Dove outlook strong going into opener
BY JIM NIEMIEC
YUMA – Based on information on dove populations for most all of Southern and Central California, and across to the lower Colorado River in Arizona, dove hunting should be outstanding, as good numbers of mourning, white winged and Eurasian dove are currently winging over many good hunting areas. The only thing that Mother Nature could throw at dove hunters would be heavy thundershower activity just prior to opening day come September 1.
Western Outdoor News checked in with a number of wildlife biologists, refuge managers and dove hunters to get an idea of just what can be expected in the way of hunting opportunities and areas where there are good concentrations of dove.
Bob Corbett, owner of the Cibola Sportsman’s Club, located on the Arizona side of the Colorado River reported the following. “Mild conditions and no rain seems to be helping the doves hold in lower Cibola. Lots of dove in the area of our South Ranch Hunting Club for now. We will be opening the ranch up for dove hunting this year and working with Turner’s Outdoors to offer the hunting public a good dove hunting destination.”
Richard Sprague, owner of Sprague Sports, based in Yuma, Arizona, sent in the following report for hunting potential around Yuma. “Dove populations look solid at this point in the summer with lots of white winged and increased limits on WW for 2025 enacted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The Breast 36 Tour is on track for Sept. 1 & 2, along with Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club’s Dove Hunter BBQ on August 30 at the Yuma County Fairgrounds.”
Richard Francis, Wildlife Habitat Supervisor 1 for the Palo Verde Wildlife Preserve, located just to the north of Blythe on the California side of the lower Colorado River, passed on the following information. “We are actually having very cool morning temperatures in the Blythe area with lows in the middle to low 70s. This morning on the way to the office it was 69 degrees, with day time highs between 108 and 114 degrees. No rain is currently in the forecast! With that being said, there is still 75 acres of premium wheat at the 6th Avenue location and we started mowing the fields the first week of July, we should finish up there by the middle of August.
Francis went on to add, “The doves in this area at this time are heavy! Both mourning and white winged dove had lots of babies with them as our summer has been extremely mild and no major storms, as of yet. Up at the 2nd Avenue hunting area, the MSCP Multi Species Conservation Program, is in charge of all of our tree groves, had pulled the two water pumps off our canal for rebuilding maintenance, and did not get them reinstalled until the end of March, but we still managed OK (very late) in planting wheat, which now has been covered up by wild sunflowers. We have also mowed many strips in the 60-acre area and the dove are using it very well. If all the conditions stay as is for another couple of weeks, we should have a decent opening day hunt at both our dove hunting locations.”
Cristopher Crecelius, Wildlife Habitat Supervisor II, for the Wister Wildlife Area and nearby state managed hunting fields, had the following to pass on to WON readers. “The Imperial Wildlife Area for 2025 dove season is looking promising with large populations of both mourning and white winged dove utilizing the area. Upland game bird fields attached were planted with wheat and wild sunflower. Hopefully, the good hatch and abundant populations of both species of dove, will provide ample hunting opportunities despite the seasonal weather and normal southern migration. As a reminder, Ramer Lake is closed for repairs and the Wister Unit in only available to hunt the first half of the dove season.”
Scott Sewell, Wildlife Habitat Supervisor II for the San Jacinto Wildlife Area filed the following report with WON for this popular Riverside County wildlife refuge.
“For the SJWA, it is another summer loaded with dove. Our annual problem is the August/September unstable weather conditions that historically pushes dove away from the refuge. This spring the staff at the refuge planted wheat, Milo, sunflower, and an assorted grain mix that looks mature and is ready now to mow, as we approach the September 1 opener,” stated Sewell.
Sewell went on to add, “Some of the more productive areas we are seeing for dove are the upland crops area above the E ponds, Bridge Street, the upland game area west of Davis Road and the upland dog training area.”
Based on pre scouting dove reports coming in from hunters in the southern end of the San Joaquín Valley, there are good numbers of mourning dove across this region. Olive and almond groves are holding lots of mourning dove, and anywhere there is water near an established fly way, should offer up limit shooting, at least on opening day. The Tejon Ranch is holding lots of dove in the farming area and there are some fallow fields in the Arvin area.
California wildlife areas prepared to welcome dove hunters Sept. 1
With select fields plowed, planted, mowed or otherwise primed, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is prepared to welcome dove hunters to many of its wildlife areas for the Sept. 1 season opener.
“Doves key in on bare ground with seeds because 99 percent of their diet is seeds,” said Ian Dwight, an environmental scientist with CDFW’s Upland / Small Game Unit. “This is something our wildlife areas know very well and will often (conduct) mowing practices and grow food plots so that there are ample opportunities in the beginning of the season for dove.”
Safflower, sunflower, wheat, milo and millet are the most common grain crops planted at CDFW wildlife areas in preparation for the dove opener. The crop fields benefit many other wildlife species throughout the fall and winter.
“In September, after fields have been harvested in August by a lot of farmers, doves will be attracted to safflower and sunflower first before they feed out on the winter-planted cereal grains,” Dwight said.
Migratory mourning dove and white-winged dove populations concentrate in California’s agricultural areas in the late summer where seed crops are farmed and harvested in abundance. This makes CDFW wildlife areas in the Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, Imperial Valley and the Palo Verde Valley prime destinations for public land dove hunters.
Southern California offers some of the best dove hunting anywhere in the nation. The top public land spots with prepared crop fields include CDFW’s Imperial Wildlife Area, the San Jacinto Wildlife Area, the Palo Verde Ecological Reserve with additional opportunities provided by CDFW and partners at the Imperial County Upland Game Fields.
