Dove, teal among seasons set

• By JOE MACALUSO
• Advocate Outdoors writer
• Published: Jul 5, 2009 - Page: 12C

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Dove and teal hunters across Louisiana will have the most liberal seasons allowed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for September hunts.

The 70-day dove and the 16-day special teal seasons dates were proposed by the state’s Wildlife Division and approved by the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission during Thursday’s meeting in Baton Rouge.

The dates will be forwarded to the USFWS for approval, which usually is a formal presentation that has always been approved.

For the second consecutive year the state will be divided into North and South zones for dove hunters.

Teal hunters will be able to take rails and gallinules during the special September season.

The Wildlife Division also proposed dates for the 2010 spring turkey season at Thursday’s meeting. The biggest proposed change is moving the annual statewide opening date to the Saturday nearest March 22.

Hunters will be able to comment on the proposed seasons until the commission ratifies the turkey season at its Nov. 5 meeting in Baton Rouge.

The commission approved a Dec. 19-24 and Dec. 26-27 with-or-without dogs deer season for all or parts of ranger districts in the Kisatchie National Forest.

The bird-hunting dates include:
TEAL: Sept. 12-27 with a daily limit of 4 and a possession limit of 8 after opening day. The take is limited to greenwing, bluewing and cinnamon teal only. Rails and gallinules can be taken with special limits placed on those species.

DOVES: The state is divided into North and South zones with the I-10 to I-12 to I-10 corridor the dividing line.
North Zone: Sept. 5-20, Oct. 10-Nov. 8 and Dec. 12-Jan. 4.
South Zone: Sept. 5-13, Oct. 17-Nov. 29 and Dec. 19-Jan. 4.
Daily limit is 15. Hunters can taken whitewing doves, Eurasian collared doves and ringed turtle doves. There is no limit on Eurasian collared doves nor ringed turtle doves if the hunter keeps a fully feathered wing and head on those two species when taking birds from the field to home. If all birds are field dressed, all birds are included in the 15-per-day bag limit.

PROPOSED 2010 TURKEY SEASON:
Area A: March 20-April 18.
Area B: March 20-April 11.
Area C: March 20-April 4.
Youth & Physically Challenged weekend: Private lands, March 13-14.
Daily limit one 1 gobbler. Season limit two gobblers.