Limit of Doves

It was opening day of dove season and Conservation Police Officer (CPO) Schmitt was about to end a long day of checking dove hunters. The weather was beautiful, and the doves had really been flying. On his way home, CPO Schmitt decided to drive through an area that had produced a lot of dove activity in the past. He had personally observed doves flying in and out of the area’s numerous pine trees that were bordered by a gravel road with a lake on the other side of the road.

As CPO Schmitt arrived, he observed a vehicle sitting along the side of the road close to the area of the pine trees. Stopping and observing from a distance with his binoculars, CPO Schmitt began to hear gun shots from inside the pine trees as he could also see doves entering and exiting the area. He then closed the gap and entered the pines toward the area of the shots where he encountered the first dove hunter, Mr. Brown. CPO Schmitt concluded that Brown had obtained the proper hunting license, habitat stamp, Firearms Owners Identification card, and he had registered with the Harvest Information Program. Brown’s shotgun was legal, and he had obtained permission to hunt the property. CPO Schmitt then questioned Brown about the pile of 20 doves lying behind him when the daily limit was only 15. Brown advised that his hunting buddy had left his doves in the same pile and was hunting further in the pines. As they spoke, shots rang out a short distance from their location. CPO Schmitt encountered the second hunter, Mr. Davies, who was also determined to be legal except for the pile of 21 doves in his possession. And as you might guess, the extra doves belonged to his hunting buddy. BUSTED!

Mourning doves and other migratory birds are a national resource protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Federal and state regulations help ensure that these birds continue to thrive while providing hunting opportunities for all of us. If these laws did not exist, the natural resource would quickly diminish. Conservation Police Officers do not take daily bag limits lightly and the fines can be costly, not to mention the possibility of losing your gun and a revocation of your hunting privileges for up to five years. You can find information on hunting regulations and violations in the Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations publication which can be obtained at any Point of Sale Vendor or by visiting the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website. If these two hunters would have respected the laws, the rights of other hunters, and most importantly the natural resources, they would have had a great hunting day. Sadly, they decided to be greedy and selfish. Please don’t fall victim to poor judgment and lack of self-discipline and take more than your legal limit. We are all in this together.

As always, have a great hunting season and stay safe!

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Retired Lieutenant Eric Bumgarner spent 24 years with the Illinois Conservation Police. Eric is an avid outdoorsman and has a passion for protecting the natural resources.