Always provide plenty of water for your retrievers, because running back and forth in a dove field in the September heat will dehydrate and exhaust them. Take plenty of snacks, too. Have a comfortable seat, be it a chair, stool or blanket on the ground, in case their short legs tire out before the hunt ends.

Such events also offer the chance for kids to learn hunting and firearm safety in an enjoyable wired-for-action situation. That gives them a firm foundation for when they get old enough to actually join in the shooting on the dove field.

YOUTH DOVE HUNTS
"The Youth Dove Hunts began as a way to introduce young people to the sport of hunting in a way that could be enjoyable and less restrictive to them than a deer or a turkey hunt," said Gary Moody, Chief of the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. "Each youth under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a licensed hunter. Both the hunter and the youth can shoot. Many times a licensed hunter will bring a child too young to shoot, but the child still can enjoy being with Dad, Mom or Granddad on the hunt.

"Regardless of the age of the young hunter, on this dove hunt the adult and the youth have to stay together. The older hunter can't put the child in one place and be in another spot. This regulation allows the adult to spend time with the youth and help him or her better understand hunting.

"We ask the participants after each hunt to tell us what they've enjoyed about the hunt," Moody continued, "Most youth hunters say they enjoy spending time with their moms or dads the most."

Youth Dove Hunts usually start between noon and 2 p.m., depending on where the field is located and the landowner's preference. To participate in the hunts, you must call in advance to make a reservation. The telephone numbers dates and the times of the hunts are posted online at www.outdooralabama.com between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1.

When you reach the field, the adult and the youth hunter sign in, and the child receives a youth hunter license he or she can keep as a souvenir. Then a conservation officer or a biologist explains hunter safety and why hunters need to harvest doves.

"These Youth Dove Hunts are not held on management areas," Moody emphasized. "Instead, they're held on the properties of private citizens, who are willing to donate fields for Youth Hunts."

Generally landowners provide the DWFF with 30 to 35 fields each year for Youth Dove Hunts. Those are usually held on the first and the second Saturdays of dove season, with some spilling over to weekend number 3, depending on how many hunts the landowner approves. There are no charges for these hunts. The landowner and the size of the field determine the number of hunters allowed on each field.

"We've never had a youth hunt where all the reservations weren't filled up," Moody pointed out.

Autauga County Dove Hunts
The Autauga County Community Hunting Area now offers another option for dove shoots that are open to all Alabama hunters. The Autauga tract sits on the east side of State Route 57 between Poseys Crossroads and White City.

The Autauga County CHA originally had 5,000 acres until landowners withdrew virtually all the land from the wildlife management area system. Today, the state of Alabama owns only 130 acres there.

"Now all we have are two dove fields open to licensed hunters on scheduled hunting days," Moody explained. "Hunters over 16 years old need a hunting license and a management area permit, which can be found at www.outdooralabama.com or picked up at Poseys Crossroads at the management area's headquarters.

"In the past, the hunts have been held on Sunday and Wednesday afternoons," he added, "Be sure to check the Web site for exact dates and times. These fields generally are planted with brown-top millet and other small grains and then mowed.