Hunters need license, WMA permit; list of fields is available from SCDNR
Forty-five public fields will be available across South Carolina during during the 2015-16 mourning dove season, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
All dove fields will be open to the general public on a first-come, first-serve basis, with the exception of special youth dove fields.
Eight special youth dove hunts are scheduled for Saturday, September 5 in Abbeville, Berkeley, Charleston, Newberry, Orangeburg, Sumter, Union and York counties. No preregistration or application is required for the youth hunts, but participants should be aware that adults are not allowed to shoot on any of the special youth dove hunts.
Hunters participating in public dove hunts on SCDNR Wildlife Management Area dove fields should be aware of special regulations in place. No entry is allowed on public fields before noon. Hunters will be restricted to 50 shells per hunt, and shooting hours will end at 6 p.m. on all public fields during the first segment of the season.
Individuals who plan to hunt on public dove fields will need a South Carolina hunting license and a WMA permit. In addition, all persons hunting migratory birds, including doves, are required to have a migratory bird permit, which can be obtained free-of-charge from all hunting and fishing license vendors.
The 2015-16 dove season will run as follows: Sept. 5-7 (noon until sunset); Sept. 8-Oct. 17; Nov. 14-28; and Dec. 15-Jan. 15 (30 minutes before sunrise until sunset). The daily bag limit is 15 birds.
A county-by-county list of public dove fields and special youth hunts is available online at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/dove/fields.html. It can also be obtained by writing: SCDNR, Attn: Public Dove Fields, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202, by calling 803-734-3886 or from local SCDNR offices. Public dove fields are open only on dates and times as specified in the public dove field list, and regulations may be more restrictive than statewide seasons.
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