The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has approved the season dates for dove and other webless migratory game birds, as well as September seasons for Canada geese and teal.
Shooting hours for all species are one-half hour before sunrise until sunset. Dove hunters should make special note that shooting hours for doves this year will begin one-half hour before sunrise for the entire season, including opening day. This is a significant change from previous seasons, when shooting began at noon.
Each year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides frameworks from which to choose the seasons and the Commission selects the actual dates within these guidelines. The Commission allowed public input on the seasons throughout June on its website, www.ncwildlife.org.
The 2012–13 seasons for webless migratory game birds and waterfowl early seasons are:
Dove: Sept. 1-Oct. 6, Nov. 19-24, Dec. 15-Jan. 11. Bag limit: 15 per day.
King/Clapper Rail: Sept. 1-Nov. 9. Bag limit: 15 per day.
Sora/Virginia Rail: Sept. 1-Nov. 9. Bag limit: 25 per day.
Gallinules/Moorhens: Sept. 1-Nov 9. Bag limit: 15 per day.
Woodcock: Dec. 13-Jan. 26. Bag limit: 3 per day.
Common Snipe: Nov. 14-Jan. 28. Bag limit: 8 per day.
Canada Geese: Sept. 1-29. Bag limit: 15 per day.
Early Teal: Sept. 8-26, east of US 17 only. Bag limit: 4 per day.
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