LITTLE ROCK — The opening weekend of dove season is celebrated throughout The Natural State as the unofficial celebration of fall hunting. Although most dove hunting takes place on private agricultural land, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has some special opportunities hunters should take an interest in.
By Randy Zellers
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
This year, the AGFC will offer four managed fields on Wildlife Management Areas and five privately owned fields the agency leased from farmers to offer additional opportunities for the public to enjoy a traditional dove season opener.
The following WMAs will have permit-based dove hunts on Sept. 2 and 3:
- Camp Robinson Special Use Area in Faulkner County;
- Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA’s Powhatan Field in Lawrence County;
- Dave Donaldson Black River WMA’s Brookings Field in Clay County; and
- Frog Bayou WMA’s Powerline Field in Crawford County.
After opening weekend, dove hunting will be available on these fields on a first come, first served basis. The AGFC also has a list of other managed dove fields that are open without a drawn permit at www.agfc.com/dove.
The five private fields available to draw will be opened only on Saturdays this year to increase bird abundance and hunter satisfaction for those who draw permits. Private land fields leased for this year’s permit dove hunts are as follows:
- Clay County (40 acres of sunflowers)
- Fulton County (50 acres of sunflowers)
- Franklin County (40 acres of sunflowers)
- Jefferson County (30 acres of sunflowers)
- Little River County (60 acres of sunflowers)
Applications require a $5 processing fee. Applicants may choose a first and second choice for the day and field they wish to hunt. Permit winners will be notified after the drawing and will be emailed detailed maps and directions to their fields. Hunters may bring one hunting partner with them to enjoy the hunt, but both hunters must hunt together at a designated shooting station within the permitted area. No other hunting is allowed on these fields. No scouting or access to the fields will be allowed outside of the hunt day drawn. Applications are available at the AGFC’s licensing site www.agfc.com/license under the “Special Hunt Applications” tab.
The 2023-24 Arkansas Dove Season is Sept. 2-Oct. 22, 2023 and Dec. 8, 2023-Jan. 15, 2024. The daily bag limit for mourning dove and white-winged dove is 15, with a possession limit of 45. There is no daily bag limit or possession limit for Eurasian collared-dove, but all Eurasian collared-doves must remain fully feathered for identification purposes while in the field and during transport from the field. Dove hunters 16 and older must have a valid Arkansas hunting license and registration with the Harvest Information Program. Licenses and registration are available at www.agfc.com/license.