Are you ready? Dove season is right around the corner

Look up at the sky and my bet is you’ll see dove flying all over the place — this is their time of year! Even at home, all I have to do is open my front or back door and they are everywhere. Now to work on ways to locate good locations to be out of town a ways where they need to be come Sept. 1 and the dove opener to fill my game bag. Best load up on a good supply of shells this year to take full advantage of the bag and possession limits (daily bag limit is 15 total with no more than 10 being white-winged doves while possession limit is 45 total with no more than 30 being white-winged doves).

While getting your shells, get a supply of mosquito repellent (with DEET) along with and a good supply of drinking water that you’ll need with our high heat and humidity to stay hydrated. If you don’t have a hat, get one. It’ll help keep you cooler, and I’ve found that long sleeves ward off a lot of flying insects that go along with our weather — getting wet is also good if you get overheated — looks don’t count when you’re in the field.

I say mosquito repellent with DEET to be sure you don’t get picked to be a victim of West Nile Virus — no cases that I know of have been found in the Yuma area, but best to be prepared wherever you hunt and especially along the river where lots of bugs are known to be. “Be prepared.” While you’re at the store, pick up the bacon, creme cheese and jalapeno’s so you can be ready to put some great recipes to work once you have your dove and you’re ready for some neat cooking and eating.

If you haven’t already gotten the Dove Regulations at local sports dealers or from Game and Fish, be sure to get a copy and review them as reminders of all the do’s and don’t’s you should consider while on your hunt. Reminders in this year’s regulations are: DO NOT (a) Shoot within a 1/4 mile (440 yards) of an occupied structure while hunting unless you have permission. (b) Shoot from, across or into roads or railways. (c) Leave shotgun shells or other litter on the ground (always “leave it better than you find it” so we’ll be welcome next year). (d) Hunt over water all day — allow time for livestock to access water. (e) Consume drugs or alcohol while hunting or handling firearms. DO (a) Leave one fully feathered wing attached to the bird for identification until you reach your permanent residence or where the wildlife will be consumed. (b) Keep individual limits of birds separate from others while in the field, in the cooler and in transit. (c) Respect Jean Wilson postings on private land and leave gates as found. (d) Make a reasonable effort to retrieve all downed birds. (e) Report violations to Operation Game Thief, (800) 352-0070.

Migratory game birds (mourning and whitewinged doves) may be taken only with a 10-gauge or smaller shotgun capable of holding no more than three shells (two in the magazine and one in the chamber), unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler, incapable of removal without disassembling the gun, so its total capacity does not exceed three shells. Birds also may be taken by falconry, by bow and arrow, or crossbow. Pneumatic weapons are legal only for use on Eurasian collared-doves. An Arizona migratory bird stamp is not required for the take of Eurasian collared-doves.

Legal shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until sunset (Sept. 1 sunrise is shown in the regulations as 6:10 a.m. with sunset at 7:03 p.m.).

Be aware of your surroundings. With so many hunters in the field wherever you go, your hunt needs to be safe as well as enjoyable and successful. Be sure to pick up a copy of this year’s Dove Section in the Yuma Sun newspaper that will have a lot of information including hunt tips, stories and recipes for cooking your dove — all well worth having. Good luck on your hunt and, if you came for a visit, enjoy your stay in Yuma — our welcome mat is out for you!

Hunt happenings

• BB XXX Sept. 1-2 Big Dove Breast Contest: Take your biggest dove breast (only mourning or white-winged, no Eurasians, cleaned with a feathered wing attached for Identification) to Sprague’s Sports Shop, 345 W. 32nd St., next to Lowe’s with over $2,000 in prizes. Sponsors Benelli, Federal Premium Ammunition and Budweiser will be set up on site with over $90,000 in prizes to be won.

