Some Kansas hunters receive citations for illegally harvesting non-game wildlife during the dove season opener.

Kansas Game Wardens remind hunters to learn to recognize the key characteristics of the wildlife being hunted. Typically, these characteristics include coloring, size or shape, flight patterns and other unique features. Dove have long, pointed tails and swept-back wings. They can be gray or tan, with black spots on their wings and white spots on the tips of their tail feathers. They fly fast and smoothly. Extension Agent Adaven Rohling says when transporting dove to leave one fully feathered wing attached.

Knowing key identification characteristics will also help distinguish between males and females. When hunters mistakenly identify wildlife, it can lead to the illegal harvest of non-game or threatened or protected species. Worse, it could lead to the accidental shooting of another hunter or person mistaken as a game species.