Delaware · Dove · 2026–27 Edition
Delaware Dove Season 2026–27: Dates, Bag Limits & Shooting Hours
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Mourning Dove · Segment 1 | Statewide | Sep 1 – Sep 27 |
| Mourning Dove · Segment 2 | Statewide | Nov 23 – Nov 29 |
| Mourning Dove · Segment 3 | Statewide | Dec 7 – Jan 31 |
02 — Bag limits
| Daily | 15 |
|---|---|
| Possession | 45 |
| Non-toxic shot — September only | On State Wildlife Areas, all hunters must use non-toxic shot for dove during September. The rule lifts in October and does not apply on private land. |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 1, 2026) 06:01 — 19:32
Rule: One-half hour before sunrise until sunset. DNREC states this once for all migratory game birds: 'The shooting hours for all mute swans and migratory game birds, including waterfowl except during the Snow Goose Conservation Order, are 1/2 hour before sunrise until sunset.'. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Delaware sun times for any other date.
04 — License & HIP
Dove hunters in Delaware need a Delaware hunting license and — because doves are migratory game birds — HIP registration (Harvest Information Program). No federal Duck Stamp is required for doves.
Delaware hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Delaware — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does dove season open in Delaware?
The 2026–27 opener is September 1, 2026. Most states open Sep 1 under the federal migratory bird framework.
When does dove season end in Delaware?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 31, 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 Delaware per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Daily — 15. Possession — 45. Non-toxic shot — September only — On State Wildlife Areas, all hunters must use non-toxic shot for dove during September. The rule lifts in October and does not apply on private land. 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 Delaware?
On opening day (September 1, 2026) legal light runs 06:01 to 19:32. The rule is: One-half hour before sunrise until sunset. DNREC states this once for all migratory game birds: 'The shooting hours for all mute swans and migratory game birds, including waterfowl except during the Snow Goose Conservation Order, are 1/2 hour before sunrise until sunset.'. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Delaware sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt doves on my own land in Delaware without a license?
Delaware residents who own or live on a farm of 20 or more acres, plus immediate family living there, may hunt, fish, and trap it without a license. Deer tags and other harvest requirements still apply.
Verified · Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife (DNREC) · Last verified 2026-09-01
Publisher's note. Built 2026-09-01 from the same source this project already uses for duck/delaware — DNREC links eRegulations as its display, the same arrangement as South Carolina (and unlike Kansas, where that link is missing). Fetched directly with a browser user agent, no block. The 'Mourning Dove' row of the Other Species table gives three segments — 'Sept. 1-Sept. 27', 'Nov. 23-Nov. 29', 'Dec. 7-Jan. 31' — plus a daily bag of 15 and possession of 45; all four values are carried here. Shooting hours are a blanket sentence further down the same page: 'The shooting hours for all mute swans and migratory game birds, including waterfowl except during the Snow Goose Conservation Order, are 1/2 hour before sunrise until sunset.' The September footnote is carried as its own bagLimits row because it is a conduct rule rather than a limit: 'During the month of September, all hunters must use non-toxic shot when dove hunting on State Wildlife Areas.' It applies only in September and only on State Wildlife Areas — not on private land, and not from October. Not modelled: the Snow Goose Conservation Order, the one exception that stretches shooting hours to half an hour after sunset and lifts limits; it concerns geese, not doves.