Outlook good for Texas dove hunting season, set to open Sept. 1

HOOD OUTDOORS

As a licensed professional fishing guide, Michael Acosta shows you how to find them. A Granbury resident of more than 35 years, he has been fishing all of his life, and has been a licensed guide since 1998.

It is that time of the year to get out in the field and bag those birds. We have had an extremely dry summer, and many would say you would need to work water sources. However, there is a lot of rain in the forecast locally so patterns may change depending on where you hunt.

Opening day of dove hunting is Thursday, Sept. 1 for the North and Central Zones. The South Zone opens on Sept. 14except for the Special White-winged Season (Sept. 2-4 and Sept. 9-11). Texas dove hunters can look forward to almost a three-month season and 15-bird daily bag limits with no more than two white tipped in the North, Central and South Zones. For the Special White-winged Dove Days you are allowed 15 birds with no more than two mourning doves and two white-tipped doves.

The North Zone is north of I-20 and I-30 from Kent to Abilene to Texarkana. The South zone is south of I-10 basically from Del Rio to San Antonio to Houston. Between those zones is the Central Zone, which of course includes Hood County. Consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual for specifics.

More than 300,000 Texas hunters harvest nearly one third of the mourning doves taken nationwide each year, far more than any other state. In recent years, an estimated 10 million doves are harvested in Texas annually. While Texas supports breeding populations of more than 34 million mourning and 10 million white-winged doves. Those numbers swell during the fall when birds from northern latitudes funnel south.

Despite the dry conditions this summer, Texas did have some good spring conditions before the drought that should be good for numbers of birds. As stated previously, the general consensus due to low rainfall this summer is to focus on areas close to water.

White-winged doves were historically found in the lower Rio Grande Valley, but they have rapidly expanded in numbers and distribution across Texas in recent years. White-wings are now found mostly in and around urban areas, providing hunting opportunity for those hunting just outside major cities and urban centers.

Hunters are reminded that licenses went on sale Aug. 15 for the 2022-23 hunting seasons and can be purchased online at the TPWD website or at many retailers across the state.

Along with the Texas Hunting License, a Migratory Game Bird Stamp Endorsement is also required to hunt dove.

2022-23 Dove Season Calendar

North Zone: Sept. 1 – Nov. 13 and Dec. 17-Jan. 1

Central Zone: Sept. 1 – Oct. 30 and Dec. 17-Jan. 15

South Zone: Sept. 14 – Oct. 30 and Dec. 17 – Jan. 22

Special White-winged Dove Days (entire South Zone): Sept. 2-4, 9-11, 2022 (Hunters can only hunt from noon to sunset.)

HOOD COUNTY FISHING REPORT

Summer has finally slowed with slightly cooler temperatures and some rain this past week. Water temperatures are still in the middle 80s or so. A thermocline may still be present around the 20-foot level but may change with the weather. Keeper striped bass action continues to be slow to fair on down-rigged jigs and/or live shad. Lots of undersized striped bass in the mix. Some early morning schooling activity is occurring for smaller stripers and sand bass near Sandy point and Blue Water Shores. Black bass are good to 8 pounds on crankbaits and soft plastics near channel ledges on many areas of the lake. Catfish are active and are good on cut shad and hotdogs. Crappie limits continue to be common. Crappies are suspended above the thermocline near deeper structure.

michael.acosta@att.net | 254-396-4855