Sign-ups for Mentor-Youth Dove Fields Begin August 10

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Frankfort, Ky. – Call-in registration for this year’s mentor-youth dove hunts will begin at 8 a.m. Eastern time Monday, August 10.

An adult and two children under the age of 16 may register for these popular hunts by calling the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ toll-free number at 1-800-858-1549 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. Registration closes August 21. Registrations will not be accepted prior to these dates

Reservations for these hunts are made on a first-come, first-serve basis. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife has seven public dove fields set aside for mentor-youth hunts. Six of these hunts will take place on Saturday, Sept. 5, while the seventh hunt, at Bluegrass Army Depot, is scheduled for Sept. 6. The fields will remain closed to general dove hunting until after the mentor-youth hunts.

Kentucky’s statewide dove season opens September 1.

Statewide, Kentucky has 38 public or leased fields open specifically for dove hunting. Hunters using these fields should always pick up discarded shells and all trash. Hunters also should never leave waste left over from field dressing birds in any of these fields. The success of Kentucky’s dove field lease program depends on hunters showing respect for property owners.

Mentor-youth hunting fields include Higginson-Henry Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Union County; Lloyd WMA in Grant County; a 20-acre field near Bloomfield around the Nelson/Spencer County line; a 20-acre field near Fredricktown in Washington County; a 20-acre field in Green County; and a 20-acre field near Cedar Creek Lake in Lincoln County. A background check and advance registration is required through the Bluegrass Army Depot to participate in the hunt.

An adult mentor may take two youths on these hunts. Both the adult and the mentor may hunt. Participants are assigned a shooting location.

Hunter education and licensing requirements apply to the mentor-youth dove hunts. Hunter education is required for all hunters born on or after January 1, 1975, except kids under 12 and hunters who are license exempt. However, a one-time temporary hunter education exemption permit is available for $5 online, which allows hunting for one year from the date of purchase without a hunter education card while accompanied by a legal adult hunter. Bluegrass Army Depot does not accept this exemption permit. Log on to fw.ky.gov to find a hunter education course near you, or to purchase an exemption permit.

Directions to each public dove field is listed in the 2009 Kentucky Hunting Guide for Dove, Wood Duck, Teal, Woodcock, Snipe and Crow. The guide is available online at fw.ky.gov, and is currently being shipped to vendors who sell hunting licenses.

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