Dove Season Starts Saturday

Dove hunting season starts in Georgia this weekend.

The official opening statewide is noon on Saturday.

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division, the official 2016-2017 dove seasons are September 3 through 18, October 8 through 28, and November 24 through January 15.

Shooting hours are noon until sunset on opening day, Saturday, and one-half hour before sunrise to sunset for the remainder of the season dates.

The DNR said that many WMA public dove fields are reserved solely for quota hunts on opening day, so hunters should review dove hunting rules and regulations to ensure availability.

DNR representatives note that the daily bag limit is 15 doves per hunter.

According to the DNR, collared doves may be taken, but do not affect the count of a daily limit.

Also, any autoloading or other repeating shotgun must be plugged to hold no more than three shotshells while hunting doves and, as always, hunters must obtain permission from landowners before hunting on private property.

In addition, dove hunters 16 years of age and older must possess a Georgia hunting license and a free Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program Permit and when hunting on a Wildlife Management Area, a hunter also must possess a WMA license.

Hunters may purchase licenses online at www.georgiawildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes, by phone at 1-800-366-2661 or at license vendor locations.