Some small game hunting seasons started earlier this year in Iowa.

Greene County Conservation Director Dan Towers says rabbit and squirrel seasons started September 2nd. Even though small game isn’t particularly popular in Greene County, one small game he thinks is starting to take off is dove hunting season, which also opened earlier this month.

“The last few years where our pheasant numbers have declined, I think those former pheasant hunters have picked up on dove hunting as a really popular and successful way to hunt. There’s a lot of people out.”

He talks about how the Iowa Department of Natural Resources attracts more hunters to go after doves.

“The DNR plants sunflower food plots and the doves love those. There are people going out at four o’clock in the morning to get in line to make sure they had their spot at a food plot for when the season opened at sunrise.”

According to the DNR’s website, dove hunting season is from September 1st through November 29th.