Entry procedures can vary as do crop plantings from year to year. Hunters are advised to call ahead in preparing for their public land hunt. Not all CDFW wildlife areas are open to dove hunting Sept. 1. Many CDFW ecological reserves are closed to hunting altogether. To locate wildlife areas to hunt throughout the state, visit CDFW’s Places to Visit web page.
Hunters can target mourning dove and white-winged dove Sept. 1 through Sept. 15. Spotted doves and ringed turtle doves also become legal game. Mourning dove and white-winged dove have a daily bag limit of 15, up to 10 of which may be white-winged dove. The possession limit is triple the daily bag limit. There are no limits on spotted dove and ringed-turtle dove. The invasive Eurasian collared-dove is open year-round with no bag limits. Hunting of Eurasian collared-doves on CDFW Type A wildlife areas is limited to the mourning dove season. A dove identification guide is available at CDFW’s website.
Hunters are strongly encouraged to review the dove hunting regulations and those governing CDFW lands available online: 2024-2025 California Waterfowl, Upland Game, and Public Use of Department Lands Regulations.
The second half of California’s dove season begins Nov. 8 and runs through Dec. 22. Many CDFW wildlife areas are open to dove hunting in the second half of the season on designated waterfowl shoot days when a Type A wildlife area pass will be required to enter.
Additional late-season dove hunts are offered through CDFW’s SHARE program, which provides public hunting opportunities on private farms and ranches throughout the state.
Minimum dove hunting requirements are a valid hunting license and upland game bird validation (validation not required for Junior Hunting License holders), good footwear, a shotgun of almost any gauge, nonlead shotgun shells, a cooler with ice to store birds, and plenty of water for the typically hot weather. Sunscreen and insect repellant are other must-have items for dove hunters.
For more information and resources on dove hunting, CDFW’s Advanced Hunter Education (YouTube) program has videos to help. CDFW’s R3 program has additional resources and videos for newcomers to dove hunting.
For more info, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds
Field Dogs: DOVE SEASON IS OPENING SOON
BY GRADY ISTRE
It didn’t take long after the hunting period closed in January for me to begin anticipating the opening of dove season in September. This opener gives every sportsman a taste of all the bird hunting opportunities to follow. I read somewhere that there are more shotgun shells spent on the opening day of dove season than any other hunting day in the year. And that was before Fish and Game raised the limit here in California to 15 birds per day. Not only will your shooting skills be put to the test, but how well you’ve prepared your dog for the opener. Because the dove opener is only 15 days long, I try to encourage my clients to use it as a gauge to determine the readiness of their hunting companion for the long bird seasons to come.
To prepare your dog for the upcoming season you should have started working him months ago. It’s not fair to a dog to suddenly begin getting him into good physical and mental shape just a couple of weeks before the season starts. Also, the longer you wait, the more challenging it becomes, because more discipline will be required to remind him that he is part of a team and not hunting for himself.
There are also other issues to consider. Luckily, by September it’s doubtful that foxtails will be an issue. However, heat can still be a big problem. After all, the best dove hunting is found in the hottest areas of the state. So, as always, it’s a good idea to have an ample supply of drinking water for both you and your dog. It’s nice if you can scout the area in advance to locate a pond, or even clean water in a drainage ditch to use as needed.
What I have learned over the years is that it’s important to constantly watch your dog’s breathing. If it seems labored then that’s a big warning that it’s time to cool down your dog. Also, if his tongue hangs off to the side of his mouth, it’s time to give him a break. If you wait until your dog begins to stagger when walking, you’ve waited too long, and it’s time to immediately take him to the closest veterinarian. The most recent advice I learned about cooling a dog down is not something I totally agree with, but I’m not going to go against expert advice. My vet says that you only need to cool down the dog’s stomach area and the pads on his feet. He did not agree with my idea of immersing the dog’s entire body in water which would of course cover all areas. If your dog is able, and willing, just encouraging him to swim around in a pond will usually suffice. Although I’ve seen it done, I’m against putting your dog in ice water. That’s because it’s a big no-no, fellow hunters. Ice water will constrict your dog’s blood vessels, which will make it take longer for him to reach a normal temperature again. It’s his blood flow that assists in the cooling process. Once you overheat your dog it affects his thermostat, and he can overheat much easier the next time. But, that’s my personal opinion and there’s nothing scientific about it. Just my observing many dogs over many years of training and hunting in hot and warm conditions has help me to be prepared.
Then there’s another danger to consider, and that’s the possibility of a snake bite. In all my many years of hunting doves I have never come across a snake in any of the fields where I hunt. But, I feel that I would be remiss by not advising you to be mindful because it’s not impossible that you could run across a viper. If that happens, I recently learned that Benadryl can help reduce the swelling until you can get your dog to a vet. So, it’s a good idea to add this to your field vet kit.
Getting your dog into good physical shape before the season begins will certainly help him tolerate heat much better. Any effort on your part to make that happen will be worthwhile. No hunt is worth having your dog injured, so be vigilant and check out the area where you’re going to hunt in advance. And, make sure there is no buried farm equipment or other dangers in the area. When a hunting dog is pursuing a winged bird he has but one objective, and that is to get that bird no matter what. He’s not thinking of protecting his body. Experience is a good teacher, but not when it comes to your dog’s safety. Be a good partner to your dog. Think ahead and be prepared for all possibilities.
