Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Seeking Private Landowners and Farmers to Lease Land for Dove Season’s Opening Day

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 .