Washington · Dove · 2026 Edition
Washington Dove Season 2026: Dates, Bag Limits & Shooting Hours
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Mourning Dove | Statewide | Sep 1 – Oct 30 |
02 — Bag limits
| Daily | 15 mourning doves |
|---|---|
| Possession | 45 mourning doves |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 1, 2026) 05:52 — 19:41
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for migratory birds (per WDFW) — no evening extension, unlike Washington's general big-game shooting-hours rule. WDFW prints an official hunting-hours table with fixed clock times by date and region; use that table for the day you hunt. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Washington sun times for any other date.
04 — License & HIP
Dove hunters in Washington need a Washington hunting license and — because doves are migratory game birds — HIP registration (Harvest Information Program). No federal Duck Stamp is required for doves.
Washington hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Washington — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does dove season open in Washington?
The 2026 opener is September 1, 2026. Most states open Sep 1 under the federal migratory bird framework.
When does dove season end in Washington?
The latest 2026 closing date is October 30, 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 Washington per day?
2026 bag limits: Daily — 15 mourning doves. Possession — 45 mourning doves. 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 Washington?
On opening day (September 1, 2026) legal light runs 05:52 to 19:41. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset for migratory birds (per WDFW) — no evening extension, unlike Washington's general big-game shooting-hours rule. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Washington sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt doves on my own land in Washington without a license?
No — Washington requires a recreational license to hunt or take wildlife, with no landowner exception; the statute's only carve-out is for bullfrogs. A separate, narrower rule lets an owner kill wildlife that's threatening safety or property without a license, but that's damage control, not a hunting exemption.
Verified · Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-11
Publisher's note. Season dates and limits from WAC 220-416-060, the rule itself rather than a summary of it: mourning dove statewide, Sept. 1 to Oct. 30, 2026, 15 daily and 45 in possession. Washington also publishes a printed hunting-hours table giving clock times by date and region rather than expecting hunters to compute them — for the western Washington opener it lists roughly 6:00 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. The times shown on this page are computed from the half-hour-before-sunrise rule and will land close to that table, but WDFW's table is the legal reference for the day you hunt.