The long-awaited Texas dove season will open statewide tomorrow — Tuesday, Sept. 1.
The old special white-winged dove season has been wiped out by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
Some South Texas outfitters said they are ready for opening day, while others said they are going to wait until the weekend of Sept. 4. For those hunters shooting birds on private land, most said they are ready for opening day.
At the Resaca De La Palma State Park on the western edge of Brownsville, hunting will be allowed on the four weekends, as it has always been in past seasons.
That means the first hunt will take place on Sept. 4-6. The next hunts are scheduled for Sept. 11-13, Sept. 19-20 and Sept. 26-27.
New this year, only steel shot will be allowed at this state park because of the water, or resacas, located there.
For public land hunters on one of the more than half-dozen TPWD properties, a daily permit will run $20, while a season-long permit costs $48, in addition to the regular hunting license.
TPWD is forecasting another great year for dove.
Lone Star Outdoor News has heard lots of reports from this weekend as hunters really got out and scouted for birds.
Several outfitters reported large numbers of birds on crop fields around George West.
Other hunters in many areas reported good numbers of dove, but the birds are very spread out across the landscape. Water and ample food will be key to shooting birds, according to many hunters.
Hunters could see many young birds early in the season, especially in the South Zone where dove hunting usually doesn’t start for several more weeks.
