Every year about 250,000 mourning dove hunters harvest five million doves in Texas, making Texas the nation’s leader in both the number of hunters and harvest. This year should be no exception

The 2014-2015 Texas dove season begins September 1 in the North and Central Zones and on Sept. 19 in the South Zone. The daily bag limit statewide is 15 and the possession limit is 45.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologists say although the drought may lead to decreased dove populations, it may have the reverse impact on hunting success. Doves will congregate in areas of seed and water availability during early fall. Hunting success can increase in areas that provide both food and water, and decrease at hunting spots that do not.

Shaun Oldenburger, Migratory Shore and Upland Game Bird program leader for Texas Parks & Wildlife Department says all seven species of doves indigeneous to Texas are flourishing. Part of Oldenburger’s job is to measure the population levels of doves in the state. He has especially been keeping an eye on two species that are legal to hunt, the mourning and white-winged doves, because both populations have fluctuated during the past decade or so.

The mourning dove population has been declining for the past seven or eight years; however, that dove species is still one of the most numerous in the United States, he said. “We still have a lot of mourning doves,” Oldenburger said. About 160 million mourning doves live in Texas, and 350 million of them live in the United States.

White-winged doves also are numerous, although from the 1960s to the 1980s their numbers were dropping. Because of hunting restrictions, their numbers have increased, he said. Now, the Texas population of these birds is estimated at about 15 million, and special restrictions were lifted.

One of the reasons doves thrive is because they are able to adapt to various living conditions. Oldenburger described the birds as “generalists” that can incorporate themselves into almost all the habitats in Texas. Although they prefer nesting in trees, they are able to nest on the ground if necessary.

Because about 90 percent of their diet is grain and seeds, the birds have flourished the most in the Panhandle area, he said.

The dove population remained stable in the piney woods of East Texas, but has fluctuated in West Texas where there are fewer seeds and sometimes less water during droughts, he said. The white-winged dove population thrived in urban and suburban habitats, he said. About 40 percent of the species now live in those areas.

The department is currently working on obtaining Texas bird populations for 2014. “We are calculating numbers of birds for this year, but they’re not available yet. We expect populations of both birds to expand,” Oldenburger said.

Remember that in addition to a valid hunting license, a Migratory Game Bird endorsement and Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification are also required to hunt dove. HIP certification involves a breief survey of previous year’s migratory bird hunting success and is conducted at the time licenses are purchased. Hunters can find detailed information in the Outdoor Annual.

Check harvested doves for bands and report them. Leg banding is part of ongoing research and population management that helps make the most of hunting license dollars. Please report bands to the toll-free number 1-800-327-BAND (2263) or online at www.reportband.gov.

Photo: TPWD