Mourning and White-Winged Dove Season

NORTH ZONE: (All counties except those listed below in south zone.)

• 15 per day limit (90 days)

SPLIT SEASON with Shooting Hours:

• 12 O’clock noon until Sunset (Afternoon Shooting Only) – September 5
• One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day) – September 6 – October 18
• One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day) – November 21 – November 29
• One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day) – December 12 – January 17

SOUTH ZONE: Baldwin, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, and Mobile counties.

• 15 per day limit (90 days) 

SPLIT SEASON with Shooting Hours:

• 12 O’clock noon until Sunset (Afternoon Shooting Only) – September 12
• One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day) – September 13 – October 25
• One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day) – November 21 – November 29
• One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day) – December 12 – January 17

IT IS LEGAL TO HUNT DOVES ON, OVER, OR FROM...

• Lands or areas where seeds or grains have been scattered solely as the result of normal agricultural operations, which include normal agricultural harvestings, normal agricultural postharvest manipulations, or normal agricultural practices.
• Lands planted by means of top-sowing or aerial seeding where seeds have been scattered solely as the result of a normal agricultural planting, a planting for agricultural soil erosion control, or a planting for post-mining land reclamation.
• Lands or areas where grain or feed has been distributed or scattered solely as the result of the manipulation of an agricultural crop or other feed on the land where grown.
• Standing crops.
• Lands planted as wildlife food plots, provided the seed is planted in a manner consistent with Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service recommendations for the planting of wildlife food plots. In states without Cooperative Extension Service recommendations for the planting of food plots, the seed must be planted in accordance with Extension Service guidelines for producing a crop.
• Lands planted as pasture improvements or for the purpose of grazing livestock. (The Fish and Wildlife Service will not make a distinction between agricultural fields planted with the intent to gather a crop and those planted without such intent provided the planting is carried out in a manner consistent with the recommendations of State Extension Specialists).
• Standing or manipulated natural vegetation.
• A blind or other place of concealment camouflaged with natural vegetation.

For further clarification, see the federal regulation, here.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System recommends planting dates for some top sown grains between August 1 and November 30 depending on individual circumstances. For details click here.

Harvest Information Program (HIP) Requirement

The Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) is used by state wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to develop more reliable estimates of the number of migratory birds harvested throughout the country. These estimates provide biologists with the information to help make sound management decisions concerning hunting seasons, bag limits and population management.

If you hunt doves, ducks, coots, geese, brant, swans, woodcock, rails, snipe, sandhill cranes, band-tailed pigeons or gallinules, you are REQUIRED to participate in the Harvest Information Program.

Learn more about HIP

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Dove Hunting in Alabama

Youth Dove Hunts

License Information

Purchase Your License Online