DOVE HUNTS-South Florida Dove Hunting Fields

2008-2009 SEASON

We offer Dove hunting memberships to our clients. We are offering only twenty-five memberships this season for the cost of $1000.00. Members are entitled to receive a total of 10 hunts. Each member or guest of member attending the hunt is considered a hunt (one person equals one hunt). Additional hunts for members may be purchased on a daily rate of $100.00 per person. Members have first options on all shoots up until three days before the scheduled shoot. Hunting for non-members is limited to blinds not reserved by members.

Non-members cost is $125.00 per person, two persons per blind and is only available on short notice depending on members reservations. Our members are required to make their reservations three days prior to any scheduled shoot. Non-members are then notified (from a list) concerning availability for that shoot.

Starting last season, 2007-2008 we will no longer be contacting all of our members prior to any shoot. If members fail to contact us prior to three days before the shoot, we will fill the shoot with non-members.

Opening weekend is Saturday, October 4, 2008.

Our dove hunts are over large fields managed exclusively for dove hunting that consist of planted fields of a variety of millets and cover crops. We have five fields this season (one 90 acre, one 75 acre, two 30 acre fields and one 20 acre) which total approximately 275 (net) acres for our shoots.   

This allows us to utilize a ratio of one hunter to approximately each acre and a half. Our blinds are spaced roughly 300 feet apart. Members and their guests sit together in their assigned blind. This allows for a much more private atmosphere. 

We will be shooting groups on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays. This season we are scheduled to shoot all three phases. 

Our hunts usually begin around 1:00 p.m. and last anywhere from three to four hours depending on the cooperation of the birds and weather.

2008-09 Season Dates are available by clicking on the following link:

2008-2009 SEASON DATES

Your hunt begins by meeting at our camp and offices area to register all hunters. Once we have you registered, our guides will take you by truck to the fields where they will place you in a pre-built blind. You must remain in this location for safety reasons and out of respect for other hunters. Once you have been placed in the field, you will need to remain as still as possible to help keep the birds from flaring off as they approach.  

Once you have shot your limit of birds, our guides will transport you back to our camp and offices area where we have cleaning facilities available to clean the birds. We can assist you in cleaning the birds if necessary. We generally have one guide for every twenty hunters to assist you in locating your birds and to assist you in any problems or questions you may have.  

All hunters are required to have in their possession a hunting license and a migratory bird permit. The permit is a new requirement as of the 97-98 season. All hunters are required to be knowledgeable of migratory game bird regulations. We assume no responsibility for persons found in violation of such regulations.

Current State regulations can be accessed by clicking on the following link to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:

Florida Fish and Wildlife

Current Federal regulations can be accessed by clicking on the following link to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife

During season, current field conditions can be accessed by clicking on the following link. This page is usually updated once a week prior to the first shoot and once again after each shoot.  

Everglades Adventures-Current Dove Hunting Conditions

NECESSARY APPAREL

For this hunt you should wear a camouflage shirt and pants or dark blue jeans or other long pants and maybe a camouflage hat. Please do not wear anything light in color as it makes the birds flare before they are in range of other hunters.

FIREARMS

We suggest the use of twenty or twelve gauge shotguns for this hunt as the birds will sometimes be pretty high. We recommend a minimum of three boxes of shot shell’s per-person, per-day of # seven and one-half’s or # eight’s low brass. We ask that everyone limit shells to low brass. While hunting migratory game birds, shotguns must be limited to a three-shell capacity.

EQUIPMENT

You will need a cooler for your birds and perhaps something to sit on between flights of birds. We do allow the use of decoys and encourage their use especially on days of low hunter turnout. We will allow you to bring a small cooler with drinks (NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES) to carry to the fields. Anyone found consuming alcoholic beverages in the dove fields or before the conclusion of the hunt would be expelled from the hunt. We do allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages after the hunt has concluded.

DOGS

We allow members only to bring their dogs to the dove shoots.

POLICY ON CHILDREN

We allow children to participate in the dove shoots on a case by case basis. There are requirements by the state in order for children under 16 to participate in hunting activities. One of the requirements is completion of the state hunter safety course. After the completion of the course, the state requires children under 16 to be in hands reach of the firearm by their parent or guardian while the child is in possession of a firearm. 

WEATHER

We hope that bad weather does not interfere with the shoot. However, we do not have rain checks for our dove shoots. We have no control over the weather and therefore we cannot be responsible for the disruption of a shoot due to weather. Please bring rain gear with you to the shoots. If bad weather moves in, we will attempt to remove all shooters wishing to leave as soon as possible. This decision is however, up to the hunter. If we have prior knowledge that the weather is going to be bad on a particular shoot we will cancel the shoot.

BUGS

Mosquitoes can be very bad during the dove seasons as the sun begins to set. We suggest that you bring bug spray with you to the fields. 

SHOOTING HOURS

We will at the time of placing you in the field tell you what time the shoot is officially over. This will vary from shoot to shoot. This is usually about a half-hour before sunset. We stop the shoot so that we have time to transport all of the people out of the field safely prior to it getting dark and them needing a blood transfusion due to the mosquitoes.

RESERVATIONS

Members may contact us at anytime up until three days prior to the up and coming shoot. Non-members may contact us and be placed on our call list. Once you make reservations for a particular date you are expected to arrive for the shoot. You will also be expected to pay for any reservations which you make in the event you fail to attend. If you make reservations for a number of persons, those positions are taken off of the list and they become unavailable to other shooters. 

Sincerely,

Captain Mark Clemons 

Thank you for your interest in EVERGLADES ADVENTURES

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