• Pre-season shoot today at the Adair Park trap and skeet range: Plan now to get in on the practice for dove season beginning Sept. 1 to be ready and able to enjoy a successful hunt. The practice matches will begin at 7 a.m. lasting until there aren’t enough shooting for a squad. Match fees are $5. Winners will receive a $15 gift card from Sprague’s along with a one-time range pass for that extra practice. Call Sprague’s Sports at 726-0022 for information for winners and Bob Avila at 919-0622 with questions about the shoot.

• Scout before the dove hunt: Get out one evening just before dark and keep your eyes peeled. Doves will typically pick densely vegetated areas for roosts. If you locate a lot of birds heading for roosting areas (dense stands of honey mesquite, salt cedars, palo verde trees or citrus groves or are using a riparian area along the river with access to both food and water, it’s a good bet they’ll be there again sometime in the mornings. The trick is to be where the doves want to be — where there’s food on hand and water nearby.

• Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club: If you’re wondering where to find early morning dove to hunt opening day, make yourself available Sept. 1 to take your youngster for the Clint Curry Memorial Youth Dove Hunt at Moore Farms in Dome Valley. Arrive by 5 a.m to sign in, get together with Pat Headington of Game and Fish to go through all the firearms safety issues prior to getting into the field for the hunting. If hunt licenses or bird stamps are needed, Chris Bedinger of Game and Fish will be on hand with what you need along with giving each youngster a free box of Ammunition. Accompanying adults will get to hunt along with their youngster(s). Questions? Call Brian Shadd at 271-1234. I’ll have more information each week as the date gets closer.

Also plan ahead for the 12th annual Mike Mitchell Memorial Dove Hunter’s barbecue the evening of Sept. 1 at Cocopah Bend RV Resort, 6800 Strand Ave., sponsored by the YVRGC Club and Southwest Wildlife Foundation. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. with dinner starting at 6 p.m. Bring the whole family for lots of fun, win guns, gear and more. Meal tickets are $25 with kids meal (12 and under) $10. If you’d like to be a table sponsor or assist with a donation of some kind, call Cheryl Jones at (928) 920-6934. There will be a live and silent auctions, games and raffles going throughout the evening with all proceeds to benefit youth and wildlife conservation efforts. Anyone who might enjoy becoming a sponsor and want to make a donation of any kind can call Cheryl.

• BOW workshop set for Sept. 7-9: Women who just want to find out what the outdoors experience is all about, sign up for a Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshop is a great place to start. The Arizona Wildlife Federation, in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will conduct its next BOW workshop Sept. 7-9 at Friendly Pines Camp near Prescott. The workshop introduces like-minded women (18 and older) to outdoor skills in an enjoyable, no-pressure setting with expert instructors.

In addition to being able to select from more than 30 classes, like horsemanship, geocaching, wilderness medicine, birding and hiking, participants also will have an opportunity to fulfill the field-day requirements to earn their Arizona Hunter Education certificate. The online course must be completed prior to the workshop, however, at www. hunter-ed.com/arizona. The evenings will be filled with fun and entertainment, like night hikes and guest speakers. A pair of new classes also are being offered: a geology class titled “Name That Rock” and a class in primitive skills. Meanwhile, participants will learn how to catch crayfish, then prepare them along with other wild foods to be served at a game-tasting the first night of the workshop. Participants will stay in rustic cabins equipped with showers and toilets. The workshop fee is $250 and includes all instruction, course materials, use of equipment, meals and lodging. For information, visit www.azwildlife.org email awf@ azwildlife.org or call (480) 644-0077.

Shooting sports

• 4-H Shooting Sports: The Yuma County 4-H training schedule for shooting sports will start Sept. 20 with a safety class and answering questions about the project, open to any 4-H youth ages 9-19 that are a member of a Yuma County 4-H Community Club. Training will begin at the Yuma County Fairgrounds with archery and air rifle, then in December move to Dome Valley and add black powder, small bore .22 and shotgun with a training camp-out in January and end of the year competition in March. Call the Yuma 4-H office at 726-3904 or Stan Gourley at 3440740 with questions.

