Newspaper Page Text
The Millen News, Wednesday, August 26, 2009 — Page 3
‘Is this dove field baited?’
/ \
When you’re between jobs
Come this fall, this may be a
question asked ahead of time
by an invited hunter to the host
of the field. This may be a
question one hunter poses to
another as they step onto a
dove field for the first time. In
the worst case scenario, this
question may be asked by in
credulous hunters who have
just been informed by the
Game Warden that, yes indeed,
the field is baited.
Department of Natural Re
sources Corporal Don Dasher
of Jenkins County would like
to avoid the last example and
provide suggestions and strat
egies for successfully and le
gally attracting mourning
doves, as well as tips for rec
ognizing dove fields that may
be baited.
The key to hunting doves le
gally in Georgia is understand
ing the differences between
“baiting” and “normal agricul
tural operation”.
“Baiting” is the practice of
direct or indirect placing, ex
posing, depositing, distribut
ing, or scattering of salt, corn,
wheat, or any other grain or
feed that could serve as a lure
or attraction for doves to, on,
or over any areas where hunt
ers are attempting to take them.
Any baited area remains baited
for 10 days following the com
plete removal of any salt, corn,
wheat, or any other grain or
feed which constitutes bait.
Dove hunting over or near a
baited area at any time within
ten days after the bait is com
pletely removed is a violation.
A “normal” practice or op
eration is one conducted in ac
cordance with official recom
mendations of State Extension
Specialists of the Cooperative
Extension Service of the US
Department of Agriculture. In
Georgia, these are the Univer
sity of Georgia Cooperative
Extension Service, Extension
Agronomists; these are NOT
the county extension agents.
There are several of these spe
cialists, each one dealing with
specific crops or agricultural
practices such as grains, soy
beans, peanuts, soil erosion,
etc.
Hunting doves over manipu
lated fields that were planted
in the spring or early summer
is a legal activity and by far the
most common situation in
Georgia says Corporal Dasher.
For early season shooting,
browntop millet has long been
the preferred crop, since it is a
favorite dove food and matures
early with minimum attention.
Other commonly planted grain
crops for dove fields are: proso
millet, sunflower, corn, grain
sorghum and wheat that was
planted the previous fall.
These dove fields must be
well planned if they are to at
tract large numbers of doves
and the crops should mature
10-14 days before the desired
period for shooting. Once
grown, these grains can be
manipulated by activities that
include, but are not limited to,
mowing, shredding, disking,
rolling, chopping, trampling,
flattening, burning, “hogging”
or herbiciding to make the seed
more available to the dove.
Two things that should never
be done to these prospective
dove fields is to harvest the
grain or seed and redistribute
them on the field at a later
time, or add seed to what was
already grown on the field.
This second practice is com
monly known as “sweetening”
the field. Either of these prac
tices can cause an otherwise
legal field to become a baited
field, making it illegal to hunt
doves over.
Corporal Dasher goes on to
say that hunting doves over
fields planted in late summer
or fall is also legal, provided
that the field has been planted
as part of a normal agricultural
operation. Normal agricultural
operation implies a planting
that is conducted in accordance
with the official recommenda
tions of the UGA Cooperative
Extension Service.
Aerial or top sowing of small
grains without covering the
seed is not a recommended
practice by the UGA Coopera
tive Extension Service. Dove
hunting over a field planted by
top sowing is illegal warns
Corporal Dasher. Also, normal
planting operations do not in
volve placement of grains in
piles or other concentrations.
Piles of small grains, or small
grains that have been broadcast
on top of the ground, are pos
sible warning signs of a baited
field that hunters should look
for.
Another very important
component of "normal agricul
tural practice” is planting
dates. All of Jenkins County
lies in what is considered the
coastal region of Georgia. As
such, the UGA Cooperative
Extension Service recom
mends planting dates of Oct. 1
through Dec. 15 for all small
grains (wheat, rye, oats and
barley) and canola. Hunters
may not hunt doves over or
around late summer/fall
planted fields if the plantings
are outside of the recom
mended dates.
The application rate guide
line for all small grains (wheat,
rye, oats and barley) planted
for crop or forage production
is 1.5 to 2.5 bushels per acre.
Also, it is not a normal agri
cultural operation to sow grain
several times in succession. If
you find yourself on a dove
field where seed has been
sown more than once, it may
be baited.
