Hunters could see a banner season as dove numbers spike on the heels of 2022 hatch
Thousands of Texas hunters will take the field on September 1 as the 2023-24 dove season gets underway at 30 minutes before sunrise. Dove hunting is a feathered cash cow believed to generate about $316 million annually for the state’s economy. (Photo by Matt Williams)
Mourning dove are the most abundant dove in Texas with a resident population estimated at 28.3 million birds. ( TPWD Photo)
Hunters who harvest banded birds are encouraged to report the band identification number to the website listed on the band, www.reportband. gov. Scientists are able to gather all sorts of useful data from the banding program. (TPWD Photo, Billy Lambert)
The Great Outdoors
Every Texas dove season is a good one. Experts say the upcoming party that gets underway at 30 minutes before sunrise on September 1 in most of the state is setting up to be one of the best in years. If things don’t shake out, it certainly won’t be for the lack of birds.
That’s the word from Owen Fitzsimmons of San Marcos. Fitzsimm...
