Photo courtesy of Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), opening weekend of dove season is seen as the unoffical celebration of fall hunting. Although most dove hunting takes place on private agricultural land, the AGFC has some opportunities hunters.
This year, the AGFC will offer four managed fields on Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and five privately owned fields the agency leased from farmers to offer additional opportunities for the public to enjoy a traditional dove season opener.
On Sept. 2 and 3 Camp Robinson Special Use Area in Faulkner County; Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA’s Powhatan Field in Lawrence County; Dave Donaldson Black River WMA’s Brookings Field in Clay County; and Frog Bayou WMA’s Powerline Field in Crawford County will have permit-based dove hunts.
After opening weekend, dove hunting will be available on these fields on a first come, first served basis. A list of managed dove fields that are open without a drawn permit can be viewed at www.agfc.com/dove.
In addition, five private fields available to draw will be opened Saturdays only this year to increase bird abundance and hunter satisfaction. Private land fields include Clay County with 40 acres of sunflowers; Fulton County with 50 acres of sunflowers; Franklin County with 40 acres of sunflowers; Jefferson County with 30 acres of sunflowers; Little River County with 60 acres of sunflowers.
All applications require a $5 processing fee and applicants may choose a first and second choice for the day and field they wish to hunt. Permit winners will be notified after the drawing and will be emailed detailed maps and directions to their fields. Hunters may bring one hunting partner with them, but both hunters must hunt together at a designated shooting station within the permitted area. No other hunting is allowed on these fields. No scouting or access to the fields will be allowed outside of the hunt day drawn.
Applications are available at the AGFC’s licensing site www.agfc.com/license under “Special Hunt Applications.”
The 2023-24 Arkansas Dove Season will run Sept. 2 through Oct. 22 and Dec. 8 through Jan. 15. The daily bag limit for mourning dove and white-winged dove is 15, with a possession limit of 45. There is no daily bag limit or possession limit for Eurasian collared-dove, but all Eurasian collared-doves must remain fully feathered for identification purposes while in the field and during transport from the field.
Dove hunters 16 and older must have a valid Arkansas hunting license and registration with the Harvest Information Program. Licenses and registration are available at www.agfc.com/license.
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