Texas Hunting Leases

SUBJECT TO CHANGE: 

TP&W has issued their proposed hunting dates for the 2007-2008 Dove season.  LeaseHunter’s Dove listings have really picked up this past month as well.  There are some great day and longer term leases throughout the state to hunt for Dove, particularly around Dallas/ Ft. Worth and Houston.  You can look at our Dove leases by going to our Texas Dove Leases search page. Here is the proposed season information direct from TP&W. 

Proposed dove seasons.

North Zone.

• Dates: September 1–October 30, 2007
• Daily bag limit: 15 mourning doves, white-winged doves, and white-tipped (white-fronted) doves in the aggregate, including no more than two white-tipped doves per day;
• Possession limit: 30 mourning doves, white-winged doves, and white-tipped doves in the aggregate, including no more than four white-tipped doves in possession.

Central Zone.

• Dates: September 1–October 30, 2007 and December 26, 2007–January 4, 2008.
• Daily bag limit: 12 mourning doves, white-winged doves, and white-tipped (white-fronted) doves in the aggregate, including no more than two white-tipped doves per day;
• Possession limit: 24 mourning doves, white-winged doves, and white-tipped doves in the aggregate, including no more than four white-tipped doves in possession.

South Zone.

• Dates: September 21–November 11, 2007 and December 26, 2007–January 12, 2008.
• Daily bag limit: 12 mourning doves, white-winged doves, and white-tipped (white-fronted) doves in the aggregate, including no more than two white-tipped doves per day;
• Possession limit: 24 mourning doves, white-winged doves, and white-tipped doves in the aggregate, including no more than four white-tipped doves in possession.

Special white-winged dove area.

• Dates: September 1, 2, 8, and 9, 2007.

Note: The Special White-winged Dove Area (SWDA) is in the South Zone, and South Zone regulations apply in the SWDA after the special season is over, except that the season ends on January 9, 2008.

A recent survey by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife-Associated Recreation reaffirms what we already know.  Outdoor recreation, namely hunting and fishing, is big business.  How big?  How about $64 Billion - if you include wildlife watching, you get that number to $120 Billon.  And the two do go hand in hand as many hunters support the observation of game through their management efforts as well as their license and tax dollars. 

The survey is conducted every five years and has some interesting facts to share.  The good news is that 38% of Americans over the age of 16 enjoy some recreational activity related to fish and wildlife.  That is over 87 million people.  The bad news is that the number of those who hunt is shrinking.  Between 1996 and 2006, there was a 10% drop in the number of hunters from 14 to 12.5 million.  The drop in big game hunters was only 2%, but the big hit came from the migratory bird hunters - down 22%!  Now part of the Duck hunter in me wants to blame it on the fact that most of my baby boomer friends say that they are too old and fat to enjoy putting out 1,000 goose rags or humping it through a marsh with a bag of dekes on their backs.  In reality, we all know it’s the decline in habitat and thus the decline of duck populations that have lead many to give up the sport.

Some other hunting related facts include the following:

• Big game, such as deer and elk, attracted 10.7 million hunters.
• Migratory birds attracted 2.3 million hunters.
• The average expenditure per hunter was $1,814.

I always find it amusing when “animal rights” groups call for the abolishment of hunting and fishing.  But all the discussion in the world won’t add habitat and resources.  And, that is about all these groups have to offer since most of their budgets go towards talk and no real action.  But I will leave this for another blog.