Almost all of the doves taken in our state are shot on opening weekend, even though there are three seasons spread over a quarter of the year. On opening weekend, many landowners hold annual dove shoots on their harvested fields. These are among the social highlights of the hunting season. Dozens of regular invitees wait in hopeful anticipation for the legions of birds to pass over and give them a chance to bring down some of these fleet-winged aerial acrobats.

Though doves are listed as a migratory species, most of the ones in Mississippi are homegrown homebodies. The weather here simply doesn't get cold enough to necessitate their migration. In the north and west, they have to head south to find unfrozen water, and so are considered migratory. This places them under many of the same federal regulations to which ducks and geese are subject.

STUDYING THE BIRDS
For the last three years biologists in the Southeast have been working together to find out more about these birds. An area-wide banding study currently under way aims to provide information on their habits. In 2003, a total of 25 states started banding doves, kicking off the first major research on the species in over two decades.

During the first year of the program, in July and August 2003, more than 1,000 doves were banded across the Magnolia State. Each leg tag carried a unique code number and a telephone number for hunters harvesting the birds to call at the National Bird Banding Laboratory. Each hunter who called with a leg band number got information about where the dove was banded. During the last two summers, additional birds were tagged.

This type of study can make a big impact on the number of doves available to hunt in years to come.

According to Scott Baker, migratory-bird program leader for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks the results of the banding survey will supplement the data amassed through the Harvest Information Program and provide insight into the movement and behavior of doves. The HIP is a federal program designed to track more thoroughly the harvest of all migratory birds.

"There are concerns that dove numbers are going down both from Mississippi hunters and across the nation," explained Baker, who's trained as a wildlife biologist. "The studies are providing mixed reports. There has been a downturn in dove numbers, but this is proving to be more habitat related than caused by overhunting."

Baker went on to explain that doves need broken habitat, a combination of field-edge rows, small blocks of timber and places like ditch banks to make a living. Unfortunately for the birds, much of the land that used to be farmed is now planted in solid blocks of trees. Pine trees may provide a place to nest, but not much for doves to eat.

Even though dove numbers may be down, there are still a lot of doves available to hunt. About 60 percent of all doves die each year from many causes, including predators, droughts or late cold weather, and old age. Hunters actually don't make much of an impact on these short-lived birds.

NEW HUNTING GROUNDS
A major problem for many dove hunters these days is finding someplace at which to do some shooting. Many farms that used to be available for dove hunting are now leased to hunting clubs, and so are no longer open to the casual hunter. Other used-to-be good spots are now pine plantations.

The MDWFP has now started a program to keep dove hunting accessible to everyone. The plan is to lease suitable fields from farmers and landowners in each region of the state and manage them for legal dove hunts. A predetermined number of hunters can apply for permits to hunt during the first two seasons. The money collected is used to pay for the lease.