Texas Sets Dove, Teal Seasons

Dove hunters will have more opportunity later in the season with dates and bag limits finalized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department this last week. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved the 2014-2015 Texas dove season, including a 70-day season and 15-bird daily bag statewide, and a 16-day early teal and Canada goose season.

The traditional September 1 dove season opening day in the North and Central Zones remains; this year falling on Labor Day Monday. However, the first segment in those zones will be shorter than last season, closing on Monday, Oct. 20. The season will reopen Friday, Dec. 19 and run through Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015 in the North and Central Zones.

In the South Zone and Special White-winged Dove Area, the first segment will be shortened by five days compared to last year, and those days would be added to the end of the second segment. The South Zone opens Friday, Sept. 19 and runs through Monday, Oct. 20. The second segment will run Friday, Dec. 19 through Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015.

The daily bag limit for doves statewide is 15 and the possession limit is 45. The Special White-winged Dove Area will be restricted to afternoon only (noon to sunset) hunting the first two full September weekends on Sept. 6-7 and 13-14. Hunting in this area will reopen Friday, Sept. 19 and continue through Monday, Oct. 20, and then reopen Friday, Dec. 19 through Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015. During the early two weekends, the daily bag limit is 15 birds, to include not more than two mourning doves and two white-tipped doves.

Once the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit will be 15 with no more than two white-tipped doves. A 16-day statewide early teal and Eastern Zone Canada goose season will run Saturday, Sept. 13 through Sunday, Sept. 28. The daily bag on teal remains six, with a possession limit of 18. Bag limit for Canada geese will be three and a possession limit of 6 in the Eastern Zone only.