Dove hunting season is gearing up in Texas, having officially opened on September 1 for the North and Central state zones and set to begin in the South zone on September 14, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Cameron County Game Warden Calvin Atkinson shared that anyone wanting to hunt doves this season will need a hunting license and the proper know-how.
“Make sure your firearms are plugged,” said Atkinson, speaking with NBC 23.
“For migratory birds, we do require shotguns with no more than three rounds for shotgun. Basic firearm safety, basic hunting safety, and we require that for anybody hunting; we want people to be safe, we want people to go home to their families, and we just want them to recreate out here and, you know, be safe about it,” said Atkinson.
He added that any hunters in Texas should stay up to date on the current hunting laws. According to Atkinson, electronic licensing can also make this season a bit easier for hunters.
“You can get on one of our apps and tag the animal electronically and you get a confirmation number, then you place that on the actual animal, for one it saves paper, and sometimes some people don’t like going into the stores or having a physical license to carry around,” he said.
Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) announced in August that recent dry conditions and high heat could impact where doves are found this year.
Owen Fitzsimmons, TPW dove program leader, advised dove hunters to stay near water sources.
“Unless conditions change drastically over the next few weeks, hunting near water will be key for opening day this year. Hunters will likely see larger concentrations of birds at watering holes and food sources than they have in the past due to limited resources,” Fitzsimmons stated.
He added, “Agriculture production has been hit hard by drought so birds may be more reliant on native foods this September. Look for stands of common sunflower, croton, and other native annual forbs and grasses.”
