The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s proposed regulation to do away with the special white-winged dove season and begin all Texas dove hunting on Sept. 1 was passed yesterday. But the commission decided not to implement new second split dates of Nov. 25 – Dec. 29, voting instead to keep the second split dates Dec. 18 – Jan. 21.
The change, one of a handful of others to take effect for the upcoming 2026-27 hunting season, has been extensively discussed by hunting outfitters and TPWD officials over the years.
Some in South Texas though the change was overdue. Close to 80% of the online comments were in favor of the new regulations. Others argued against changing regulations they said made hunting in South Texas unique.
Why to call it a special white-winged dove season is a question some people have been asking. Others assert South Texas has been penalized for years since wing shooters in other parts of the state are not.
The state agency passed the following changes:
- Change the South Zone dove hunting season structure during the first segment to include an earlier regular season opening date (September 1 – October 25, 2026), eliminate the Special White-winged Dove Days, and institute standardized daily bag limits across all days in the South Zone.
The state agency did not adopt the following proposed change:
- Change the South Zone dove hunting season structure during the second segment to move the starting date from mid-December to the day prior to Thanksgiving (November 25 – December 29, 2026).
Ed Mathers, who family run white-wing hunts on the south side of Brownsville of the Rio Grande, has been saying all alone the special season is not special anymore.
Other believe the same.
However, other outfitters are asking why changing it?
Hundreds of wing shooters from the Houston, San Antonio and other areas of the state and from Oklahoma and Louisiana states have been coming down here year after year for this particular season.
On the other hand, because of the regulation that called for no more than two mourning dove in the aggregate of 15 birds a day, many mourning dove are shot and left, according to area game wardens.
Game wardens, interviewed on and off, said a hunter having three or more mourning dove in possession has been the second biggest violation after hunting without a license.
James Dunks, a Port Mansfield resident who takes people on dove hunting trips, said either way is alright with him.
“It might hurt those folks that have been getting ready for the (special) season every year,” he said. “But I am okay if they (TPWD) open the season on the same day statewide.”
