Daily dove bag limit increases in Georgia and South Carolina

The daily bag limit for dove hunting has increased from 12 birds per day to 15 birds per day.

According to Lake Front Hartwell News, "this change is based on extensive analysis and recommendations from dove biologists from eastern states striving for a consistent mourning dove season and bag limit throughout the Eastern Management Unit (EMU). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concurred with the increased bag limit and it is available for the 2008-09 dove season."

Previously if the daily bag limit increased the hunting days decreased, but this year hunters will be able to hunt 15 birds with the full 70-day season in Georgia and South Carolina.

The dove hunting season is segmented into three parts. Georgia will open it season for the first segment on September 6 until September 21. The second segment will open October 11 until 19, and the last segment runs from November 27th to January 10th.

Hunting hours (except for September 6th in Georgia and September 1-6 in South Carolina) will be 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset in both states.

So you ask, "Where do I go dove hunting in Georgia?"

Dove hunting land in Georgia is usually found on or around agricultural fields. Doves like to gather around recently harvested crop fields. Features such as water and perching places (trees, snags, power lines) also appeal to doves.

From the Georgia DNR Web site: "Georgia has more than 90 wildlife management areas (WMA) throughout the state, and there's one within an hour's drive of every Georgian. Through the WMA system, hunters have access to nearly one million acres of hunting land for the price of one WMA stamp."

Here is a PDF from the DNR site that includes hunting regulations and the locations of the WMAs:Hunting Regulations and WMAs

Tips for Buying Land for Sale

Whether you are looking into buying land for sale as a real estate investment or you're looking to find hunting land for sale there are several general things to consider.

As with any project large in scope, clearly define your goals and expectations. Having a clear understanding of why you want to buy land makes the process a little bit easier. This may seem like a "head-smacking tip," but you'll be glad you clearly outlined your purpose.

Determine what you want your land to be near.

Obviously land further from development is cheaper, but it will be more expensive if you intend to build on it. Builders often charge more the further they have to drive to the site. It can also be costly to dig a well or build a septic tank, and these things may have to be built the further you are from the city.

Determine if you can even build on the land.

According to a CNN Money article, the checklist below will help you determine if the land for sale can be built upon:

ZONING How the land is zoned determines what rises on it. Farmers across the country are subdividing their excess farmland into homesites and hanging FOR SALE signs -- but if the land is still zoned for agricultural use, the law may allow just one home for every, say, 40 acres. A five-acre parcel, therefore, isn't worth much.

Back at city hall, find out what your zoning designation means, whether a zoning change is planned and how to obtain a building permit. Ask what kind of setbacks from the property boundaries are required. Check flood maps to see if the property is in a flood zone. And if your land borders water, environmental regulations may limit your ability to develop the land as you'd like.

UTILITIES Are there hookups for water and sewer, electricity and telephone? If not, find out when the city plans to extend access. If there's no sewer, you'll need to order soil tests from the county health department or a local engineering firm to determine whether the land can support a septic system.

SOIL QUALITY Depending on the region, you may need soil borings to determine how far down builders must go to excavate for your foundation -- too much moisture can add tens of thousands of dollars to building costs. Also, if you need to dig a well for water, find out how deep you'll likely have to go; well digging can get expensive.

TOPOGRAPHY Hills or steep slopes will affect what you can build and how much it will cost. That woodsy tract also means you'll spend big bucks on tree removal in order to build.

ROAD ACCESS If your land isn't accessible by a public road, there should be a deeded right-of-way that gives you the right to access your land. That means you and your neighbors will be responsible for road upkeep, adding more costs to the project. Find out if the road floods during heavy rain or snow.

Finding the money to buy the land for sale is the next step in the whole land buying process. It is also a step that unfortunately can't be skipped.

Many lenders see vacant land as a risky investment so they require large down payments. If you finance the land locally, the lenders may be more familiar with the area, and therefore be more willing to take the risk.

Bird Watching in Georgia-- A sometimes forgotten activity on your recreational land

While bird watching may seem as exciting to you as watching paint dry, it can actually be a very thrilling past time to adopt on your recreational property.

Now is a perfect time to do a little research on bird watching in Georgia. The fall migration season is just getting started.

Bob Zaremba, a birder in Georgia says, "The fall migration season begins in July with the arrival of the first migrants around the 4th of the month. The first arrivals are usually black-and-white warbler, Northern parula and black-throated green warbler. The migration slowly builds over the next few weeks as cerulean and worm-eating warblers begin to pass through. By the end of the first week of August, prairie and hooded warblers are making an appearance. The migration picks up in late August and into September peaking towards the middle of the month."

Non-migratory birds can also be found year-round in the state. Birds that do not migrate are called resident birds. In Georgia, our year-round resident American goldfinch waits until around this time to breed. Apparently there is a relationship between the flowering of thistles and the start of nest building.

Are you wondering, "Where can I find sites about bird watching in Georgia?"

There are many fantastic resources online that point to what Georgia land is best for birding. You can use these sites to bird watch on your own, or sign up for a bird walk.

