WMA Dove Fields

If the cost of a private dove field isn’t in your wallet this September, Georgia WRD does a good job in offering folks some public field opportunities. Thanks to Greg Balkcom with WRD, we’re able to provide readers with this list of public shoots, the crops that have been planted, the acreage of the field, and the predicted forecast of the field on opening day. Those dove fields are all listed to the right.

Some of these fields are quota-only, and the deadline to apply over at www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com is Aug. 15. You’ve still got time.

Those WMAs or VPAs that are marked with an asterisk (*) are either offering quota hunts or adult/child only hunts. To see which dove fields offer adult/child dove opportunities, click over to our WMA Youth Calendar.

For those of you who are wanting to sit on a field where the crowds are kept at bay, review the quota-hunt selection odds table for adult and adult/child dove quota hunts at georgiawild life.com/hunting/quota#odds. This will guide you to how many, if any, priority points you want to consider using when applying for a hunt.

Last year’s hardest adult dove hunt draw was the first hunt at Albany Nursery where 351 folks put in for the coveted 35 spots. It took three priority points for a guaranteed spot.

Rum Creek WMA’s first hunt also took three priority points for a guaranteed spot, although 94% were drawn with using two priority points.

There were only three adult/child dove quota hunts that required at least one priority point for a guaranteed spot. In order of difficulty in getting selected with one point, they were Buck Shoals, River Creek (first hunt) and Walton PFA. However, on all three hunts, some applicants were chosen without using a priority point.

The overall most popular dove hunt in the state last year was the one at Clybel WMA. There were 732 folks who put in for 200 spots on the 142-acre field. However, by using just one priority point, 100% of folks who applied were given a spot. Ten percent of folks got on the field without using a point.

Don’t be suprised to see your favorite WMA in a new region. Earlier this year, WRD’s Game Management Region 7 was dropped, and the remaining six divisions were shifted to match up exactly with WRD Fisheries and DNR Law Enforcement. The move better streamlines DNR and is designed to make operations more efficient and less costly. For more on the shift, go to www.gon.com/news/new-regions-led-game- management-fisheries.

All indicators point to a Sept. 5 dove opener that should be a good one for wing shooters.

“Our field staff are having really good success this year capturing and banding doves, so I hope that means we might have some good dove shoots on our fields in September,” said Greg Balkcom, WRD wildlife biologist.

GON really likes to get pictures of WMA critters that our readers have taken. If you knock down a few of those little gray rockets, send us a picture to [email protected].