By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
One week from today, wingshooters across the country will be opening fire on one of the most challenging migratory gamebirds of them all: the mourning dove.
People who are good at it are very good shotgunners. The rest of us who are not so good wait for grouse, chukar, pheasants and Hungarian partridge opportunities, because if there is anything worth remembering about dove hunting, it’s that one can deplete a full supply of No. 7 ½ or 8 shotgun shells in short order.
Just for the sake of having done it, TGM checked Wikipedia for a quick description of the mourning dove and learned the average bird weighs 4 to 6 ounces, it has a wingspan of 37-45cm, the plumage is “generally light gray-brown above and lighter and pinkish below,” and the tail is long and tapered.
What Wikipedia didn’t mention was that they fly at better than warp speed, darting and weaving like bats outa hell, and they can frustrate people whether they’re shooting a 12-gauge semi-auto or a 28-gauge O/U.
Sure, the bag limit is 15 birds per day with a possession limit of 45, and some people are capable of accomplishing that feat on a regular basis. But it’s also pretty easy to go through a box of shells when birds are moving, and not fill a daily limit.
Ammunition companies probably delight with the onset of mourning dove seasons because they sell a lot of shells.
Michigan and New York don’t allow dove hunting, but other states uniformly open their seasons Sept. 1, and are pretty liberal with their setups. Some states have solid seasons running well into the fall, while other states operate split seasons. It may be hunting “on paper” by the third week of September in many places, because doves are pretty weather conscious. At the first sign of seasonal storms and the onset of colder temperatures, mourning doves are known to head south literally overnight.
Doves are seed-eaters, and they like a variety of seeds, including wheat, corn, sesame, pokeberry, buckwheat, rye and sweetgum, according to Wikipedia.
With the assistance of AI, here’s a recap of many seasons around the country.
Alabama’s seasons are split with the North Zone: Sept. 5 (noon-sunset), Sept 6–Oct 18, Nov 21–29, and Dec 12–Jan 17 (all half-hour before sunrise to sunset); South Zone: Sept 12 (noon-sunset), Sept. 13–Oct. 25, Nov. 21–29, and Dec. 12–Jan. 17 (all half-hour before sunrise to sunset).
Arizona: Sept. 1 – Sept. 15; Nov. 20, 2026 – Jan. 3, 2027
Arkansas: Sept. 5 to Oct. 25, and from Dec. 8 to Jan. 15, 2027
California’s 2026 dove hunting season features two statewide periods: September 1 to Sept. 15 and Nov. 14 to Dec. 28. The daily bag limit is 15 total (up to 10 white-winged doves), with a possession limit triple the daily bag. Non-lead ammunition is strictly required statewide.
Colorado’s 2026 season runs statewide from Sept. 1 through Nov. 29. The daily bag limit is 15 mourning or white-winged doves (singly or in the aggregate), with a possession limit of 45. Hunters need a valid small game license and free HIP registration
Georgia’s 2026–2027 mourning dove hunting season is split into three statewide segments running from Sept. 5 to Oct. 11, Nov. 21 to Nov. 29, and Dec. 19 to Jan. 31, 2027
Illinois mourning dove hunting runs in a split statewide season from Sept. 1 to Nov. 14, and Dec. 26, 2026, to Jan. 9, 2027.
Indiana’s mourning dove hunting season runs across three segments: Sept. 1–Oct. 18, Nov. 1–29, and Dec. 19–31.
Louisiana: North Zone: Sept. 5 – Sept. 27, Oct. 10 – Nov. 15 and Dec. 19 – Jan. 17, 2027; South Zone: Sept. 5 – Sept. 20, Oct. 17 – Nov. 29 and Dec. 12 – Jan. 10, 2027
Minnesota dove hunt dates are Sept. 1–Nov. 29. Limit: Daily bag limit is 15; possession limit 45.
Mississippi: Sept. 5 – Oct. 4, Oct. 24 – Nov. 22 and Dec. 26 – Jan. 24, 2027
Montana’s mourning dove hunting season opens on Sept. 1 and runs through Oct. 30. Conditions from statewide drought mean scouting water sources and grain fields near tree cover is vital for success this year. Check the Montana FWP Regulations for specific district rules before heading out.
New Mexico: North zone: September 1 – November 29, 2026; South zone: September 1 – October 28, 2026, and a second window Dec. 1– Jan. 1, 2027
North Dakota dove hunting runs statewide from Sept. 1 through Nov. 29.
Ohio is open from Sept. 1 through Nov. 8, and Dec. 12 through Jan. 1, 2027. Hunters need a valid license, Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification, and a shotgun plugged to hold a maximum of three shells. The daily bag limit is 15 birds.
Oklahoma’s 2026 mourning dove season runs from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, and reopens from Dec. 1 to Dec. 29. The daily bag limit is 15 combined daily (mourning, white-winged, and Eurasian collared), with possession limits scaling up after day one. A valid license and Harvest Information Program (HIP) permit are required unless exempt.
Oregon mourning dove hunting is regulated by zone with a daily bag limit of 15 birds and a possession limit of 45. Hunting opens on Sept. 1 across the state, providing an early-season wing-shooting opportunity before cooler weather drives the birds south.
Pennsylvania’s 2026 mourning dove split hunting season runs from Sept. 1 through Nov. 27, and again from Dec. 18 through Jan. 2, 2027. Daily bag limit is 15 with a possession limit of 45. Sunday hunting is not allowed for migratory birds.
South Carolina’s mourning dove hunting season is also split into three segments: Sept. 5–Oct. 3, Nov. 13–28, and Dec. 18–Jan. 31, 2027.
South Dakota’s dove season runs statewide from Sept. 1 through Nov. 9, with daily shooting hours from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. The daily bag limit is 15 doves, and the possession limit is 45.
Texas also opens Sept. 1, and for a third year in a row, the state received significant rain in the spring, bolstering the previous year’s healthy dove populations. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologist’s estimate both mourning and white-winged doves are near record highs again.
In Washington state, the mourning dove hunting season runs statewide from Sept. 1 through Oct. 30. The daily bag limit is 15 mourning doves, and the possession limit is 45
Wisconsin’s dove hunting season runs from Sept. 1 through Nov. 29, with a daily bag limit of 15 birds. Hunters need a small game license, shotguns plugged to hold three shells, and non-toxic (steel) shot when hunting on public, department-managed lands.
