dove? Why not take a abundant resource and make it better? What better way to get kids and older adults out into the fields for a hunt?
I also drive all over the county scouting, looking and securing permission for private land. I have some good private land spots but I think the DNR is missing the boat with the dove fields. In the area where i hunt, it is about 5 counties. Total of 2 fields were worth hunting and they were war zones, I chose not to hunt them as getting spayed by steel shot is not me definition of a good hunt.
The DNR can spend some money and invest in a resource like they do for trout, salmon, pheasants, turkeys, deer and bears. (Am I missing any?) Squirrels and rabbits are covered under your small game license.
As you mentioned we have a pheasant stamp and I purchase one every year and I have hunted pheasants, maybe 3-4 times over the last 10 years. I believe in supporting the program.
So those of us who drive through several counties, spend several weeks and countless hours each year to scout, seek permission from owners and whatever else it takes to find our game should buy a extra stamp so less willing folks can hunt near home on public managed land.
The dove is an abundant bird. Needs zero management except to prevent overkill. If you need handholding then there are pheasant farms for such. Makes me ashamed to call myself a hunter.
I think a species-specific stamp used to manage public and private property is a great idea! I don't mind paying an additional $10-15 for more fields to be planted in sunflowers and managed for doves. We had a blast this year on couple such fields and without the crops planted there I don't think the birds would have congregated there or stuck around as long as they did..........
A stamp for dove hunintg? Now thats just plain nuts. Forcing people to buy a stamp for a bird that any city dweller can shoot from their bedroom window. Next thing you know we will be forced to buy bluegill stamps.
Look at it another way. Not everywhere i want to hunt has enough squirrels. Not everywhere I want to hunt has rabbits. Where I hunt has barely enough deer, no doe shooting allowed. So I have to adjust my behavior and focus my efforts elsewhere. We have plenty of habitat and forcing folks to buy stamps for every animal is not the answer.
Flyguy- The DNR managed sun flower fields are normally shot out in 1-2 days. Mainly due to only a couple fields producing good sun flowers and not enough area to spread the hunters out. Many of the DNR fields are a flop. They are weedy, not mowed or don't grow. Last year I turned a group of 8 guys into the DNR for over bagging. They were filling sacks of birds, leaving and retuning 30 minutes later. So the moral of the story is if a field is hot and has birds, they won't be there long.
I have emailed the DNR on the issue several times. They are receptive but say their hands are tied. The farmers that plant the fields do so in a trade- The farmers can farm the DNR ground for free if they plant the fields. The farmers are not held to any standard for weed control or if the fields produce. They just have to plant and mow.
I would like to see a dove stamp with all money raised going to plant and maintain good dove fields.
Central Wisconsin DNR dove fields...just wondering if anyone hunts them? Check them out every year and the birds are non existent...one hot field past two year was corn this year. They moved dove field down the road and there was nothing...whats everyones experience on these fields? Seeing 5 birds an outing is not dove hunting IMO.
Looking for the same around the Appleton area. Have never even tried it but would love to get out and have a chance to shoot at a few. Thanks!
Displaying 16 to 30 of 61 posts
