There are many rules and regulations about what constitutes “baiting’ when it comes to hunting doves and for that matter waterfowl hunting.

  Most states allow for the planting of food plots for the benefit of wildlife but the rules concerning harvesting or manipulation can vary. It is best to check with your state’s Department of Natural Resources for any questions about your hunting area.

  Here are some general rules that most states have but double check before heading out.

  It is illegal to hunt or kill doves with the aid of bait. In other words, salt, grain, or other feed that has been placed, exposed, deposited, distributed or scattered to attract game is illegal to hunt over.

  Most states consider an area baited for 10 days after the complete removal of all bait. This usually applies to deer hunting too.

  A person who knows or reasonably should know the area is baited is liable for the offense. Hunters should physically inspect the field for any signs of baiting and question landowners, guides and caretakers to ensure the field is legal to hunt.

  Natural vegetation may be manipulated in any way to attract doves and other migratory game birds.

  Planting grain crops in a field that has been plowed and disked is legal as long as seeding rates are in tune with extension service recommendations. It is illegal to seed the same field repeatedly, concentrate wheat in long rows or pile wheat on a field.

  Harvesting a field often scatters some waste grain which attracts birds. If harvest was conducted as normal agricultural operation, it is legal for doves.

  Un-harvested fields can be mowed, shredded, disked, rolled, chopped, trampled, burned or treated with herbicides. These fields may be hunted legally for doves.

  Livestock may be allowed to graze on harvested and un-harvested grain. These fields may be hunted legally for doves.

  It is legal to plant food plots, provided that grains grown for wildlife management purposes are not harvested then returned to the field.

  Hopefully this answers some of your questions about what you can and can’t do when it comes to hunting doves. Double check with your state about the rules where you hunt! You can find links to all of the states DNR’s on our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/stgamedepts.html and have a safe, fun hunt.

  If you are really hooked on fishing, it’s just a matter of time until you actually get hooked. If you are a fly fisherman, it’ll be sooner rather than later. Since the inevitable is most probably going to occur while you are away from “civilization” you need to be prepared. Having a tackle box or pouch stocked with a few non-fishing items can save the day when the unexpected happens. A Swiss Army knife may be the one most versatile device you can carry. It’s small, handy and inexpensive. Small pair of tweezers, pliers or hemostats are almost as helpful. A tube of antibacterial ointment and several large Band-Aids make a minimal first aid kit.

  Of course as they say, prevention is the best form of protection, so a few common sense ideas may prevent hooking all together. Wearing wrap-around polarized sunglasses while fishing is always a good idea. Not only do they let you see fish in the water, they protect your eyes from UV rays and hooks coming their way! Fishing at night? Wear clear lenses. A hat and light-weight fishing vest both offer protection as do waders.

  Now that your head, eyes, torso legs and hips are shielded, only tour arms, neck, face and ears are vulnerable and sure enough a wayward hook will eventually find one or more of those targets. When that happens and you are hooked through the skin, it is usually fairly easy, if painful to remove the hook. If it is barbless, you can just pull it out. If barbed, push the point through until the barb clears the skin. Crush the barb with pliers or clip the point off, then back the hook out. Be sure to sterilize the wound with alcohol peroxide or antibacterial ointment as soon as possible. It is especially important to clean and disinfect the wound if the hook has been in the water or hooked into a fish’s mouth.

  If you get hooked in an eye, don’t even try to remove the hook. Cut the leader or line off, put a covering, preferably a sterile bandage over the eye and find a doctor quickly. It sounds like a dreadful occurrence, but in most cases, if treated properly, a hook in the eye doesn’t often mean significant long-term damage.