Pennsylvania · Dove · 2026–27 Edition
Pennsylvania Dove Season 2026–27: Dates, Bag Limits & Shooting Hours
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Dove · Segment 1 | Statewide | Sep 1 – Nov 27 |
| Dove · Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 18 – Jan 2 |
02 — Bag limits
| Daily | 15 |
|---|---|
| Possession | 45 |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 1, 2026) 06:08 — 19:42
Rule: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset (standard federal migratory-bird framework) — confirm with PGC. No Sunday hunting for migratory game birds.. (Shooting-hours rule not yet independently verified against the agency.) Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Pennsylvania sun times for any other date.
04 — License & HIP
Dove hunters in Pennsylvania need a Pennsylvania hunting license and — because doves are migratory game birds — HIP registration (Harvest Information Program). No federal Duck Stamp is required for doves.
Pennsylvania hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Pennsylvania — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does dove season open in Pennsylvania?
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 Pennsylvania?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 2, 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 Pennsylvania per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Daily — 15. Possession — 45. 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 Pennsylvania?
On opening day (September 1, 2026) legal light runs 06:08 to 19:42. The rule is: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset (standard federal migratory-bird framework) — confirm with PGC. No Sunday hunting for migratory game birds. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Pennsylvania sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt doves on my own land in Pennsylvania without a license?
Pennsylvania's exemption only covers someone whose primary livelihood is farming that specific land — owner, tenant, family member, or farmhand — who may then hunt and take furbearers on it without a license. Owning rural land you don't farm for a living doesn't qualify; discounted Landowner Hunting Licenses exist separately for owners of 50 or more acres.
Verified · Pennsylvania Game Commission · Last verified 2026-08-27
Publisher's note. Re-verified 2026-08-27 against the PGC's own 'Seasons and Bag Limits' page, fetched directly (no block). The PGC page carries TWO license years stacked on one URL: a '2025-26 Seasons and Bag Limits' block followed by a '2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits' block. Everything in this file comes from the 2026-27 block; reading from the top of the page returns last year's numbers. The page states the license year runs July 1 to June 30. The 2026-27 DOVES entry reads in full: '*Sunday hunting is prohibited for migratory game birds* / Sept. 1-Nov. 27, and Dec. 18-Jan. 2. / (15 daily, 45 in possession)' - exactly what this file carries: two segments, 15/45. The page adds the framework sentence 'Migratory game bird seasons and bag limits are set in accordance with federal regulations and the annual frameworks established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.' One thing this page does NOT state, worth knowing before the next re-verification: shooting hours for dove. The PGC prints hours here only where a season deviates from the norm (spring gobbler to noon, coyote at night, the waterfowl Junior Day closing at sunset). The half-hour-before-sunrise-to-sunset rule in this file's shootingHours block therefore rests on the federal migratory-bird framework, not on a PGC sentence - it is flagged 'confirm with PGC' there for that reason, and that flag stands. UPDATE 2026-08-27: the open shooting-hours question was chased and stays open. The PGC seasons page still prints no dove hours, and pa.gov/agencies/pgc/huntingandtrapping/migratory-game-birds.html - the obvious home for the migratory digest - returns 404. shootingHours.verified therefore stays empty on purpose, and the page keeps showing its unverified caveat to readers.