August 31, 2025 at 9:03 am staff writer

Dove season opens Monday, Sept. 1 in the North and Central Zones.
South Zone Special White-winged Dove Days open Friday, Sept. 5
South Zone regular season opens Sunday, Sept. 14.
Teal season opens Saturday, Sept. 20 statewide.
Fall alligator season opens Wednesday, Sept. 10 in core counties.

For all regulation information, refer to your Outdoor Annual online or in the app.

It’s an Exceptional Year for Doves

Look forward to an excellent opening day! Dove numbers are at record highs this season. Mild temperatures and plenty of rain have created an excellent breeding environment and should also bolster forage for the entire season – a good reason to plan at least one extra dove hunt this year.

“There should be plenty of preferred dove forage seeding out just in time for some late fall action in October,” says Webless Migratory Game Bird Program Leader Owen Fitzsimmons. Find out more in our dove forecast.

DOVE SEASON DATES:

North Zone – 9/1 to 11/9 and 12/19/25 to 1/7/26
Central Zone – 9/1 to 10/26 and 12/12/25 to 1/14/26
South Zone – 9/14 to 10/26 and 12/12/25 to 1/22/26
Special White-winged Dove Days – 9/5 to 9/7 and 9/12 to 9/13, beginning at noon

Daily bag limit in all zones is 15 birds. Find more dove regulation information in the Outdoor Annual online or in the app.

Need a new place to hunt dove? The public hunting program includes more than 100 dove and small game areas we’ve leased from private landowners for your use. Annual Public Hunting Permits are $48.

Don’t miss our new Dove ‘n’ Dumplings recipe in the new Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine story Dawn of the Dove Hunter.

Your Dove Checklist

Bird hunter with dog looking at Outdoor Annual app on phone

Use the handy Dove Checklist as a reminder of what you’ll need for your hunt, including:

A valid hunting license – access the digital version of your license on the Outdoor Annual app.
Texas Migratory Game Bird Endorsement
Harvest Information Program (HIP) – free when you buy a license.
Proof of Hunter Education
Look over the dove identifier so you can quickly identify protected dove species. It’s also available in the free Outdoor Annual app.
Plenty of water for you and for your dog.

Stay Aware of Your Safe Zone-of-Fire

No one wants to hunt with someone who wildly swings their shotgun – and for good reason. Swinging on game outside a safe zone-of-fire is consistently the #1 cause of hunting accidents in Texas.

To maintain safe conditions, your wingshooting group must establish individual safe zones-of-fire, and then stay within them. Be constantly aware of people and dogs as they move around – when they move (or you do), so does your safe zone-of-fire. Stay alert! Find out more in the short video, Safe Zone of Fire.

Methods to find your safe zone-of-fire are taught in Hunter Education. Anyone born after Sept. 1, 1971 must complete Hunter Ed and be able to prove it in the field while hunting. Easily check online to see if you’re certified.

HIP Questions and Your Hunting Experience

man and woman with dog and shotguns in field

When migratory game bird hunters buy an endorsement with their license, they’re asked a few questions, and those answers are compiled in the Harvest Information Program (HIP). Biologists then use this HIP information to make decisions about the management of migratory game birds, including dove.

Answer those HIP questions! It takes very little time and benefits your hunting experience. If your license salesperson forgets to ask you the questions, TELL the salesperson to ask you the questions. Don’t let your experience be ignored – your answers are important to successful dove management in Texas.