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SACRAMENTO — The crackle of shotgun fire marks the first day of September in many parts of California. It^s the opening day of dove season, a long-anticipated event for thousands of hunters.
Doves are the most popular game bird in California. As many as 2 million doves will end up in game bags by the close of the season. According to the Department of Fish and Game^s annual Game Take Hunter Survey, most doves are bagged in the Central Valley and Inland Desert regions. Imperial and Kern counties are the top two counties for dove harvest, followed by Riverside and Fresno counties.
Dove season runs from September 1 through September 15, then reopens November 13 and runs through December 27, 1999. The legal shoot time is one-half hour before sunrise, to sunset. The bag limit is 10 doves per day, 20 in possession. The bag can include any combination of mourning doves, white-winged doves, Chinese spotted doves and ringed turtle doves.
Mourning doves, Chinese spotted doves and ringed turtle doves can be hunted statewide; white-winged doves can only be hunted in Imperial, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
For complete regulations, consult the 1999-2000 Early Season Resident and Migratory Game Bird Regulations, available at DFG offices statewide.
Uploaded: 8/28/1999
Uploaded: 8/28/1999