| Kentucky Lake Outdoor Guide- Fishing, Hunting and everything outdoors...... | |
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| Kentucky Lake Outdoor Guide- Fishing, Hunting and everything outdoors...... | |
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Sporting Goods, Bait and Tackle Hunting Stories and Information Fishing
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TWRA PUBLIC DOVE FIELDS SCARCE (Land Lease Program Not Meeting Hunter Demand) by Steve McCadams
TWRA started a program back in 1988 that was to lease land from farmers or landowners for a few days of dove hunting. Initially, it got some response but over the last several years has attracted very few participants, leaving the average hunter with no place to go. In the eyes of most sportsmen this program needs updating so as to better meet the needs of sportsmen across the state. Supposedly, $20,000 of sportsmen's dollars was earmarked to this land lease program each year but offering landowners/farmers a mere $625 for a minimum of three days of use apparently isn't appealing. Today's cost for farmers' equipment, fuel, labor, seed, fertilizer Meanwhile, thousands of acres are under the umbrella of TWRA wildlife management areas across the state and while a few fields are prepared on some units, they are often way too small to accommodate the demand. Thus, a quality hunt is not the average experience when there's more hunters than there are doves. While some WMA acres are located in lowlands where waterfowl winter and lead shot use is prohibited, most sportsmen see ample acreage available in higher elevations. Many units have been allowed to grow up in vines, bushes and trees where open fields were once cultivated or mowed. Most dove hunters know open fields where sunflower, millet, or top sown wheat is found offer the most potential for attracting doves. Other birds such as quail, turkey, and a variety of song birds thrive off such areas too. Allowing acreage to grow up in vines, willows and other trees that produce no mast crops doesn't seem to be in the best interest of the sportsmen looking for a place to dove hunt. That's not to say wildlife doesn't benefit somewhat as deer likely use the habitat but opening up some acreage to the planting of dove fields could be done while leaving buffer zones. And, less we forget, we've got deer out the ears in most areas. Dove fields could be created in many WMAs without detrimental effects to deer, turkey and small game habitat. In fact, multiple use might well be the case. Some timber companies offer small acreage for public dove shoots
separate from TWRA while a few WMAs will offer limited use. It's an
understatement to say sportsmen are disappointed with TWRA's lack of
public hunting opportunities on both their WMAs and land lease programs
when it comes to dove hunting. While it's too late to do much for the
public dove hunting program this year, TWRA says it will evaluate the
land lease program and make attempts to better serve the Hopefully, TWRA will respond to the needs and wishes of dove
hunters by making some changes, many of which ought to have been
addressed several years ago. As of Wednesday, there were no leased dove fields listed in Region One of TWRA's Website. All other regions of the state have a few listed with directions and county of location.
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