Fields planted in crops that
continually supply mature
grain are most attractive to
doves. Planting multiple crops
with varying planting dates
well ahead of dove season will
ensure a supply of seed prior
to and throughout dove hunt
ing season. Start manipulation
of crops as they mature and
continue throughout the sum
mer and the dove season. For
late season dove hunting, leave
portions of crops standing un
til late fall and winter. These
standing crops will also pro
vide places for hunter conceal
ment during the early dove sea
son.
Corporal Dasher goes on to
say that cracked corn, rock
salt, scratch feed and wild bird
seed are not part of a normal
agricultural practice and may
indicate to the hunter that a
field is baited. Small seeds or
grains that are broadcast over
grass or pasture land is not part
of a normal agricultural prac
tice and should warn hunters
that the field may be baited.
Also, the hunter should make
sure that the seed that is vis
ible matches the field condi
tions. For example, on a millet
field there should be millet
seed present. If the hunter
finds a row of shelled corn or
sunflower seeds spread about,
that may indicate a baited field.
Whenever a hunter experi
ences doubt as to the legality
of a field, he or she should un
load their shotgun and leave.
Hunters, landowners, hosts,
and land managers should al
ways call their Wildlife Re
sources Division regional of
fice or local Conservation
Ranger for any questions re
garding field preparation ef
forts.
Corporal Dasher says that
dove season in Georgia opens
statewide on Sept. 5 and runs
through Sept. 20. The second
season runs Oct. 10 -18. The
third and longest season runs
from Nov. 26, 2009 until Jan.
9, 2010. Shooting hours are
noon until sunset on opening
day of the first season, and
one-half hour before sunrise to
sunset every day thereafter.
The daily limit is 15.
Dove hunters must have on
his/her person a valid Georgia
hunting license and a valid Mi
gratory Bird Harvest Informa
tion Program (HIP) permit.
The HIP permit is free and can
be obtained from any license
dealer by completing a migra
tory bird hunter questionnaire.
Honorary license holders are
exempt from the HIP permit re
quirement. Any autoloading
shotgun or other repeating
shotgun must be plugged to
hold no more than three
shotshells while hunting
doves.
More information on legal
dove hunting in Georgia can be
found at
www.gohuntgeorgia.com.
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NOTIC E TO BID
rht Jedfcns Couniv Board nl't'oruirti-'isiuiwo is asking [hrhiih
on Severn! county buildings which need various repairs such as
replace men! of roof, sofFil, fascia, w Endows, trim. and paint,
the following is j list of the buildings which need repair:
u) Jenkins CoiinLy Memorial Library-Replace windows on rear
of building with insulated windows, replace or repair am
rotten trim. Repair or replace fascia and soffits where needed
lind show ing rotten wood. Repair copula with WiialherpnKif
material <I lardy Hoard). Cheek for and repair any roof leaks
anti any interior water damage, lie pair columns or side parch.
Repair columns at fronl windows where needed. Reseal anti
paint exterior, especially at I new wooden repairs.
h) Jenkins Fount; 1 iealth Department-Remove ridge vent and
replace with proper venting ridge cap.
e) USf>A i arm Serv iee Agency-Repair too!' leaks and any
inlcrior water damage,
d) J lead start Building-Replaec sheathing and roof. Give bid
price for a shingle and/or metal roof.
Bids should be turned into I he Commissi Liners' Office by 5
Ik M. Lin Monthly. August 51, KJ09. The bids Mil be opened
til the regular moiuhlv meeting on Tuesday. September 1. 2009
at 9;0(l A. M.
Corambsfoners rcser\e the right to (eject any or all bids.
JenkinsCcuNv lt,j.i:,i
Of '
ConimiF.HiLHSfjH
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
Monday and Friday at 7 p.m. at the Wimberly House at
521 S. Liberty St., Waynesboro. These meetings are
open and anyone can attend. AA already has...
Step Study: Tuesdays (Open Meetings) - 8:00 p.m.
Thursdays (Closed Meetings) - 8:00 p.m.
at Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Hwy. 24 South - Waynesboro
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ON THE SWAINSBORO CAMPUS
IN THESE POPULAR PROGRAMS!
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Open Meeting-Monday - 8 p.m.
at Wimberly House
521 S. Liberty St., Waynesboro
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