Maryland · Dove · 2026–27 Edition
Maryland Dove Season 2026–27: Dates, Bag Limits & Shooting Hours
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Mourning Dove · Segment 1 (12 noon – sunset) | Statewide | Sep 1 – Oct 17 |
| Mourning Dove · Segment 2 | Statewide | Oct 24 – Nov 27 |
| Mourning Dove · Segment 3 | Statewide | Dec 19 – Jan 9 |
| Falconry · Mourning Dove | Statewide | Jan 9 – Jan 28 |
02 — Bag limits
| Daily | 15 |
|---|---|
| Possession | 45 |
| Falconry — daily / possession | 3 / 9 |
| Shooting hours — first segment | Sept. 1 – Oct. 17 runs 12 noon to sunset, not from first light. From Oct. 19 onward the season runs one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 1, 2026) 12:00 — 19:36
Rule: 12 noon to sunset for the whole first segment, Sept. 1 to Oct. 17 — then one-half hour before sunrise to sunset from Oct. 19 onward. Maryland states both windows on the same page. The noon start is not just opening day: it covers the entire first segment through Oct. 17 — about 47 hunting days. Maryland differs there from Virginia and West Virginia, where noon applies to the opener alone. From Oct. 19 the half-hour-before-sunrise rule takes over. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Maryland sun times for any other date.
04 — License & HIP
Dove hunters in Maryland need a Maryland hunting license and — because doves are migratory game birds — HIP registration (Harvest Information Program). No federal Duck Stamp is required for doves.
Maryland hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Maryland — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does dove season open in Maryland?
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 Maryland?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 28, 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 Maryland per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Daily — 15. Possession — 45. Falconry — daily / possession — 3 / 9. Shooting hours — first segment — Sept. 1 – Oct. 17 runs 12 noon to sunset, not from first light. From Oct. 19 onward the season runs one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. 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 Maryland?
On opening day (September 1, 2026) legal light runs 06:06 to 19:36. The rule is: 12 noon to sunset for the whole first segment, Sept. 1 to Oct. 17 — then one-half hour before sunrise to sunset from Oct. 19 onward. Maryland states both windows on the same page. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Maryland sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt doves on my own land in Maryland without a license?
A Maryland resident landowner — plus their spouse, child, and child's spouse — doesn't need a license on land they hold title to; the same goes for a tenant and their family. Deer and turkey still need a free DNRid and Big Game Harvest Record, and nonresident owners generally don't qualify.
Verified · Maryland Department of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-09-07
Publisher's note. Built 2026-09-07. PROVENANCE, STATED PLAINLY: dnr.maryland.gov answers this IP range with 403, and so does the DNR's own newsroom (news.maryland.gov/dnr) — only eRegulations was readable directly. Whether DNR links eRegulations itself could therefore NOT be checked, unlike Delaware and South Carolina where that link is on record. Corroboration: the DNR press release 'Maryland Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons Begin for 2026-2027' of 2026-08-31 names the same three segments and the same noon start; it was findable by search but not retrievable. Two agreeing sources, one of them the agency's own newsroom. Transcribed from the table 'Mourning Dove Statewide Season and Bag Limits 2026-2027': 'Sept. 1, 2026-Oct. 17, 2026 / Oct. 24, 2026-Nov. 27, 2026 / Dec. 19, 2026-Jan. 9, 2027', plus 'The daily bag limit is 15 for doves. The possession limit for doves is 45.' THE LINE THAT MATTERS MOST, AND THE REASON THIS FILE SPLITS THE TIME WINDOWS: 'Shooting hours for the Sept. 1, 2026-Oct. 17, 2026 dove season segment are 12 noon to sunset. For dove season dates after Oct. 19, 2026, shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.' Maryland puts the noon start not just on opening day, as Virginia and West Virginia do, but across the entire first segment — six and a half weeks. Carry the neighbouring rule across and you are wrong on roughly 45 hunting days. The falconry season is carried as its own method row: 'Mourning Doves: Jan. 9, 2027-Jan. 28, 2027' with a different limit of three a day and nine in possession. That is why seasonCloses runs to Jan. 28, past the general close on Jan. 9 — the same pattern as dove/missouri.