Outdoors -- First dove season opens Sept. 3

By Gene Price
Published in Sports on July 17, 2005 2:07 AM

• Print
• Email

The first segment of this year's dove season will open at noon on Saturday, September 3. That decision was made by the Wildlife Resources Commission Wednesday.

The opening segment will be from Sept. 3 through Oct. 8. During the first week -- through Sept. 10 -- hunting will be from noon until sunset. After that, and during the remaining two segments, shooting will be from half an hour before sunrise until sunset.

The second segment will be from Nov. 21-26 and the final segment will be from Dec. 19 through Jan. 14.

The bag limit will be 12 per day and 24 in possession.

Hunters are reminded that their kills must be kept separate. Hunters have been ticketed for having in excess of 12 birds in a single pile in the field or in the back of a pickup.

Hunters also should check their weapons before going into the field to make certain their magazines will not hold more than three shells.

Seasons also were set for other webless migratory birds:

Seasons for king and clapper rails, sora and Virginia rails and gallinule and moorhens, September 1-September 3 and September 5 through November 10.

The daily bag for king and clapper rails and for gallinule and moorhens will be 15 with a possession limit of 30.

Daily and possession limits for sora and Virginia rails will be 25 birds.

The snipe season will be from Nov. 14 through Feb. 28 with an eight-bird daily limit and 16-bird possession limit.

A split season was approved from woodcock. The first opens Dec. 15 and closes Dec. 24. The second will be from Dec. 26 through Jan. 14. The daily bag is three birds with a six-bird possession limit.

Early waterfowl seasons

An early teal season has been approved for North Carolina from September 15 through September 24 east of U.S. 17. Hunters will be allowed four birds per day, with an eight bird possession limit.

Waterfowlers are cautioned to take only teal during that season. Taking other ducks could result in the season not being allowed in the future.

The early Canada goose season has been approved for Sept. 1 through Sept. 30 with a daily limit of five and a possession limit of 10 in every county but Dare. A limit of two birds per day will be allowed in portions of Dare County.

Later seasons for geese and for ducks will be set after guidelines are received from the U.S., Fish and Wildlfie Service and submitted to public hearings.

Shrimp trawling meeting

The first marine fisheries in-put meeting ever to be held in Wayne County is scheduled for Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. at Wayne Agriculture Center in Goldsboro.

It will be the most inland of several such meetings being held largely in coastal counties.

The session will focus on closing additional inshore waters to shrimp trawling and establishing a limit on recreational shrimp harvests. It also will look at other proposals considered in drafting a shrimp fishery management plan for submission to the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

The Wayne County meeting was set at the behest of Ray Brown, of Goldsboro, a veteran fishery management advisory committee member.

"We hear a lot of comments from people in this area on the management of our marine fisheries. This will be an opportunity for interested parties to put their views on record," said Brown.

Shrimp are an important part of the state's marine fishery, representing around 4.8 million pounds of harvest and $9.4 million in revenue to commercial fishermen annually.

One of the proposals is to limit Recreational Commercial Gear License holders to 48 quarts of shrimp per day.

The Marine Fisheries Division says that while the state's shrimp stock is viable, concerns have been expressed regarding environmental effects of some trawling equipment, bycatch of other species and competition among consumer groups.

Seegars re-elected

Wes Seegars of Wayne County has ben re-elected as vice chairman of the Wildlife Resourcs Commission. John Pechmann of Fayetteville was re-elected chairman.

Wild turkey report

Upland Game Bird Biologist Michael Seamster says North Carolina's wild turkey restoration is complete with significant wild turkey populations in every county.

A total of 50 birds were relocated this year including some in areas of Duplin and Onslow counties, Pamlico and Union counties.

More than 6,000 wild turkeys have been released in selected areas of the state since the restoration program began in 1953. But 4,443 were released after 1990.

Many birds were purchased from other states with funds provided by the Wildlife Resources Commission and the Wild Turkey Federation. But the Wildlife Commission also acquired 150 in a trade with West Virginia for 100 river otters.

The Wildlife Commission also transplanted wild turkeys from North Carolina counties with strong populations to counties that had good turkey habitat but no birds.

Wayne County was among those receiving turkeys. And they have done exceedingly well here. I counted 44 in one field a couple of years ago.

The bear facts

There have been reports of black bear showing up in or near some cities and towns around the state. One reportedly was seen recently in the Morehead City area, another near Chapel Hill and yet another in Guilford County.

A few years ago, a bear ambled through a Carolina St. neighborhood in Goldsboro and another climbed a tree in what is now Wayne County's industrial park.

Biologists say that usually the bear are looking for food. So if one is observed in a populated area, it is advisable for residents not to leave tempting morsels around the property.

The best advice, too, is to leave the animal alone. Don't try to capture or corral it - or feed it. A bear usually will leave an area on its own accord. But if one feels threatened, it is more likely to attack. This is especially true if a bear has a nearby cub!

Safest activity?

Since the advent of mandatory hunter safety education programs 20 years ago, hunting accidents have declines 50 percent. The Wildlife Resources Commission reports that makes hunting "one of the safest recreational activities."