Anticipation Builds for Sept. 1 Dove Season Opener

One of the most popular days of the year for hunters in California is fast-approaching – the Sept. 1 dove season opener.

The dove opener is much more than a hunting trip. It’s the ceremonial start to California’s fall hunting seasons. It’s often the very first hunt for newly-licensed hunters who recently completed hunter education. It’s an annual get-together for friends and family who will descend onto California’s agricultural heartland that not only feeds the nation but supports huge concentrations of mourning and white-winged dove.

"There is always an enormous amount of excitement surrounding the dove season opener," said California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Meghan Hertel, herself a licensed hunter. "We expect to see multiple generations of hunters out in the field enjoying the hunting tradition. On the opener, hunters typically experience some of the best dove hunting of the season. After the hunt may be the best part. Doves will be served. Some hunters will enjoy their first wild game dinner they contributed to while others will be preparing and sharing their favorite recipes. Every one of these hunters is also directly supporting California's conservation efforts – license and validation fees fund habitat restoration and wildlife management that benefit species far beyond the birds themselves."

Publicly accessible hot spots for dove hunting include CDFW lands in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, Imperial and Colorado River valleys. These include the Gray Lodge, Upper Butte Basin, Los Banos, North Grasslands, Mendota, San Jacinto and Imperial Valley wildlife areas and the Palo Verde Ecological Reserve.

At these wildlife areas, CDFW staff work to provide ideal habitat that attracts dove during the season and serves other wildlife species throughout the year. Dove favorites such as safflower, sunflower, wheat and other cereal grains are among the crops planted. CDFW lands managers also monitor game species populations. This year they report conditions are “looking good” with more doves showing up each day as Sept. 1 approaches.

Hunters can target mourning dove and white-winged dove starting one-half hour before sunrise until sunset beginning Tuesday, Sept. 1. The first half of the season continues through Tuesday, Sept. 15. The second half of California’s dove season begins Nov. 14 and runs through Dec. 28, 2026. Late-season dove hunts are offered through CDFW’s Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Program, which provides public hunting opportunities on private farms and ranches throughout the state. Interested hunters may apply for these opportunities through the Online License Sales and Services website, under “2026 – SHARE Bird Hunts and Multi Choice Application.” The deadline to apply varies. Please visit the SHARE web page for more information.

CDFW offers numerous walk-in dove hunting opportunities at many of its wildlife areas though premium, opening day spots in prime agricultural areas are often limited to permit holders who participated in preseason drawings. Because entry procedures can vary, hunters are strongly encouraged to call ahead before visiting any CDFW wildlife area and can also consult CDFW’s Dove Hunts web page.

Mourning dove and white-winged dove have a daily, combined bag limit of 15, up to 10 of which may be white-winged dove. The possession limit is triple the daily bag limit. Spotted dove and ringed turtle dove also become legal game Sept. 1. There are no limits on spotted dove and ringed-turtle dove. Hunting for the invasive Eurasian collared dove is open year-round with no bag limits.

Know the Regulations

Hunters are strongly encouraged to review dove hunting regulations and rules governing CDFW lands, which are available online: 2026-2027 California Waterfowl, Upland Game, and Public Use of Department Lands Regulations (PDF).

Hunters must have a valid hunting license, a Harvest Information Program (HIP) Validation, an Upland Game Bird Validation (not required for hunters with a Junior Hunting License) and a Type A wildlife area pass during the second half of dove season when many CDFW wildlife areas are open to dove hunting on designated waterfowl shoot days.

CDFW wildlife officers, including some of the 36 recent graduates of CDFW’s Wildlife Officer Academy, will be out patrolling, observing and checking on dove hunters from Siskiyou to San Diego counties to ensure game laws and regulations are followed and enforced. One of the most common citations wildlife officers issue during dove season is for the use of semi-automatic shotguns without the proper plug to reduce the capacity of the gun’s chamber and magazine to a three-shell maximum. Wildlife officers also often encounter hunters transporting their dove without a head or fully feathered wing attached for identification, which is required.

Anyone who witnesses violations of the regulations, poaching, littering or polluting can report information to CDFW wildlife officers through the toll free CALTIP number (888) 334-CALTIP (888) 334-2258) or by sending an anonymous tip to CDFW by texting "CALTIP,” followed by a space and the message, to 847411 (tip411).

As a reminder, non-lead ammunition is required for hunting in California.

Report Banded Doves

As part of larger efforts to monitor Pacific Flyway species, CDFW monitors dove populations through various survey efforts. These efforts help estimate dove population size and trends from year to year to help inform management decisions such as hunting season lengths and bag limits.

One of the most robust, long-term population monitoring programs is the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) banding program. Started in 1920, birds are captured throughout the United States and Canada and banded with a small metal band that goes on the bird’s leg. The band has a unique nine-digit number etched onto it for identification. When a band is encountered, the finder can then report the band to the website etched on the band: www.reportband.gov.

With every submission, the finder will receive a certificate of appreciation issued by USGS. This certificate provides information about where, when and who banded the bird as well as sex and age of the bird at capture. BBL and CDFW in turn get valuable information on movement, longevity and demographics that help to further scientific research and conservation of the species.

Additional Online Resources

To learn more about hunting opportunities, hunter licensing and hunter education in California, visit CDFW’s Hunting in California web page.

For more information and resources on dove hunting, CDFW’s Advanced Hunter Education (Video) Program has videos to help. CDFW’s “Recruit. Retain. Reactivate.” R3 Program has additional resources and videos for newcomers to dove hunting.

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Media Contacts:
Krysten Kellum, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120
Taylor Williams, CDFW R3 Program, (916) 203-1362

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