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Weather systems affect dove harvest on opening day Dove season opened Monday in Milam County and throughout Central Texas with hunters seeing limited success and looking forward to improved harvest as weather patterns change. “A few lucky individuals made their limits; in other areas birds were spotty,” Game Warden Mike Mitchell said. “This has been a challenging week with weather events to the east of us. Coming weeks may see improved dove activity as weather systems force movement,” he added. For the season, “we should do about the same as last year. Look for dove to be concentrated around water and preferred food sources such as annual weeds and agricultural seed crops,” Mitchell said. He noted that although overall bird numbers have been in a long-term decline - 0.6 percent per year for the past 40 years - recent local surveys look good. “For this year’s surveys in the Brazos Valley (including Milam county), the number of dove heard calling maintained relatively stable, while the number of birds seen has increased by almost 18 percent,” Texas Parks & Wildlife Milam County-area biologist Billy Lambert said. “In addition to the good carryover of adult birds, trapping data from the area has indicated that there were a significant number of juveniles born this year, especially later in the summer,” Lambert said. “Approximately three out of every four doves trapped was a juvenile, indicating good hatching success. Although you never know for sure until the season starts, it appears the area may see good dove hunting for this year.” The season in Milam County continues until sunset on Oct. 30 and again from Dec. 26 until sunset on Jan. 4, 2009. The daily bag limit is 12 mourning, white-winged, and white-tipped (white fronted) doves in the aggregate, to include not more than two white-tipped. Possession is twice the daily bag limit, after the first day of the season. “Remember the last law change,” Mitchell advised. “The white wing dove stamp was changed. A stamp endorsement, called the migratory game bird stamp, is required to hunt any migratory game bird, including mourning dove.” There is no closed season or bag limit restriction for Eurasian collared-dove, although hunter education and licensing rules still apply. If a hunter wants to include Eurasians in their bag, it is suggested they leave plumage on these birds for identification purposes, according to Mitchell. “Remember also to be certified in the Harvest Information Program (HIP). When you purchase a hunting license, indicate to the license clerk that you intend to hunt migratory game birds during the season and need to be HIP certified,” Mitchell said. Mourning dove have traditionally ruled the roost over much of Texas, making it the dominant species in most hunters’ bags. Another native, the white-winged dove, has become established across an increasing amount of the state, fast expanding its number and range. “In the past, bird hunters have traveled to South Texas to hunt white-wings,” Mitchell said. The Lower Rio Grande Valley, which held almost 100 percent of Texas’ whitewings as recently as the mid 1980s, today holds only an estimated 16 percent of the state’s whitewings. “Now it is increasingly common to find these birds within Rockdale and Cameron city limits and in between,” he said.
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