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By Sarah Ladd

Kentucky Lantern

Kentucky hunters will have more dove fields for the upcoming season, the state’s Fish and Wildlife Department said Friday.

Dove season opens in Kentucky on Sept. 1. Fish and Wildlife has signed “voluntary agreements with private landowners” in West and Central Kentucky to add two public fields for dove hunting.

These two new fields – in Graves and Green counties – join 12 other privately owned fields that open for public hunting, according to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. There are also 56 fields in 25 of the state’s Wildlife Management Areas where Kentuckians can hunt doves this season.

“The privately-owned fields are made available voluntarily by landowners who are willing to allow public hunting in exchange for a lease payment, regulation of hunting opportunity, and heightened law enforcement activity by the department,” Fish and Wildlife said.

To purchase a required hunting license, visit https://app.fw.ky.gov/Solar/. There is a 15-per-day limit on doves in Kentucky. Hunters may not have more than 45 in their possession at any one time.

Hunters are also required to take the Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey here before hunting.

Dove shooting hours are 11 a.m. to sunset.

To access the new hunting grounds in Green County:

• Take KY 61 north from Greensburg for 0.9 miles. Turn left onto KY 88 and continue for 7.8 miles. Turn left onto Pierce-Donansburg Road then travel 2.7 miles. Turn left onto R. L. Gentry Road; dove fields will be on both sides of the road.

To access the new 50-plus acres of Graves County hunting grounds:

• From Mayfield, head south on KY 303. Turn right onto KY 339, then continue for approximately 3 miles. Turn left onto state KY 129. Continue for 1.5 miles then veer left onto Hazel Lane.