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Posted on Sat, Jul. 19, 2008
Robertson: Dove daily limit increases to 15
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Seasons/limits
MOURNING DOVES: Sept. 1-Oct. 4, Nov. 22-29, and Dec. 19-Jan. 15; 15-bird limit
CANADA GEESE: Sept. 1-30; statewide, 15-bird limit
MARSH HENS (king, clapper, Virginia and sora rails) and common moorhens and purple gallinules: Sept. 15-20 and Oct. 13-Dec. 15. Daily bag limits: king and/or clapper, 15; sora and/or Virginia, 25; moorhens and/or purple gallinules, 15
WOODCOCK: Jan. 2-31; 3-bird limit
SNIPE: Nov. 14-Feb. 28; 8-bird limit
TEAL: Sept. 19-27; 4-duck limit
MEETINGS
Trout Unlimited. 6:30 p.m. second Monday of every month, Green Quad learning center on USC campus. Visit www.saludatu.org or call (803) 781-9568 or (803) 606-7871.
Midlands Bassmasters. Last Thursday of each month. Call Jim Cushman at (803) 532-1965 or Bill Lee at (803) 957-4887.
Lexington County Bassmasters. Call Kevin Kirby at (803) 736-5327, David Lindsay at (803) 951-2192 or John Sturkie at (803) 568-2969.
QDMA anniversary banquet. The Midlands Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association will celebrate QDMA’s 20th anniversary at the local chapter’s fifth annual banquet/auction July 31, at Jamil Temple. For tickets, visit www.qdma.com or call Alan Brock, (803) 808-3633, or Chip Salak, (803) 212-4238.
Submissions should be sent by 5 p.m. Friday by e-mailing statesports@thestate.com or faxing (803) 771-8613. Please include area codes for all phone numbers.
Pat Robertson
Outdoorspatrob@upthecreek.net
SOUTH CAROLINA DOVE hunters will be able to shoot more than 12 birds a day this fall without having to worry about being over the limit. For the first time in recent memory, the limit has been raised to 15 per day.
Since doves are migratory, hunting seasons and limits are set within a framework provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This year all of the states on the Eastern Seaboard adopted the 15-bird daily limit.
“It is the first time we have been offered a 15-bird bag limit without a change in the number of days to hunt doves,” said Tim Ivey of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. “In the past, we could have 12 birds per day and a 70-day season or 15 birds and a 60-day season.”
The DNR always opted for the longer season to provide more hunting opportunities, Ivey said. But some states in the Eastern Management Unit lobbied for the longer season and higher limit. Biologists determined the increased limit would have little impact on dove populations.
“Of course, we will monitor it,” Ivey said. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service surveys a number of hunters every year, so we will track the impact on the overall harvest.”
While many dove hunters were thrilled with the daily bag increase, some say the 12-bird limit worked fine.
“I am in two dove clubs, and I am going to highly recommend that we all stay at 12 birds,” said local businessman Larry Bachman, an admitted “dove hunting fanatic.” Bachman said he believes the members in his dove clubs will agree to hold the line at 12.
“Twelve is a great day, and I definitely don't want to hurt the resource,” Bachman said. “I know in many areas of the state the number of doves has been down. A lot of people in normally high-concentration areas like Bennettsville and Orangeburg actually canceled hunts last year and had a poor season.”
The Natural Resources Board voted on the 15-dove, 70-day season and set seasons and bag limits for several other migratory species at its July meeting
Shooting hours for doves will be noon to sunset Sept. 1-6 and 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset the rest of the season.
Shooting hours for other migratory birds, except during the early teal season, also will be 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset. Shooting hours for teal Sept. 19-27 will be sunrise to sunset.
More information on migratory bird hunting is available by writing to Early Season Migratory Birds, DNR, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202, by calling (803) 734-3886, or by visiting the DNR Web site at www. dnr.sc.gov