• Renegade Archers of Yuma: If you’d like to shoot the trail of 3D animals with us at the Foothills Archery Range, call Kevin at 726-0953 or Jean at 247-4450. Archery instruction for anyone interested is free! We’ll be glad to assist in their learning (call ahead so we can bring along extra bows and arrows). The practice area at the range is open (also free use) daylight hours all week for archers practice and enjoyment. You might be better satisfied bringing along your own target — people seem to be intent on tearing down the expensive cotton bales — do what you can to prevent vandalism while at the range so all can enjoy.

• Yuma Trap and Skeet Club: Anyone interested in trap and skeet? Shoot 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays at Adair Park, located off Highway 95, 15 miles east of Yuma, turning west onto Adair Range Road, 1st range on the right. Call Bob Avila at (928) 919-0622.

The Yuma Young Guns with the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) will begin again when weather cools a bit. Call head coach H. McNutt at (928) 580-0918 if you are interested.

• Yuma Territorial Longrifles Club: Regular open black powder matches are 1st and 3rd Saturdays at the Adair Park range at 8:30 a.m. Call Roger Bickel at 726-7453 — ask about .22 matches.

• Cholla Gun Club at Adair Park: Call Glenda Graves at (928) 5800915 for shooting times. Watch for their shooting schedule beginning again this fall.

• High Power Rifle and Pistol Club of Yuma: Check with Joseph Murek at umpire1@q.com or Gerald Brooker at brookergerald@att.net or call (858) 349-1311 or Paul Lerma at 580-7456 to learn about shooting at the Adair Park big bore range. Club junior “Whipper Snipers” will begin their shooting activities for all ages again in September. Check club matches as well as Whipper Snipers news listed on the club website at hprifleyuma.net.

• Yuma Matchmasters: A variety of matches are offered each month at the range, all open to shooters at 7 a.m. with the steel challenge the 1st Saturday, multi-gun matches the 1st Sunday, IPSC combat matches the 2nd Sunday, cowboy fast draw the 3rd Saturday and SASS cowboy matches the 4th Saturday. Interested in cowboy action shooting? Call Irene Snyder at (209) 613-4598 or Bob Wiles at 920-2158 with questions.

• Southwest Bowhunters Archery Club: Archery is offered on Sundays with their practice range also open all week. Call Keith Parsels at 7821097.

Fishing clubs

• Desert Bass Anglers “The Fun Way to Fish”: Be ready early morning Sept. 8 (date change because of dove season) to fish the next tournament.

The club reminds each of us to keep your live-well in good condition — check it often so those fish will be kept in good shape after weigh-in to be returned to the water for catching a next time. Keeping you cool as well is also a necessity when fishing so you can come back a next time. Note from Mac & Bobbi: Because of the early summer hours of tournaments this time of year, lights are now required at launch to prevent close calls at the boat ramp. Don’t violate the light rule — we’d like to maintain our no accidents or injuries record.

• Desert Draw Series Pro/Am Bass Fishing Club: Hopefully you were able to get together with the club for Saturday’s fishing tournament. Check next week’s column for results or call Michael at (928) 750-7081 with questions

Important note: Michael Obney is encouraging non-boaters to sign-up for tournaments as well as boaters. In essence, that is what the idea behind the draw is: Pair non-boaters with boaters to exchange ideas — a win, win situation. Call Michael Obney at (928) 750-7081 with questions or suggestions.

• Yuma High School Bass Fishing Club: A great way for any high schooler to learn all about fishing for bass. Members of both the Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club and Desert Bass Anglers assist the kids in providing them with boats and equipment as well as guiding the youngsters, both guys and gals, in gaining a share of fishing know-how’s. Call Terry Hurt, school sponsor, at 580-6567 or visit StudentAnglerFoundation.com to get started. Any interested high school student will be a part of an exciting year for our next generation of anglers at Fisher’s Landing/Martinez Lake. This bunch of super young people also help others with their fishing along the way by assisting at local youth events.

Contact Jean Wilson at jeanrenegade@ gmail.com or call (928) 247-4450.