2019 dove season opens Sept. 2 for N.C. hunters

dove

Editor’s note: This is an archived article from the 2019 season. The 2020-21 dove season dates are as follows:

The 2020-21 season for mourning and white-winged dove opens on Sept. 5 and is separated into three segments: Sept. 5 through Oct. 10, Nov. 14 through Nov. 28 and Dec. 12 through Jan. 30. The daily bag limit is 15 doves and shooting hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset for the entire season, including opening day. Hunting of migratory game birds by any method is not allowed on Sundays. 

Click here for all of South Carolina’s 2020-21 migratory bird season dates.

 

Dove opener marks change in seasons

A little over a month away, the 2019 – 2020 dove season begins, kicking off a change in seasons. Sept. 2 is opening day for these quick-flying birds. And even though North Carolina hunters will probably swelter in the heat, it won’t dampen the spirits of many outdoorsmen. This day marks the opening of another hunting season, which will soon be followed by the state’s most popular game animal — the whitetail deer.

North Carolina’s 2019 – 2020 dove season is split into three segments. The first runs from Sept. 2 – Oct. 5. The second one is Nov. 16 – Nov. 30, and the final segment starts on Dec. 9 and runs through Jan. 31.

The daily limit is 15 doves, which may include any combination of mourning doves and white-winged doves.

These other webless bird seasons open soon after

Some less-popular webless migratory game birds that open soon after dove season include king and clapper rails. Their 2019-20 season runs Sept. 7 – Nov. 7, and the daily limit is 15 birds. Sora and Virginia rails also open Sept. 7 and runs through Nov. 7. The daily limit is 25 birds. The season for gallinule and moorhens also runs Sept. 7 – Nov. 7, and they have a daily limit of 15 birds.

The season for common snipe is Oct. 28 – Feb 28. Hunters are bound to an eight bird limit. Woodcock season runs Dec. 7 – Jan. 28, and has a daily limit of three birds.

Click here for a great dove recipe.

About Brian Cope 2726 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.