Dove hunting season begins next weekend in Georgia

Dove hunting season is set to begin next weekend in Georgia.

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division the state offers more than 50 public dove fields.

Dove hunting season traditionally signals the start of the fall hunting season overall and this year, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources says dove hunters will have a little longer to bag their birds.

The 2019-2020 migratory bird season hunting dates and regulations, which includes doves, were recently approved by the Board of Natural Resources.

Doves are a federally regulated migratory bird. As such, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annually establishes a framework  within which the states must set their seasons.

That framework includes rules for opening and closing hunting dates, maximum season length, and maximum bag limits.

Dove season hunting dates this year are September 7-30, November 23-December 1, and December 6-January 31.

And for those who are new to both small and large game hunting in Georgia, the Georgia DNR offers a number of Hunt and Learn programs that provide an educational experience targeted to those with little to no hunting experience.

Leana McMillan is a Hunting and Shooting Education Specialist with the Georgia DNR.

She says participants will learn a lot not only about hunting, but also about the game they want to pursue.

Hunt and Learn programs run from one to three days and are available to hunters age 12 to 17 as well as adults of all ages.

To sign up for a Hunt and Learn class, you can go online to georgiawildlife.com/learntohuntfish and fill out an application, and then email it to [email protected].

Hunters may purchase licenses online at www.GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, by phone at 1-800-366-2661, or at more than 800 license agent locations.