NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is seeking fields to lease for the upcoming 2021 dove season. The first segment of dove season opens at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 1.
Landowners can earn up to $3,600 for providing a dove field for public hunting. These fields must be available for a minimum of three priority hunt dates in September.
Mourning doves are a popular game bird and one of the most widely distributed and abundant birds in North America. More mourning doves are harvested than all other migratory bird species combined in 39 of the continental states. In Tennessee, an estimated 17,000 hunters harvest approximately 250,000 mourning doves each year.
TWRA began its leased dove field program in the late 1980s and the program has been very successful in providing quality hunting opportunities for hunters. In addition to leased fields, many public dove fields are provided on wildlife management areas in each TWRA region. The TWRA website currently has specific information about WMAs and information about leased dove fields in each region that will be added as the fields are enrolled in the program.
The standard fall leased field is a harvested grain field to which TWRA leases the hunting rights for three priority dates. The hunting access rate paid to landowners for fall leased fields may be up to $75 per acre for a maximum of 40 acres. Fields that are top sown with wheat are eligible for an additional $15 per acre. Interested landowners must sign up their fields in August.
Anyone interested in leasing a dove field to TWRA should contact their TWRA regional office. TWRA has four regional offices across the state that interested landowners can contact: Region I (West Tennessee) 731-423-5725 or toll free 800-372-3928; Region II (Middle Tennessee) 615-781-6622 or toll free 800-624-7406; Region III (Upper Cumberland) 931-484-9571 or toll free 833-402-4698; Region IV (East Tennessee) 423-587-7037 or 800-332-0900. Offices are open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (local time).
