Dove hunting season begins Saturday (Sept. 2) throughout the state and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) along with the International Hunter Education Association-USA (IHEA-USA) wants to remind hunters to be aware of their safe zones of fire.
 
Here are some safe hunting practices for dove hunters:
 
·         For safety purposes, it is best to hunt in groups of three or less.
·         Hunters should be spaced 24 to 40 yards apart. Each hunter has a safe zone that spans roughly 45 degrees directly in front of each hunter.
·         If a dove flies behind the line of hunters, it is best that hunters do not fire.
·         No hunter should ever point a firearm at another hunter when swinging on a dove.
 
For more information, go to https://www.hunter-ed.com/.
 
LDWF would also like to remind dove hunters that a new regulation governing the type of shot they may use on LDWF Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and LDWF leased dove fields will be in effect for the 2017-18 hunting season.
 
Hunters on those areas will be limited to the use of non-toxic shot, size 6 and smaller for dove hunting. To see a list of LDWF leased dove fields and public dove hunting opportunities on WMAs, go to www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/dove .
 
The change is intended to reduce the deposition of lead shot and potential effects of lead on wildlife. Current research has demonstrated that in dove fields and areas surrounding dove fields, deposition of lead is high and concentration of lead is elevated in the soil.
 
The regulation was proposed and adopted in order to mitigate the potential exposure of lead to wildlife in areas impacted by this activity. Go to the LDWF web site at wlf.louisiana.gov to see the 2017-18 hunting rules and regulations.
 
ABOUT IHEA – USA
The International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) - USA is the professional hunter education association affiliated with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the 50 state fish and hunter education programs. The programs employ 57,000 instructors, many of whom are volunteers who teach hunting and shooting safety and responsibilities throughout the United States.
 
Hunter education courses train and certify more than 700,000 students annually. Since 1949, almost 44 million students have completed hunter education courses that cover firearm safety, bow hunting, wildlife management, field care of game, responsible hunting, landowner relations, wildlife identification and much more. For more information, go to www.ihea-usa.org .