When Does Dove Season Start? 2026–27 Opening Dates for All 50 States
Dove season opens as early as September 1, 2026 in Arizona and as late as September 26, 2026 in Florida, with most states opening in September.
Dove season opening dates by state
38 states
- ArizonaOpens in 54 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 3
- CaliforniaOpens in 48 days
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Dec 28
- DelawareOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Sep 27
- IdahoOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 30
- IllinoisOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 9
- IndianaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 18
- IowaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 29
- KentuckyOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 26
- MarylandOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 17
- MinnesotaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 29
- MissouriOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 29
- MontanaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 30
- NebraskaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 30
- NevadaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 30
- New MexicoOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 1
- North DakotaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 29
- OhioOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 1
- OklahomaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Dec 29
- OregonOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 30
- PennsylvaniaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 2
- Rhode IslandOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Dec 15
- South DakotaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 9
- TennesseeOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 15
- TexasOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 8
- UtahOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 30
- WashingtonOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 30
- West VirginiaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Oct 11
- WisconsinOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 29
- WyomingOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Nov 29
- AlabamaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 17
- ArkansasOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 15
- GeorgiaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 31
- LouisianaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Sep 27
- MississippiOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 24
- North CarolinaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 30
- South CarolinaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 31
- VirginiaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 18
- FloridaOpen now
- Archery open
- —
- Firearm open
- —
- Closes
- Jan 31
| Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | West | — | — | Jan 3 | Opens in 54 days |
| California | West | — | — | Dec 28 | Opens in 48 days |
| Delaware | Northeast | — | — | Sep 27 | Open now |
| Idaho | West | — | — | Oct 30 | Open now |
| Illinois | Midwest | — | — | Jan 9 | Open now |
| Indiana | Midwest | — | — | Oct 18 | Open now |
| Iowa | Midwest | — | — | Nov 29 | Open now |
| Kentucky | South | — | — | Oct 26 | Open now |
| Maryland | South | — | — | Oct 17 | Open now |
| Minnesota | Midwest | — | — | Nov 29 | Open now |
| Missouri | Midwest | — | — | Nov 29 | Open now |
| Montana | West | — | — | Oct 30 | Open now |
| Nebraska | Midwest | — | — | Oct 30 | Open now |
| Nevada | West | — | — | Oct 30 | Open now |
| New Mexico | West | — | — | Jan 1 | Open now |
| North Dakota | Midwest | — | — | Nov 29 | Open now |
| Ohio | Midwest | — | — | Jan 1 | Open now |
| Oklahoma | South | — | — | Dec 29 | Open now |
| Oregon | West | — | — | Oct 30 | Open now |
| Pennsylvania | Northeast | — | — | Jan 2 | Open now |
| Rhode Island | Northeast | — | — | Dec 15 | Open now |
| South Dakota | Midwest | — | — | Nov 9 | Open now |
| Tennessee | South | — | — | Jan 15 | Open now |
| Texas | South | — | — | Nov 8 | Open now |
| Utah | West | — | — | Oct 30 | Open now |
| Washington | West | — | — | Oct 30 | Open now |
| West Virginia | South | — | — | Oct 11 | Open now |
| Wisconsin | Midwest | — | — | Nov 29 | Open now |
| Wyoming | West | — | — | Nov 29 | Open now |
| Alabama | South | — | — | Jan 17 | Open now |
| Arkansas | South | — | — | Jan 15 | Open now |
| Georgia | South | — | — | Jan 31 | Open now |
| Louisiana | South | — | — | Sep 27 | Open now |
| Mississippi | South | — | — | Jan 24 | Open now |
| North Carolina | South | — | — | Jan 30 | Open now |
| South Carolina | South | — | — | Jan 31 | Open now |
| Virginia | South | — | — | Jan 18 | Open now |
| Florida | South | — | — | Jan 31 | Open now |
Dove seasons opening this week
No dove seasons are opening in the next 7 days.
Earliest and latest openers
Dove seasons by region
Northeast
3 states covered
Earliest open
Sep 1
South
15 states covered
Earliest open
Sep 1
Midwest
10 states covered
Earliest open
Sep 1
West
10 states covered
Earliest open
Sep 1
Archery vs. firearm vs. muzzleloader: how seasons are split
Most states don't run one continuous dove season — they split it into method-specific segments. Archery seasons typically open first and run longest, often overlapping with the rest of the calendar. Muzzleloader segments are usually short windows before or after the main firearm season. General firearm (gun) season is usually the shortest and most heavily hunted segment, and dates can differ by zone within the same state.
- Archery
- 0
- states with an archery segment
- Muzzleloader
- 0
- states with a muzzleloader segment
- Firearm
- 0
- states with a general gun segment
Frequently asked questions
Dove season opens as early as September 1, 2026 in Arizona and as late as September 26, 2026 in Florida, with most states opening in September.
Regulations change every year and can vary by county or unit. Hunting Season by State is a reference tool, not a substitute for the official regulation book — always verify dates, zones, and bag limits with the state wildlife agency before you hunt.