Dove season open; drought a problem

Dove season opens Saturday; drought may hurt conditions

RALEIGH — Because of ongoing drought conditions, some of the dove fields on North Carolina Wildlife Commission game lands may have less-than-optimal hunting conditions for the beginning of dove season.

Some crops failed, and wildlife management personnel had to plant the fields later than usual. Because of that, some fields may not be mowed at the beginning of dove season.

The Wildlife Resources Commission is encouraging hunters to check www.ncwildlife.org for a list of dove field conditions before heading out to hunt.

Dove season opens Saturday. Visit the migratory game bird page on ncwildlife.org for a complete list of season dates and bag limits.

Seasons, limits, youth days set

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has set season dates, bag limits and applicable regulations for the 2011-12 seasons.

Of special note this year is the addition of a second Youth Waterfowl Day.

In recent years, the commission has chosen the Saturday after the end of the duck season as the Youth Waterfowl Day. However, with recent changes to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guidelines, this season’s Youth Waterfowl Days will be Dec. 10 and Feb. 4.

Working within mandatory frameworks established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the commission set the following regulations:

Bag limits for ducks: Six, with no more than four scoters; four mallards with no more than two hens; three wood ducks; two redheads; two scaup; two pintails; one black or mottled duck (season closed until Nov. 19); one canvasback; or one fulvous whistling duck. The season on harlequin ducks is closed.

Possession limits are twice the bag limit.

Limits for other waterfowl are: 25 light geese (includes snow, blue and Ross’ geese), no possession limit; Two brant; five mergansers (two hooded mergansers); seven sea ducks (in special sea duck area only). In other areas, sea ducks are part of the regular duck bag limit. No more than four scoters per day may be taken in either season; 15 coots; five dark geese (includes Canada geese and white-fronted geese) in the Resident Hunt Zone, 5 in the Southern James Bay Zone and 1 in the Northeast Hunt Zone.