Mississippi · Dove · 2026–27 Edition
Mississippi Dove Season 2026–27: Dates, Bag Limits & Shooting Hours
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Mourning & White-winged Dove · Segment 1 | Statewide | Sep 5 – Oct 4 |
| Mourning & White-winged Dove · Segment 2 | Statewide | Oct 24 – Nov 22 |
| Mourning & White-winged Dove · Segment 3 | Statewide | Dec 26 – Jan 24 |
02 — Bag limits
| Daily | 15, singly or in the aggregate |
|---|---|
| Possession | 45, singly or in the aggregate |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 5, 2026) 06:06 — 19:17
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset — MDWFP applies this to all migratory game birds, with only the Light Goose Conservation Order excepted. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Mississippi sun times for any other date.
04 — License & HIP
Dove hunters in Mississippi need a Mississippi hunting license and — because doves are migratory game birds — HIP registration (Harvest Information Program). No federal Duck Stamp is required for doves.
Mississippi hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Mississippi — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does dove season open in Mississippi?
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 Mississippi?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 24, 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 Mississippi per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Daily — 15, singly or in the aggregate. Possession — 45, singly or in the aggregate. 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 Mississippi?
On opening day (September 5, 2026) legal light runs 06:06 to 19:17. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset — MDWFP applies this to all migratory game birds, with only the Light Goose Conservation Order excepted. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Mississippi sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt doves on my own land in Mississippi without a license?
Mississippi exempts only the resident in whom the land's record title is vested — not their spouse, children, or a tenant. The standard resident license already bundles deer and turkey, so the exemption covers those too, though a separate fall turkey permit may still apply.
Verified · Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks · Last verified 2026-08-11
Publisher's note. From the MDWFP '2026-2027 Hunting Seasons' schedule. Two points worth checking against older write-ups: the dove season is listed STATEWIDE for 2026-27, not split into North and South zones the way Mississippi has run it in some past years, and it opens Sept. 5 rather than Sept. 1. The three segments run into late January. Shooting hours are the migratory-bird rule printed in the same document, which covers dove along with every other migratory game bird.