Mourning Dove
Credit: CDFW
August 26, 2025 - They may have venison in the freezer already or enjoyed some cottontail rabbit on the grill, but many California hunters consider the Sept. 1 dove season opener the celebratory – if unofficial – start to California’s hunting seasons.
Technically speaking, rabbit season opened July 1 and some archery and rifle deer seasons are underway, but those can be solitary pursuits in wilderness settings or other remote areas well out of the public eye.
The Sept. 1 dove opener, by contrast, is a carnival of road trips, reunions, barbecues and small-town motel swimming pools during the midday heat. It’s the first bird hunting season to open and the single busiest day on the hunting calendar typically offering the best hunting of the season.
Dove hunting is no backcountry experience. It’s a celebration of California’s agricultural heartland and the farming communities that help feed the nation and the world. These agricultural lands support huge concentrations of mourning and white-winged dove that feed on the waste grain and spilled seed, drink from the farm ponds and seasonal creeks and roost among the orchards.
Adding to the popularity are the many high quality public hunting opportunities available. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) lands closest to the agricultural fields in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, Imperial and Colorado River valleys are perennial hotspots for dove hunting. These include the Gray Lodge, Upper Butte Basin, Los Banos, North Grasslands, Mendota, San Jacincto and Imperial Valley wildlife areas and the Palo Verde Ecological Reserve. Many of these public areas prepare crop fields to attract and hold dove. Entry procedures can vary, particularly on opening day. Not all CDFW properties are open to dove hunting, so hunters need to check ahead in planning their hunt.
The season opener on Monday, Sept. 1 coincides with the Labor Day holiday ensuring a strong turnout of hunters, especially families who will enjoy one last outdoor adventure together before summer fades to fall.
For many youngsters and some adults who have recently completed their Hunter Education requirements, the dove opener will be their first hunting experience and their commencement into California’s hunting and conservation communities that can provide a lifetime of learning, friendship, travel, adventure, environmental stewardship, memories and good food obtainable only in the outdoors.
Hunters can target mourning doe and white-winged dove starting one-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 1 until sunset. The season continues through Monday, Sept. 15. Spotted dove and ringed turtle dove also become legal game. Mourning dove and white-winged dove have a daily bag limit of 15, up to 10 of which may be white-winged dove. The possession limit is triple the daily bag limit. There are no limits on spotted dove and ringed-turtle dove. The invasive Eurasian collared-dove is open year-round with no bag limits. A dove identification guide is available on the CDFW website.
Hunters are strongly encouraged to review the dove hunting regulations and those governing CDFW lands available online: 2025-2026 California Waterfowl, Upland Game, and Public Use of Department Lands Regulations. (opens in new tab)
Some of the most common citations CDFW wildlife officers issue during dove season are for semi-automatic shotguns without the proper plug to reduce the capacity of the gun’s chamber and magazine to a three-shell maximum; for hunters without the required Upland Game Bird Validation accompanying their hunting license (not required for youngsters with a Junior Hunting License); and for those transporting their dove without a head or fully-feathered wing attached for identification. As a reminder, non-lead ammunition is required for hunting in California.
The second half of California’s dove season begins Nov. 8 and runs through Dec. 22. Many CDFW wildlife areas are open to dove hunting in the second half of the season on designated waterfowl shoot days when a Type A wildlife area pass will be required to enter. Additional late-season dove hunts are offered through CDFW’s SHARE program, which provides public hunting opportunities on private farms and ranches throughout the state.
For more information and resources on dove hunting, CDFW’s Advanced Hunter Education (opens in new tab)program has videos to help. CDFW’s R3 program has additional resources and videos for newcomers to dove hunting.
Source: CDFW
