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Dove hunting
Dove season is underway in Central Texas.
JARRELL, Texas - It rained in Jarrell on Monday morning, but on the first day of dove season, it was birdshot that was falling out of the sky. “I thought people were sitting in the yard behind me shooting and I was sure something was going to fall out of the air and shoot me that is how close the shots were,” said Miriam Kirk.
Kirk was in her pool when all the shooting started.
“I know there are new tenants across the street and new hunters that we’ve never seen before and they were doing a lot of things that were not right,” said Kirk.
Two Texas game wardens were called out. When they arrived they were also hit by birdshot. “You’ve got to know where you are hunting. You’ve got to have legal permission to be there first and foremost and then you got to be responsible for that projectile coming out of that gun,” said Lt Jason Jones.
Jones wasn’t at the incident in Jarrell, but earlier this season he was hit by some shotgun pellets while on patrol. “I was working a line of hunters and just got in a spot where they swung, didn’t know where I was so I got peppered a little bit ... there were a couple of them that stung a little bit,” said Jones.
At the site in Jarrell, 30 hunters were found. Citations were written for not having plugs in shotguns, not having a license. Not attending a hunter education
and for shooting across a property line from a baited field.
It’s not uncommon for authorities to receive complaints during dove season from residents, but as more rooftops pop up in rural areas the chances of getting caught in the crossfire have increased. “There are a lot more houses here and they’re a lot of sweet little kids, just be careful,” said Beverly Pryor.
Pryor lives next to a large field. She hasn’t had any problems with the hunters this season but is mindful of the risk. “Definitely be careful, it’s a fun thing to do, all my kids love to Dove hunt, just be safe and watch where you’re shooting,” said Pryor.
Dove season in Central Texas ends November 3. It starts up again in late December.