Texas dove hunters can look forward to their longest season in eight decades thanks to season dates recently adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.
While the traditional opening dates established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service remain fixed, a new 90-day season this fall means hunters will have 20 more days of opportunity compared to previous years.
The additional days are being integrated early in the season to take advantage of birds migrating into the state, as well as at the end of the season in the special white-winged dove area to offer more wingshooting opportunities.
The USFWS mandates that dove seasons begin no earlier than Sept. 1, so the first split of the 2016-17 season (in the 105-county North Zone) will run until Nov. 13. In 2015-16 it closed Oct. 25.
Likewise, the second split was from Dec. 18 until Jan. 1 in 2015-16. In 2016-17 it will be Dec. 17 until Jan. 1.
The 138-county Central Zone will run Sept. 1 through Nov. 6, then again from Dec. 17 till Jan. 8. The previous year was Sept. 1 till Oct. 25 and Dec. 18 till Jan. 1.
The 32-county South Zone will run Sept. 23 through Nov. 13 and Dec. 17 till Jan. 23, as opposed to last year’s Sept. 18 till Oct. 21 and Dec. 18 through Jan. 22.
The daily bag limit for doves statewide is 15 and the possession limit 45.
During the early two weekends in the special white-winged dove area (27 counties), hunting is allowed only in the afternoon. The daily bag limit is 15 birds, to include not more than two mourning doves and two white-tipped doves.
During the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit is 15 with no more than two white-tipped doves.
Those dates run Sept. 3-4/10-11, Sept. 23 through Nov. 9, and Dec. 17 through Jan. 23.