California · Dove · 2026 Edition
California Dove Season 2026: Dates, Bag Limits & Shooting Hours
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Mourning & White-winged Dove · Segment 1 | Statewide | Sep 1 – Sep 15 |
| Mourning & White-winged Dove · Segment 2 | Statewide | Nov 14 – Dec 28 |
| Eurasian Collared-dove & Spotted Dove | Statewide | Jan 1 – Dec 31 |
02 — Bag limits
| Mourning & White-winged — Daily | 15, of which no more than 10 may be white-winged doves |
|---|---|
| Mourning & White-winged — Possession | Triple the daily bag (45) |
| Eurasian collared-dove & spotted dove | No limit, open all year |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 1, 2026) 05:59 — 19:25
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for migratory game birds including mourning and white-winged doves (14 CCR § 506) — except areas on, over or adjacent to the waters of Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo County, where shooting starts at 7 a.m.. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local California sun times for any other date.
04 — License & HIP
Dove hunters in California need a California hunting license and — because doves are migratory game birds — HIP registration (Harvest Information Program). No federal Duck Stamp is required for doves.
California hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in California — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does dove season open in California?
The 2026 opener is September 1, 2026. Most states open Sep 1 under the federal migratory bird framework.
When does dove season end in California?
The latest 2026 closing date is December 28, 2026. 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 California per day?
2026 bag limits: Mourning & White-winged — Daily — 15, of which no more than 10 may be white-winged doves. Mourning & White-winged — Possession — Triple the daily bag (45). Eurasian collared-dove & spotted dove — No limit, open all year. 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 California?
On opening day (September 1, 2026) legal light runs 05:59 to 19:25. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for migratory game birds including mourning and white-winged doves (14 CCR § 506) — except areas on, over or adjacent to the waters of Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo County, where shooting starts at 7 a.m. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local California sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt doves on my own land in California without a license?
No — California requires a hunting license regardless of land ownership. The one landowner-specific carve-out is a narrow depredation-permit process for wild pigs causing damage, which is not a general hunting license.
Verified · California Department of Fish and Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-11
Publisher's note. Dates from CDFW's '2026-2027 Seasons and Limits — Dove' table. California splits the mourning/white-winged season into a short September opener and a long late-fall segment, which is unusual: most states open Sept. 1 and run into October. Eurasian collared-dove and spotted dove are open all year with no limit and are marked yearRound below, so the opener and closing date on this page describe the mourning-dove season the page is about; both rows stay in the table. The 10-bird sub-limit on white-winged doves sits inside the 15-bird daily bag rather than on top of it. Shooting hours are set by regulation, not by CDFW's season table: 14 CCR § 506 names mourning doves explicitly.