2025 Dove Season Opener Spanish Media Kit
Texas dove hunters should expect solid opportunities when the 2025-2026 dove season opens Monday, September 1.
Summary
English
Spring population surveys conducted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff found mourning dove numbers continue to trend near historic highs. Combined with strong habitat conditions across much of the state, hunters should expect solid opportunities when the 2025-26 dove season opens Sept. 1.
Español
Las encuestas de población de primavera realizadas por el personal del Departamento de Parques y Vida Silvestre de Texas encontraron que los números de paloma huilota (mourning dove) se mantienen cerca de sus niveles históricos más altos. Combinado con condiciones de hábitat favorables en gran parte del estado, los cazadores pueden anticipar buenas oportunidades cuando la temporada de caza de paloma de 2025-26 comience el 1 de septiembre.
Dove Hunting at a Glance
- More than 300,000 hunters take part in Texas dove hunts each year
- Dove hunts generate more than $500 million in economic activity for the state
- 32 percent of mourning doves and 87 percent of the white-winged dove harvested in the U.S. annually come from Texas
- Projections for 2025-26 season show strong populations across the state
- Non-hunters should be aware of an increase in firearm activity in parts of the state
Dove Seasons
North Zone: Sept. 1 – Nov. 9, resuming Dec. 19, 2025 – Jan. 7, 2026
Central Zone: Sept. 1 – Oct. 26, resuming Dec. 12, 2025 – Jan. 14, 2026
South Zone: Sept. 14 – Oct. 26, resuming Dec. 12, 2025 – Jan. 22, 2026
Dove Hunting Zones
North Zone: That portion of the state north of a line beginning at the International Bridge south of Fort Hancock; thence north along FM 1088 to State Highway 20; thence west along State Highway 20 to State Highway 148; thence north along State Highway 148 to Interstate Highway 10 at Fort Hancock; thence east along Interstate Highway 10 to Interstate Highway 20; thence northeast along Interstate Highway 20 to Interstate Highway 30 at Fort Worth; thence northeast along Interstate Highway 30 to the Texas-Arkansas state line.
Central Zone: That portion of the state between the North Zone and the South Zone.
South Zone: That portion of the state south of a line beginning at the International Toll Bridge in Del Rio; thence northeast along U.S. Highway 277 Spur to U.S. Highway 90 in Del Rio; thence east along U.S. Highway 90 to State Loop 1604; thence following Loop 1604 south and east, then north, to Interstate Highway 10; thence east along Interstate Highway 10 to the Texas-Louisiana Line.
Video
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Biologist Ernesto Garcia-Ortega shows how dove populations are tracked, allowing researchers to see how populations are looking ahead of the 2025-26 hunting season.
Please note that all videos and soundbites are in Spanish.
Images
Photos of dove and dove hunters can be found on the TPWD Flickr page.
News Releases
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TPWD News
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news@tpwd.texas.gov
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