LDWF seeking fields to lease for public dove hunts

Fields to be open for 2011 dove season opener.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries wants to provide public hunting opportunities for the Sept. 3 opener of dove season, and is looking for lease to lease.

The fields will be open for public dove hunting on Sept. 3 only, and LDWF personnel will be on hand to issue permits and monitor the hunts.

Hunters 16 years of age and older will be charged $10 to hunt, while hunters 15 years of age and younger will hunt for free.

Suitable fields include recently harvested grain fields or freshly cut pastures that are 75 acres or larger.  The fields also should be attracting large numbers of doves.

Lease payments for fields vary based on the size of the field, ranging from $750 for a 75-acre field to $2,000 for fields over 500 acres.

Landowners seeking more information about the dove field lease program can contact Jeff Duguay at 225.765.2353 or jduguay@wlf.la.gov.