photo by Richard Simms
These are the public dove hunting fields announced to-date by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) in Region III. Tennessee’s 2011 dove season begins at 12 noon on Thursday, September 1.
REGION 3 WMA DOVE FIELDS
Hiwassee Refuge WMA
Crops Planted: 25 acres of sunflower, 15 acres of millet and 10 acres corn.
A WMA Small Game permit is required. No access is permitted by boat. Nontoxic shot is required for hunting doves.
Hunt Dates: September 1 and September 3 only. Hunting is only allowed from noon to sunset on September 1. Youth hunt September 10, hunting noon to sunset only. Youth hunters must pre-register for the September 10 hunt on line at www.tnwildlife.org.
Directions: From Hwy 58 and Hwy 60 near Georgetown, TN take Hwy 60 West, go 6.7 miles and turn right onto Old Hwy 60. Go 0.7 miles and turn right onto Blythe Ferry Road. Go 0.4 miles and turn left onto Meigs County Road 163. Take right fork to parking area. From Hwy 27 and Hwy 60 in Dayton, TN take Hwy 60 East. Go 8.3 miles and turn left onto Old Hwy 60. Follow directions as given above.
GPS Coordinates: N35 23.561 W84 59.588
Long Island Unit of Watts Bar WMA
Crops Planted: 20 acres bushhogged and topsown wheat. Access by boat only.
Hunt Dates: Open with statewide season except hunting will end at sunset the day before and during scheduled big game hunts.
A WMA Small Game permit is required.
North Chickamauga Creek WMA (Rogers and Varner Units)
Crops Planted:
(Rogers Unit) – 10 acres of bushhogged wheat, 15 acres of sunflower and 5 acres of millet.
(Varner Unit) - 20 acres bushhogged wheat, 10 acres of sunflower and 10 acres of millet.
(Hixson Unit – deleted for 2011 dove season)
A WMA Small Game Permit is required.
Hunt Dates: September 1 and each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday during the statewide season. Hunting is allowed only from noon to sunset each hunting day. No dove hunters or dove hunting equipment on dove fields prior to 7 a.m. on opening day of the first segment of the dove season.
Directions (Rogers Unit): From the Chickamauga Dam go west on Hwy 153. Turn right onto Hixson Pike (Rd 319). Go 1.5 miles and turn left on to Middle Valley Rd. Go 0.4 mi and turn left onto Lower Mill Rd. Go 0.2 mi to the Rogers Tract on left at sign.
GPS:N35.16098 W85.21730
Directions (Varner Unit): From I-75 go north on Hwy 153 and cross Chickamauga Dam. Go to 2nd red light and turn right onto Hamill Road. Cross N. Chickamauga Creek and turn left on Cassandra Smith Road. Go approximately 0.6 mile and turn left between yellow/brown boundary stakes past old dairy farm. Park in graveled area at end of road.
GPS:N35.14018 W85.21579
Chickamauga WMA
Hunt Dates: Open with statewide seasons
Crops Planted:
Soddy Creek Unit – 20 acres mowed wheat – 5 acres top sown wheat. Sale Creek Unit – 25 acres German Millet – 10 acres top sown wheat.
Directions (Sale Creek Unit):
Directions: From Hwy. 27 and Hwy. 153 near Hixson TN; take Hwy. 27 (North). Go 15.8 Miles; turn right on Patterson Road; go 0.5 miles. Follow Rock Creek Road; area is on right.
Directions (Soddy Creek Unit):
From Hwy. 27 & Hwy. 153 near Hixson, TN, take Hwy 27(North), go 7.9 miles; exit right on Hwy. 319 (South), go 2.0 miles; turn left crossing Soddy Creek Bridge on Armstrong Road, go .5 miles, turn right onto gravel road. Area is on right from powerline to end of road. Other directions: From Hwy. 27 and Hwy. 60 in Dayton, TN. Take Hwy. 27 (South), go 16.6 miles; exit right and take Hwy. 319 (South). Follow above directions.
Yuchi Refuge at Smith Bend WMA
Crops planted: 20 acres in millet and sown wheat.
A WMA Small Game permit is required for hunting.
Hunting Dates: September 3 for Young Sportsmen only, hunting from noon to sunset. September 4 thru September 24 for all hunters.
Directions: From Dayton take Hwy 30E toward Decatur. Turn left on Hwy 302. Go 4.1 mi and turn right on Breedington Ferry Rd. Go 3.5 mi and follow signs to field. From Hwy 68 turn south onto Hwy 302 and go approximately 4.5 miles to Breedington Ferry Rd. Go 3.5 mi and follow signs to field.
GPS Coordinates: N35 33.745 W 84 48.637
Bridgestone/Firestone WMA
Crops Planted:
WMA Small Game Permit required.
Hunt dates: Same as statewide season except hunting will end at sunset the day before and during scheduled big game hunts. Drive in allowed only on opening day.
Directions: I-40, take Sparta-Cookeville exit #287/Hwy 136 and go south approximately 2 miles and connect with Hwy 111S. Go south on Hwy 111 to the Sparta-Smithville Exit (Hwy 70) which is just past McDonalds and Wal-Mart. Turn left (east) onto Hwy 70, go thru Sparta, past the Courthouse and up the plateau past the Rock House Historic Site and Scenic Overlook. About one mile past the Bondecroft School turn right onto Eastland Rd at Bondecroft Headstart Village. Go 6.5 miles past Scotts Gulf Road.
GPS Coordinates: N35 52.304 W85 16.353
Cordell Hull WMA
Crops Planted:
(Trace and Creek) - 10 acres of bushhogged and topsown wheat.
(Bullards Creek)- 20 acres of bushhogged and topsown wheat.
A WMA Small Game Permit is required.
Hunting Dates: Open with statewide season except season closed during the refuge closure date.
Directions: From Gainesboro take Hwy 53 toward Granville. One mile from Gainesboro turn right onto Hwy 262. Go three miles and cross Hwy 262 bridge. Fields on left 1 mile past bridge. Parking is at the signs.
GPS Coordinates: N36 21.229 W85 42.144
Jackson Swamp WMA
Crops Planted: 12 acres sunflower, 10 acres bushhogged wheat and 15 acres millet hay.
A WMA Small Game permit is required.
Hunt Dates: Open with statewide seasons.
Directions: From Livingston take Hwy 111 toward Byrdstown. Turn left (west) onto Hwy 294. Take Hwy 294 for 5.3 miles and turn left at the Independence Community Center. From this road go 0.3 miles and turn right at the Jackson Swamp WMA sign.
GPS Coordinates: N36 29.419 W85 18.053
The WMA fields and public leased fields are listed on TWRA’s website.