South Zone Dove Season Opens with a Bang
AUSTIN – Conditions are prime for a record harvest of white-winged doves as hunting in the South Zone got under way Friday. Based on preliminary results from the early Special White-winged Dove Area weekend seasons, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department noted the regular season opening weekend should be good to excellent for white-winged doves in many areas in coastal and South Texas.
The South Zone runs through Wednesday, Oct. 21. The second segment will run Friday, Dec. 18 through Friday, Jan. 22, 2016. The daily bag limit for doves statewide is 15 and the possession limit is 45. Dove hunting in the Special White-winged Dove Area also reopened today and continues through Wednesday, Oct. 21, and then reopens Friday, Dec. 18 through Monday, Jan. 18, 2016.
During the general season, the aggregate bag limit in the Special White-winged Dove Area is 15 with no more than two white-tipped doves. Department surveys indicate significant increases observed in white-winged dove breeding populations in South Texas, which should equate to more birds in the air during the season.
“Expectations are for a record harvest of white-winged doves throughout the state based on TPWD breeding survey information and observations on production from biologists around the state,” said Shaun Oldenburger, TPWD’s dove program leader.
“For mourning doves, increases were observed in breeding populations in South Texas, but with the increased water and seeds on the landscape thanks to precipitation this spring and into summer, mourning doves may be more widespread than previous years. Furthermore, production was fair to good for mourning doves in many locations in South Texas, so if enough scouting and field preparation occurred in a location, opening day should produce satisfactory results.”
