SCDNR will have 50 public dove fields ready for opener

Eight special youth hunts are set for Sept. 6

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources will have 50 dove fields available for public hunting during the 2014-15 season, the agency has announced.

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 or can be obtained by writing: DNR, Attn: Public Dove Fields, PO Box 167, Columbia, 29202, or by calling 803-734-3886. The Public Dove Field List is also available at local DNR offices. Public dove fields are open only on dates and times as specified in the list.

Dove season runs from Sept. 1-Oct. 11, Nov. 15-29 and Dec. 13-Jan. 15. Legal hunting is 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset, except for Sept. 1-6, when hunting begins at noon. The daily bag limit is 15 birds.

One major change is that there is no pre-registration or application and selection for any WMA dove fields.

Eight special youth dove hunts are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 6 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 should be aware of special regulations in place on these fields. 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 South Carolina dove season.

Individuals who plan to hunt on public dove fields will need a South Carolina hunting license and a Wildlife Management Area permit. Also, all persons hunting migratory birds are required to have a migratory bird permit, which can be obtained free-of-charge at all hunting and fishing license vendors.