Early Goose and Dove

[Smitteken]

In Illinois early goose and dove season are in at the same time.

Is it legal to hunt them both at same time? Do you have to have decoys? Given you have the right stamps and loads.

I have heard both sides.

[clayman]

Re: Early Goose and Dove

I imagine it's the same in Illinois: Here in Minnesota, and elsewhere, you can hunt multiple species at the same time as long as you have all the correct licenses and stamps. It's illegal to hunt waterfowl with lead loads in your possession. Do you really want to hunt doves with steel shot? Check your Illinois regs for restrictions on lead shot.

[7th]

Re: Early Goose and Dove

I know in Ohio you can hunt doves in fields that have been planted and then cut but not waterfawl over the fields like that. That would be called baiting then.

You are also braking the law by having lead shot on you when you are waterfawl hunting like said above but there are some area's that you must use steel on everything so, as long as you are using steel to do it, here it would be fine. You would need to check with your DNR.

Frank.

[Covehnter]

Re: Early Goose and Dove

Could someone explain to me why you can hunt dove on a field using lead shot but when you hunt geese on the same field you have to use steel? I thought the whole idea was to stop the lead that doesnt connect out of the water due to its hazards. I understand that steel shot must be used in all flood prone areas. Just always found this fuzzy around the edges.

Sorry, dont mean to highjack the thread.

[Guest gfourhunter]

Re: Early Goose and Dove

i was told. dont quote me on this. a duck or goose shot with a lead load and not killed will die of lead poison and not be found, waisted. i have been wondering the same thing.

dove and goose seasion starts the same day for us in Indiana. we take our geese after the hunt back to the trucks and break out the lead shot and shoot doves in the same place. sometimes i get 2 or 3 boxes of 6 shot steel at wal-mart for arround $7 a box and use them in the goose blind when waiting for geese.

[Covehnter]

Re: Early Goose and Dove

A dove, quail, turkey, etc. would also die of lead poison if hit but not killed also i would think? maybe someone will come along and clear this up.

[clayman]

Re: Early Goose and Dove

You're correct in that any animal wounded with lead could die of leadpoisoning, though I think the greater concern is the greater food chain and the affect on the raptor or other animals that would feed off the wounded animal. In fact there is still an environmental element that would like to see lead shot banned across the board for all hunting and sport shooting. Here in Minnesota, and I'm sure elsewhere there's even a real strong push on getting lead out of fishermen's tackleboxes.

The reason for an across the board restriction on toxic shot for waterfowl is simply that it's easier to enforce. There's no argument with the gamewarden or the court in trying to prove that where you shot the bird was away from the water.

When the lead bans first came out many states/provinces started with a specified distance away from wetlands, but then there were too many questionable situations in what was meant by "wetland" so the ban on toxic shot for waterfowl was made universal with no exceptions, making it easier for both hunters and conservation officers.

[Tominator]

Re: Early Goose and Dove

I suppose you could. We see geese in range every now and then when we dove hunt. You would have to switch over to non-tox shot though, and that would be very expensive if you shoot doves like I do.

Another aspect of lead shot being banned is the fact that some ducks and geese are dabbler feeders and when they eat the lead that has fallen on the banks of rivers, ponds, lakes, etc. they get poisoned that way too.

[Smitteken]

Re: Early Goose and Dove

Here are a couple of emails I sent and received from the Illinois DNR.

Is it lawful to hunt early goose and dove at the same time, given you have the proper stamps and load to do so? Do you have to have goose decoys?

If you have your waterfowl stamps and non-toxic shot you could hunt both at the same time. However, most fields prepared for dove hunting are considered baited for waterfowl. If the field is mowed, dished, burned, bushhogged, etc. it is ok for doves but not for geese.

What about corn-stubble fields? What about decoys?

You can hunt doves or geese over a harvested cornfield. You are not required to use decoys.

I think the whole baited or not-baited issue and the lead versus non-tox is a grey area.

I'm willing to bet that eventually anykind of fowl will have to be taken with non-tox shot.