It look's like you don't have Adobe Flash Player installed. Get it now.
The record amounts of rainfall across Southwest Missouri in the past few months may dampen dove hunting. KSMU's Kristian Kriner reports.
Dove hunters in camouflage crouching down in the tall-grass with their shotguns pointed to the sky, may be crouching in water this year.
Experts say shooting doves will be harder this season because most dove hunting areas are flooded.
Missouri Department of Conservation officials say 13 dove hunting areas in Southwest Missouri are in poor or fair condition.
The most popular area for dove hunting is in Bois D'Arc, which is also the area that received the most rainfall.
Doves eat seeds from crops such as wheat and sunflowers, but because these areas are flooded, those crops aren't growing well.
Brad Jump is the Wildlife Management Biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
He says doves will migrate back to this area, but they won't stay.
"They'll pass on through, but more than likely the habitat conditions at the Bois D'Arc Conservation Area are not ideal, they probably won't stop there. If they do stop they won't stay very long because they won't find the habitat conditions that they need on their migratory journey south favorable, so they just won't stay," Jump said.
Jump says conservationists planted seeds to grow more sunflowers, but most of the seeds rotted in the soil.
Conservationists also planted millet, but the continued rainfall and the wet soil prevented the seeds from growing.
Jump says dove hunting is the most popular hunting sport in this area.
"There's other conservation areas around the state that were not impacted with the excessive rainfall like we were here in Southwest Missouri, so I would expand my hunting locations this year and go scout different areas besides the ones they might have typically hunted here in Southwest Missouri," Jump said.
Missouri's dove hunting season starts September 1st and goes until November 9th.
For KSMU News, I'm Kristian Kriner.
