Although many Texas hunters are now focused on the upcoming white-tailed deer hunting season, many dove hunters are still heading out into the fields looking to bag a few birds. Passing fronts have moved some new birds throughout all of Texas’ dove hunting zones, but many birds have held up too because of warming weather. In addition, recent rains have returned water to some previously dry ponds.
The North Zone is closed currently, but reopens from December 23-January 8, 2012. Best flights occurred around the Panhandle in sunflowers and milo around Amarillo, Dumas and Spearman. Good shoots were posted around Lubbock and north of Abilene in plowed ground. Red River hunters saw fair dove hunting at best around treelines and in harvested soy bean fields. Tanks and ponds holding water were good in the afternoon due to the drought, but wet watering holes were tough to find. Read more »
The dove hunting in season dates in Texas have remained relatively stable over the years, with a little fluctuation. Because mourning and white-winged doves are migratory, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) determines with state agencies when the seasons will take place each year. After much anticipation, the USFWS has approved the 2011-2012 Texas dove hunting season, which includes a 70 day season and 15 bird daily bag statewide for dove.
Texas dove hunting season in the North and Central Dove Zones will run from Thursday, September 1 through Sunday, October 23 and will reopen on Friday, December 23 through Sunday, January 8, with a 15 bird daily bag and not more than two white-tipped doves. This areas has been plagued by drought, so food sources adjacent watering holes should be hot, in more ways than one. Read more »
Waterfowl hunters have always coveted banded ducks and geese as trophies, but many that head out dove hunting do no realize that both mourning and white-winged doves may be banded as well. It is important that both hunters and non-hunters be aware so that they can inspect any found or harvested bird and report dove bands. Banding is an integral component for management of all game birds that travel across North America without regard for state, provincial or international borders.
These migrants are a shared resource among all hunters. The unique identification numbers stamped onto each leg band illustrate the extent to which these birds are shared, for example, when a hunter on the Texas coast harvests a banded duck that originated in Saskatchewan. Heading into the summer, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will be trapping and attaching tiny aluminum leg bands on several thousand mourning dove as part of a larger national effort coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, white-winged doves will also be banded across the state and TPWD will be banding approximately 3,000 whitewings. Banding will be initiated June 1 and concludes August 15. Read more »
October 26, 2011 | 
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