Oconee Rivers Audubon Society
http://www.oconeeriversaudubon.org/index.html

eBird
http://ebird.org/content/ebird

Georgia Birding
http://www.georgia-birding.com/

Georgia Hunting Brings Big Bucks to the State

Our last blog post reported on the delicate issue of land conservation v. lowering the prices of commodities, and it got me thinking about how hunting, fishing, and sportsmen affect the economy.

After a little digging around I stumbled upon a news article that analyzes a report from The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation that "spotlights the immense impact hunters and anglers have on the economy at the national and state level."

The report uses the results from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006 Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation and statistics provided by the American Sportfishing Association and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

The numbers are pretty staggering.

• Sportsmen support as many jobs in Georgia as Delta Airlines and Hewlett Packard combined, two of the largest employers in the state (31,000 jobs).

• Annual spending by Georgia sportsmen is nearly four times more than the revenues of the Atlanta Hawks, Braves and Falcons ($1.8 billion vs. $460 million).

• Annual spending by Georgia sportsmen is more than the combined cash receipts for cotton, greenhouse/nursery, eggs, and cattle - the state's top agricultural commodities ($1.8 billion vs. $1.67 billion).

• Georgia sportsmen spend $207 million annually on outboard boats and engines to get out on the water and around the marshes for fishing and hunting.

• Georgia sportsmen could fill every seat at Atlanta Motor Speedway more than nine times (1.2 million vs. 124,000).

• If all hunters and anglers living in Georgia voted in the 2004 presidential election, they would have equaled 56% of the entire vote.

You can view your state's data by following this link the the reports' landing page.

Farmers Still Penalized if They Plant on Conservation Land: Ruling is a major victory for conservationists and hunting groups

The New York Times reported Wednesday that Ed Schafer, the United States agriculture secretary, decided that farmers will still be penalized if they plant crops on land set aside for conservation.

His decision was made based on improving harvest expectations for this year. Recent forecasts indicate that there will be a larger crop than was expected after the floods in the Midwest this June.

After the floods washed farm fields in the Midwest, bakers and livestock owners began to intensify the pressure to erase penalties for planting on lands designated for conservation. If bakers and livestock owners could increase the harvest it would lower high crop prices.

But Schafer says, "We don't feel that the corn and soybean crop will be as bad as we originally feared."

Director of agriculture conservation policy for Ducks Unlimited said, "The Conservation Reserve Program is the holy grail of conservation, and we are pleased that the U.S.D.A. will maintain the program and the benefits that it has had."

On the flip side many farmers believe that the penalty will hurt business owners and consumers who are struggling to pay higher prices for commodities and food.

Schafer did acknowledge that the situation is one that can change rapidly, and that he would reconsider his decision depending on crop conditions.

Learn about herb gardens from The State Botanical Garden of Georgia's Twilight Toasts

As gas prices and food costs continue to rise many people are investing in a garden.

A great way to learn about gardening is to visit The State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Check their Web site for events and classes. They have a great educational and social gathering series called Twilight Toasts--they "combine live music, horticultural information, wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres in a relaxed atmosphere within the Conservatory—the perfect evening event to meet your friends or make new friends!"

The next Twilight Toast will educate guests about herbs:

Thursday, July 24, 2008
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Visitor Center & Conservatory
$10 Friends members/ $15 non-members

From the garden's Web site:

"Twilight Toasts just keeps getting better and better! If you haven’t tried Twilight Toasts yet, now’s the time to meet all of those who wouldn’t want to miss one! Twilight Toasts is an evening adult gathering in the Conservatory, with live music, light hors d’oeuvres and a wine tasting from Gosford Wine. Our horticultural segment this time will be an herb tasting, looking at fresh herbs and tasting herbed butters and oils on fresh bread from Big City Bread. Mmm…yum! You’ll find out exactly which herbs to add to your garden to harvest the flavors you enjoy. Call 706-542-1244 for tickets."

Hunting Leases and How They Benefit the Recreational Land Owner

Owning recreational property is not just a great investment because of the old saying, "buy land, they're not making it anymore," but it can also generate a secondary income like other vacation properties.

There are several property management sites that allow you to list your mountain house or beach home rental, and the same goes for hunting leases.

There are professional listing services that specialize in hunting leases. Making money by renting your land for recreational purposes is a great money making venture.

Land can be leased for other purposes besides hunting. The water sources on the hunting land can be leased for fishing, and the nearby land is probably is a great place for camping as well.

The benefits are numerous for landowners:

• Preservation of the land is facilitated by having it tied up in the lease. It will be protected from being converted to housing developments.

• The hunters' wildlife management programs reduce your crop damage.

• By having a professionally written hunting land lease it will include a release of liability clause.

• Leasing your recreational property will allow you to build relationships with other respectful hunters.

• Leases will also allow you to know who is on your land, and eliminate trespassing and poaching.

You can create a lease for as short or long as you prefer. Going through a professional service is recommended.

Professional Leasing Agencies:
Base Camp Leasing
National Hunting Leases
High Tech Redneck