While some big game hunters have already taken to the field, shotgunners are itching to start the 2007 season.

Dove and small game seasons open this weekend and other upland bird hunts will get under way soon. Despite drought in many regions of the state, there's lots of good bird hunting to be found.

Here's a rundown by species of what bird hunters in Wyoming can expect this year:

Dove

Statewide: Sept. 1-Oct. 30

Daily limit 15, possession limit 30

Hunting for mourning dove should be good statewide, but dove hunting is always subject to the weather. Early cold snaps could send the majority of birds heading south.

"It all depends on weather," said Daryl Lutz, Casper region wildlife management coordinator for the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish. "The only thing we have to hope for is we don't have an August 30th freeze. Given the weather forecast it ought to be pretty good."

Dove habitat in the Bighorn Basin is in very good shape this year - lots of sunflowers and other plants growing that doves like, said Warren Mischke of the Sheridan office of Game and Fish.

"Dove hunting is going to be awesome early but when the weather gets cold they'll go south," Mischke said.

Forest grouse

Statewide: Sept. 1-Nov. 30

Daily limit 3, possession limit 9

The Bighorn, Medicine Bow and other mountain ranges should all be good for blue grouse hunting this fall. Just be prepared to walk your boots off to find them - as usual.

Ruffed grouse numbers are spotty this year in the Jackson area, said Doug Brimeyer of the Jackson office of Game and Fish, so don't expect much.

"The berry crop is pretty poor this year because of the last frosts we've had, so it's going to be a little tougher hunting this year," Brimeyer said.

Sharp-tailed grouse

Hunt Area 1: Sept. 22-Dec. 31

Daily limit 3, possession limit 9

It's going to be another slow year for sharp-tailed grouse hunting.

"Hunters will have a difficult time finding sharp-tailed grouse this fall based on spring lek (breeding ground) surveys," said Martin Hicks, wildlife biologist in Wheatland, in a news release. "However, spring precipitation was above average in certain areas of sharp-tailed habitat, which should have helped nesting hens raise a successful brood, providing hunters some opportunity."

Sage grouse

Hunt Area 1: Sept. 22-Oct. 2

Hunt Area 2, 3: Closed

Daily limit 2, possession limit 4

If you know where to look for sage grouse, you'll probably find them.

"Throughout much of the state where their concentrations are highest it should be excellent," Lutz said.

The northern part of the state is looking very good, said Bart Kroger of the Worland office of Game and Fish.

"I think there's still a good carryover of sage grouse from last year. A hunter could definitely find some sage grouse."

Hunters should take note that the Game and Fish Department has closed a large area of southeast Wyoming to sage grouse hunting. The closure includes the Hat Six area southeast of Casper and that portion of Converse County south and west of Douglas and south of Hwy. 18-20, and in Niobrara County south of Hwy. 18-20.

Chukar and Partridge

Statewide: Oct. 1-Jan. 31

Daily limit 5, possession limit 15

"Anybody who wants to go out and chase a chukar, it's a good time to do it. Huns on the other hand aren't looking all that well," Kroger said.

It's been a good year for chukars with lots of broods produced so their numbers are up. Kroger says a drop in the number of gray or Hungarian partridge in recent years is probably because of drought.

"Hunters can still find a brood or covey here and there," Kroger said - but don't expect to find too many huns.

Pheasant

Varying hunt areas and seasons with most areas opening Nov. 3. See proclamation for details.

Pheasants will be difficult to find in the southeast, Hicks said, but there are some good opportunities in that region at state-managed walk-in areas and habitat management areas.

Wild pheasant populations are being supplemented with pen-raised birds at walk-in areas in Goshen, Laramie and Platte counties, and the Bump-Sullivan portion of the Springer Wildlife Habitat Management Area.

But the northeast should be a better region for pheasant hunting.

"It's looking promising thanks to good chick survival and game-farm birds," said Mischke of the Sheridan office.

The Cody region should be fair to good for pheasants.

"Pheasant numbers are OK," said Dennie Hammer of the Cody office of Game and Fish. "We had good spring moisture this year, so they should have had good cover for nesting and brood rearing. We're getting some good moisture this time of year so I'm hoping it'll be as good or better than last year."

Pheasant hunters in the Cody region should note that since no pheasants are stocked in the Yellowtail Unit south of U.S. Highway 14A, that portion of Hunt Area 4 will open for hunting a half-hour before sunrise. The portion of the Yellowtail Unit north of U.S. Highway 14A will open at 11 a.m. weekdays and non-holidays to allow for stocking and dispersal of hatchery-raised birds.

Fall turkey

Varying hunt areas and seasons with a season bag limit of one wild turkey. Most hunt areas open Oct. 1. See proclamation for details.

Game and Fish is predicting an excellent year for fall turkey hunting in the Casper region and the Black Hills of the northeast.

"Turkey hunting should be outstanding," Lutz said. Turkeys had an average year of brood production this year so there's a good number of young birds about.

Waterfowl

Early Canada Goose: Sept. 1-8, Pacific Flyway

General Sandhill Crane: Sept. 15-Nov. 11

Duck and dark goose: Pacific Flyway opens Sept. 22. Central Flyway opens Oct. 6 in Zone C1, Sept. 29 in Zone C2.

The number of ducks and geese migrating through Wyoming is always dependent on weather conditions. But, based on aerial surveys in Wyoming and population estimates to the north, waterfowl hunters can expect fair to good seasons for Canada geese and a good year for ducks.

"The population size of large Canada geese should be similar to the last few years. The number of small Canadas from the arctic are down," said Larry Roberts, the state's waterfowl biologist. "There's a lot of water in Canada so there should be a lot of ducks. Duck season should be good."

Light goose numbers are down this year so the hunting might be a little slower than usual for them, he said.

While many of Wyoming's lakes and reservoirs are low, summer rainstorms have filled several small-pond hunting areas.

"We have some water in places that we haven't had in a number of years," he said. "There should be more pond jumping opportunities than there have been the last few years."

Weather-wise the best case scenario for waterfowlers would be a cooling trend in Canada and Montana - without it getting too cold too fast in Wyoming.

"We want to see a gradual cool-down up north so they get snow and ice up there down to Billings, so it blows (the ducks) down here but it doesn't get so cold down here it blows them all down south."

Waterfowl hunters can usually find good hunting along the North Platte, Bighorn River, Shoshone River, Green River and Salt River, and at the Ocean Lake, Sand Mesa and Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Areas.