FRANKFORT, Ky. – A 15-acre public dove field in Simpson County will be closed to hunting this year due to crop failure. The field, located south of Franklin off U.S.31W, is listed as open in the latest dove hunting guide.
Rocky Pritchert, migratory bird program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, said there was no seed production in the field. Officials originally had anticipated that the field would be productive at the time the dove hunting guide was finalized for publication.
Dove hunters should also note that Taylorsville Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) will not have a public dove field this year. Record lake levels kept the usual field location in the Van Buren Bottoms in the headwaters of the lake flooded for 38 days in late spring, preventing the planting of a dove field.
Although these fields will not be open, more 50 fields across Kentucky will host public dove hunting this fall. Shooting times on these fields go from 11 a.m. to sunset daily.
Privately-owned dove fields enrolled in the Cooperative Dove Field Program, except for those designated for Mentor/Youth hunts, are open to all public hunting on Sept. 1 and Sept. 3. Mentor/Youth hunts are held Sept. 3.
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All public fields reopen on Labor Day, Sept. 5, for one day. Public fields next reopen to dove hunting from Sept. 10 through Oct. 24.
To find the location of a public dove field near you, consult the 2011-2012 Kentucky Hunting Guide for Dove, Wood Duck, Teal, Woodcock, Snipe and Crow, available wherever you purchase hunting licenses. You may request a free copy by calling 1-800-858-1549. A printable version is also available on the internet at the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife homepage: fw.ky.gov.