Despite the drought’s grip on most of the state, hunters should have plenty of opportunities to bag doves when the season opens in September.
Initial numbers are on par with what we’ve seen for the past three or four years, which is a little bit below the long-term average.
The big difference between this year and last, is the drought.
Now, we’re looking at almost 100% in drought. There’s something like 60% of the state in what we would term extreme or exceptional drought,” Fitzsimmons said. “This year, water is going to be key. Birds are going to be a lot more concentrated and a lot easier to hunt.
“Some of the historic high harvest areas are near Throckmorton, Uvalde, Hondo, South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. It’s no different this year.
Over the past few decades, white-winged doves have expanded their territory and population.
Their numbers were going up and up, and I think over the past seven or eight years, they’ve kind of leveled off.
At the national level, there has been a slow decline in mourning dove numbers since the 1960s or ’70s.
We’re not seeing any major declines in Texas. “Numbers have been a little bit lower than the long-term average the past few years, but we’re still looking at a very healthy population of doves.
This year, like any other, scouting before a hunt will be important.
Scouting is always a good idea.
Hunters should also consider the heat and possible supply shortages before dove season opens.
We’ve had some shortages of ammunition the past couple of years, so get your ammunition ahead of time is what I would suggest.
Hunters should also be mindful of the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds.
Hunters who shoot or find a sick- looking bird should still take precautions.
Wash your hands really well, wear gloves, put it in a Ziploc bag if you’re going to hold it for your local biologist, and just take the most precautions you can to be on the safe side.
The regular dove hunting season for the north and central zones opens Sept. 1. The special white-winged dove days will be Sept. 2-4 and Sept. 9-11. The regular dove season in the south zone opens Sept. 14.
The hunting season dates are listed below:
North Zone:
Sept. 1 – Nov. 13, 2022
Dec. 17, 2022 – Jan. 1, 2023
Central Zone
Sept. 1 – Oct. 30, 2022
Dec. 17, 2022 – Jan. 15, 2023
South Zone
Sept. 14 – Oct. 30, 2022
Dec. 17, 2022 – Jan. 22, 2023
Special White-winged Dove Days*:
Sept. 2-4 and 9-11
*Shooting hours are noon to sunset.
Daily bag limit is 15 birds. No more than 2 white tipped. Possession limit 3x daily bag limit.
Proof of Hunter Ed Training if born after 09/01/1971. Harvest Info Program certification on hunting license.
Deadline nears to enter Banded Bird Challenge
Texas dove hunters have just a few days left to sign up for an opportunity to win a brand-new pickup truck, UTV, exotic hunting opportunities, gear and other prizes as part of this year’s Banded Bird Challenge hosted by the Texas Dove Hunters Association (TDHA).
The last day to sign-up for the challenge is Aug. 31.
The challenge opens Sept. 1, when dove hunting season opens in the north and central zones, and participation is easy.
When hunters bag a Eurasian collared-dove with an orange tag, all they have to do is call the number on the tag and give the band identification number and the location the bird was bagged to the association.
The top prize, which we almost gave away last year, is a brand-new truck from Hoffpauir. It’s a pre-designated number on a band, and we were literally one number off last year. Then, of course we have our Polaris Ranger, which Hoffpauir has donated to us each year, and we’ve given one of those away.
Other prizes include an exotic hunt for a Scimitar Horned Oryx at RecordBuck Ranch in Utopia, an exotic hunt for a trophy hybrid sheep at G2 Ranch in Pearsall, a fishing trip for trophy trout on Baffin Bay, a cedar picnic cooler, $500 gift card to McKenna Quinn, leather hunting gear and more.
Then we also have the First Flight Division, which is the scholarship for high school students. If they are in high school and they harvest one, then they will receive a $1,000 scholarship “Then we have the age 10-13 division, First Flight Youth Division, which is a hunt for two (the youth and a parent or guardian) for an overnight trip with meals and lodging.”
The challenge is a research project designed to learn more about invasive Eurasian collared-doves and their habits.
Over the past five years, TDHA has captured, tagged and released more than 3,500 Eurasian collared-doves in Texas.
“We still encourage everyone to turn in their bands, even if they had not entered, once the season starts because that’s important data for us to collect,” Thornton said. “They will receive a TDHA membership, as well as a certificate on the history of that bird.”
Eurasian collared-doves are an invasive species, and do not count toward a hunters’ daily bag limit.
The one thing we absolutely encourage is that whenever you harvest and clean your birds, if you’re cleaning a Eurasian, leave a wing on it because, in the event you do have 15 birds plus a couple with it that are Eurasians, you have to be able to prove to that game warden that they are Eurasians, and they don’t count against your bag limit.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Eurasian collared-doves tend to be larger and more aggressive than native doves.
They have a pale gray body, black bill, a white-squared underside to their tail and a narrow black collar on the back of their necks.
Hunters can enter the Banded Bird Challenge through Aug. 31 at BandedBirdChallenge.com.
For more information, visit tpwd.texas.gov.
ELM TREES ARE DYING
Elms are a big part of the Texas landscape in both rural and urban areas, but drought is exacerbating instances of native elm wilt statewide, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts.
Native elm wilt is affecting cedar elms all over the state. Native elm wilt, also known as Dothiorella wilt, doesn’t get as much attention as Dutch elm disease, which mainly affects the more stately and majestic American elm, Appel said. But native elm wilt is currently a much more pervasive problem in Texas.
Once you start to see the impact of native elm wilt on cedar elm trees throughout the state, you realize how important this species of elm is to the Texas landscape.
Symptoms of native elm wilt
The native elm wilt symptoms that first appear are wilting and yellowing leaves on isolated, small individual branches. The affected leaves rapidly turn brown, then tree tissue death typically follows.
Close examination of the branch will sometimes reveal a sunken, discrete lesion, known as a canker, which is typically along the margin of the healthy tissue and the diseased twig or branch.
If the infections persist, the disease can eventually lead to a decline and death of the tree.
Native elm disease management
Native elm wilt is more widely distributed and has very different symptoms and effects than the more well-known and harmful Dutch elm disease.
Native elm wilt and drought
Native elm wilt is caused by the fungus Dothiorella ulmi. While all elm species are susceptible to native elm wilt, the disease has most often been observed in cedar elms.
The pathogen reproduces in tiny structures on the surface of recently killed twigs and bark.
Insects may also play a role in spreading the pathogen, but aspects of the disease are still poorly understood.
Lack of water predisposes elms to enhanced infection and explains why the disease becomes more prevalent during longer periods of drought.
“During Winter Story Uri, a number of freeze cracks appeared in trees as a result of the freezing and thawing of water in the tree’s vascular system. It’s very possible these freeze cracks and other damage during the freeze provided conditions for the pathogen to invade and thrive. This, combined with the additional stress from the extended drought, has delivered a one-two extreme weather punch to many of these trees and has exacerbated the spread of the disease.