The first Saturday in September holds a special place on Louisiana’s
hunters’ calendars. It marks the beginning of dove season, the first
species that hunters can target as summer turns to fall.
The opening day of dove season is always busy and the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) would like to make it even
better for the state’s dove hunters. That’s why LDWF is seeking private
landowners and farmers from throughout the state who would lease their
land on opening day for dove hunting. The beginning of dove season in
2019 will be Sept. 7.
LDWF handles all the details, including having personnel on hand the day
of the hunt to issue permits to hunters and directing them on where
they can and can’t go. The landowner leases the field to LDWF for one
day.
“On some of our wildlife management areas across the state we plant dove
fields and they’re very popular on opening weekend,’’ said Dr. Jeffrey
Duguay, the LDWF’s Research and Survey Program Manager. “But we’re
limited on how many fields we have and demand is greater than supply on
that day. So we’d like to enlist more private landowners and farmers
from throughout the state to increase opportunity for dove hunters. Our
staff takes care of all the logistics for that day.’’
LDWF pays based on the size of the field. The payment schedule ranges
from $950 to $2,500, based on the acreage of the field being leased for
the day. The minimum acreage required for leasing is 50 acres.
LDWF also offers assistance to private landowners and farmers with
wildlife management activities through its Private Lands Technical
Assistance Program. Biologists are able to assist landowners with dove
field establishment as well as a wide variety of other wildlife
management practices.
For more information on the dove field leasing program, contact Dr. Duguay at jduguay@wlf.la.gov or 225-765-2353. For more information on the Private Lands Technical Assistance Program go to http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assistance-private-landowners-and-m .