Hunters are encouraged to participate in an upcoming survey that will ask dove hunters from across the U.S. to share their experiences and opinions about dove hunting.
The National Dove Hunter Survey is scheduled to begin in late June 2012 and will be completed by the end of the year. Louisiana hunters will be randomly selected and receive the surveys through the mail to complete and return in a postage-paid envelope.
Topics will include time spent hunting, demographics, constraints to hunting, and thoughts about potential effects of spent lead from hunting ammunition on mourning doves and other wildlife. The survey is a cooperative effort involving state fish and wildlife agencies, all four flyway councils and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
“We are conducting this survey because hunter opinions and preferences are important and should be taken into account whenever possible,” says Dr. Ken Richkus of the USFWS’s Population and Habitat Assessment Branch. “The Service and the states want to make sure we use the best science-based information for the management and conservation of our migratory bird resources.”
There are more than one million dove hunters nationally and seasons in 40 states. Dove hunters in every state that has a dove season are being surveyed to collect opinions on a variety of topics.
For more information, contact Jeff Duguay at 225-765-2353 or jduguay@wlf.la.gov.
