1. LEAD DEPOSITION DUE TO MOURNING DOVE HUNTING AT TWO CONSERVATION AREAS IN PLATTE COUNTY, MISSOURI
Name omitted
αPark University and βMissouri Department of Conservation
Abstract
Mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) are abundant and widespread throughout the United States. Long-term declines in several upland game bird populations have caused wildlife managers to increase other hunting opportunities (e.g. mourning doves), especially on public lands near urban population areas. Lead shot toxicity in game birds was first recognized more than a century ago. This study was conducted to summarize data collected by the Missouri Department of Conservation on managed mourning dove hunts on the Platte Falls (PFCA) and Guy B. Park (GBPCA) conservation areas in Platte County, Missouri from 1997 through Each opening day of dove season, hunters were asked to fill out a card with various personal information, hunting times and success, and ammunition characteristics; they were asked to deposit these cards in drop boxes at designated parking areas. Time afield, harvest rates, and lead deposition rates were estimated using data that was collected. At PFCA, we estimated pounds of lead was deposited annually on the 60 acres of managed dove fields each opening day of dove season. At GBPCA, pounds of lead was deposited annually on about 8 acres of managed land. This is a minimal estimate; true annual lead deposition rates are probably several times higher due to several factors: data collected only during opening day of dove season, an unknown percentage of hunters do not report hunting activity, other small game hunting takes place on these areas, and reliability of self-reported data from hunters.
Lead Deposition
Guy B. Park CA
Platte Falls CA
Acres managed for doves 8 60
Pounds of lead/year
11.44
309.68
Pellets/acre/year*
9381
33859
Pellets/foot2/year*
0.215
0.777
*assumes 410 pellets per 1-ounce load of #8 shot
Table 1. Platte Falls Conservation Area
Opening Day of Dove Season Statistics
Year
# Hunters
# Doves
Harvested
Average Time
in Field
Average
Doves/Hunter
Average Lead Deposited (lb)
1997
127
1424
N/A
11.21
534.00
1998
328
656
2.00
246.00
1999
241
662
2.75
248.25
2000
132
528
5.28
198.00
2001
165
559
3.39
209.63
2002 39
225
5.76
84.38
2003
171
1159
6.80
434.63
2004 87
712
2.82
8.18
267.00
2005 99
871
2.58
8.80
326.63
2006
224
1701
2.91
7.59
637.88
2007
196
587
2.90
2.99
220.13
164.45
825.82
2.80
5.89
309.68
Discussion
GBPCA has less acreage managed for hunting and is a smaller, less known conservation area. As active dove management began only in 2004 and there is less room for hunters, less dove hunting is done there. Weather, day of the week, and number of doves locally all play a role in the number of hunters and doves harvested each opening day of dove season.
It is unknown what percentage of hunters fill out cards. A notable percentage of hunters do not self-report, therefore the number of hunters, number of doves harvested, and lead deposition rates are probably underestimated. Lead deposition rates were measured using data that was collected. Many of the assumptions are conservative. For PFCA and GBPCA, we estimated 310 and 11 pounds of lead was deposited on and near managed dove fields each year just opening day of dove season. This only represents opening day dove hunters, not other small game hunters that use these two areas throughout the year.
Study Areas
PFCA—Platte Falls Conservation Area
1 mile east of Platte City, MO
60 acres of managed dove fields
GBPCA—Guy B. Park Conservation Area
5 miles north of Platte City, MO
8 acres of managed dove fields
Methods
Opening day of dove season only
Each hunter asked to fill out a information card
name
number of doves harvested
time period they hunted
shots fired
doves crippled
shot size and weight
Drop boxes at designated parking lots
Data entered into Excel for analysis
Lead deposition estimation
hunters reported 6 shots per bird harvested
assuming 1 ounce of lead per shotshell
lead calculated by the following equation:
estimated lbs. of lead = (birds harvested * 6 shots)/16
Courtesy of Rio Ammo
Management Recommendations
Collection of additional data on survey cards
Soil sampling of managed dove fields
Mandatory check stations?
entrance survey
exit surveys
expensive & labor intensive
hunter dissatisfaction with time/effort
Mandatory steel (nontoxic) shot?
Field management to reduce lead exposure
rotation of fields
deep disking
Table 2. Guy B. Park Conservation Area
Opening Day of Dove Season Statistics
Year
# Hunters
# Doves
Harvested
Average Time
in Field
Average
Doves/Hunter
Average Lead Deposited (lb)
2004 6 12
3.25
N/A
4.50
2005 9 28
3.44
3.11
10.50
2006 16 55
2.34
20.63
2007 10 27
3.60
2.70
10.13
10.25
30.5
3.16
3.08
11.44