POTTER OUTDOORS: Dove hunting down in area for various reasons

There's an adage which states, "It's an ill wind that blows no good." So did hurricane Isaac blow good or bad for the Tri-State?

In terms of recharging water levels in sloughs and ponds, Isaac gave waterfowlers a bonus but did the accompanying winds whisk doves out of the area?

So far, dove hunting over much of the area has been tough, causing speculation that the dove dearth is actually partially due to the drought and Isaac's departing winds that may have urged local birds south.

Area sportsmen have added other views. Some say it's because there are too many harvested grain fields that have scattered the birds. Others state that dove declines are due to the lack of suitable nesting cover, and many blame overshooting courtesy of all-day dove hunting.

Probably every view is correct in some aspect, but rapidly increasing habitat loss is likely the main culprit. So is there any possibility Tri-State dove hunting will ever resemble what it was 10 years ago?

Wildlife experts say that doves readily adapt to city life, and expanding city limits will provide doves suitable feeding and nesting areas. But there are many dove predators also adapting to city life, so the answer seems to be "no."

However, if you can find places to hunt on city fringes, you stand a better chance at finding better numbers of doves and increased hunting opportunities. Elsewhere, after the remnants of Isaac fully disperse, perhaps cooler winds will usher more migrant doves into the Tri-State and brighten the currently lackluster season.

n Hoosier deer and turkey hunters need to express their views regarding Indiana's recent adoption of call-in game checking systems. While some see it as a labor saver, others see faults with it. Some say checking in game by phone allows fraud and deception and encourages deer and turkey violations.

Others say that deer-turkey check stations generate business for their locales. The state agrees that these are valid points but says the phone check system is widely used by many states, including Illinois and Kentucky. Now before making it permanent they want input from license-buying sportsmen.

Submit your views by Oct. 4 on the web by going to www.in.gov/dnr and clicking on "Comment on Proposed Rule" next to the "Deer & Turkey Electronic Harvest Reporting" or mail written comments to Deer & Turkey Comments, Natural Resources Commission, Indiana Government Center, 100 North Senate Ave., Room N501, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Contact Linnea Petercheff at 317-233-6527 for more information.

n Lake Michigan stockings for Chinook salmon will be reduced in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. Currently these states annually stock 3.3 million Chinook, but biological surveys show natural reproduction creates 55 percent of all Chinook salmon in Lake Michigan.

State stockings are creating too many salmon because their alewife prey base is dwindling. To better balance predator-prey ratios salmon reductions will be tried. Biologists feel reduced stockings will not impact fall spawning runs and help preserve the multibillion dollar Lake Michigan sport fishing industry.