With a new slate of fall hunting seasons ahead of us Texas hunters will be getting even more this year, 20 days more of dove hunting, to be exact. And with good sunflower production across the state thanks to all of the rain we received during the first-half of the year, it’s very timely that Texas hunters will have even more days to hunt dove.
The 2016-2017 Texas dove hunting season dates have been approved by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD), and this year the season has been extended from 70 days up to 90 days, per the new federal framework for migratory bird hunting seasons.
All indications are that mourning and white-winged dove populations are doing well. Lots of rain and forage should translate into a robust year for hunters, with plenty of time to take advantage of bird numbers. The additional dove hunting days are being integrated early in the season to take advantage of doves migrating into the state.
Dove Hunting Season Dates by Texas Dove Zone
- North Zone: September 1 – November 13, 2016 and December 17, 2016 – January 1, 2017
- Central Zone: September 1 – November 6, 2016 and December 17, 2016 – January 8, 2017
- South Zone: September 23 – November 13, 2016 and December 17, 2016 to January 23, 2017
Dove Season Dates for Texas’ Special White-Winged Area
- Special Season: September 3-4 and September 10-11, 2016 (legal shooting hours are noon to sunset)
- Regular Season: Sep. 23 – November 9, 2016 and December 17, 2016 – January 23, 2017