Alabama · Dove · 2026–27 Edition
Alabama Dove Season 2026–27: Zone Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Opener · Afternoon-only (12:00 noon – sunset) | North Zone | Sep 5 – Sep 5 |
| Segment 1 · All-day | North Zone | Sep 6 – Oct 18 |
| Segment 2 · All-day | North Zone | Nov 21 – Nov 29 |
| Segment 3 · All-day | North Zone | Dec 12 – Jan 17 |
| Opener · Afternoon-only (12:00 noon – sunset) | South Zone (Baldwin, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Mobile) | Sep 12 – Sep 12 |
| Segment 1 · All-day | South Zone | Sep 13 – Oct 25 |
| Segment 2 · All-day | South Zone | Nov 21 – Nov 29 |
| Segment 3 · All-day | South Zone | Dec 12 – Jan 17 |
02 — Bag limits
| Statewide | 15 per day (90 days total across the split season) |
|---|
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 5, 2026) 05:55 — 19:06
Rule: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset (all-day). Note: Opening day is AFTERNOON-ONLY, 12:00 noon to sunset — see the row for opening-day details.. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Alabama sun times for any other date.
04 — License & HIP
Dove hunters in Alabama need an Alabama hunting license and — because doves are migratory game birds — HIP registration (Harvest Information Program). No federal Duck Stamp is required for doves.
Alabama hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Alabama — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does dove season open in Alabama?
The 2026–27 opener is September 5, 2026. Most states open Sep 1 under the federal migratory bird framework.
When does dove season end in Alabama?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 17, 2027. Split segments and late seasons vary — see the table above.
Do I need a Duck Stamp to hunt doves?
No. Doves are migratory game birds but the federal Duck Stamp is only required for waterfowl (ducks, geese, brant, swans). Dove hunters need only their state hunting license and HIP registration.
How many doves can you shoot in Alabama per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Statewide — 15 per day (90 days total across the split season). Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting doves in Alabama?
On opening day (September 5, 2026) legal light runs 05:55 to 19:06. The rule is: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset (all-day). Note: Opening day is AFTERNOON-ONLY, 12:00 noon to sunset — see the row for opening-day details. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Alabama sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt doves on my own land in Alabama without a license?
Alabama resident landowners — plus their immediate family, and tenants with their resident families — may hunt the land without a hunting license. The Baiting Privilege License, required to hunt deer or feral swine over bait, still applies to every hunter regardless of this exemption.
Verified · Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (WFF) · Last verified 2026-08-27
Publisher's note. Re-verified 2026-08-27 against Outdoor Alabama's 'Mourning and White-Winged Dove Season 2026-2027' page, fetched directly. Alabama prints the shooting hours inside each season line rather than in a separate rule, which is why this file splits the openers into their own rows - the split is in the source, not an interpretation. NORTH ZONE, quoted verbatim: '12 O clock noon until Sunset (Afternoon Shooting Only) - September 5'; 'One-half hour before Sunrise until Sunset (All Day) - September 6 - October 18'; 'November 21 - November 29'; 'December 12 - January 17'. SOUTH ZONE, same structure a week later: noon-to-sunset on September 12, then all day September 13 - October 25, November 21-29, and December 12 - January 17. The South Zone is defined on the page as Baldwin, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Mobile counties; the North Zone is every other county. The bag line reads '15 per day limit (90 days)' in both zones - the 90 is the length of the split season, not a possession figure, and this file reproduces that wording rather than converting it. The page states no possession limit for dove at all, so none is carried here. HIP registration is required, in the page's own words, for anyone hunting doves, ducks, coots, geese, brant, swans, woodcock, rails, snipe, sandhill cranes, band-tailed pigeons or gallinules.