Nashville, TN (WOKI) – Tennessee’s 2026-27 mourning dove hunting season opens Tuesday, Sept. 1 at noon local time, kicking off one of the state’s most popular and long-standing hunting traditions.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) says the season opener marks the beginning of three hunting segments for mourning doves, a game bird found throughout the state, particularly in agricultural and farming areas. TWRA also manages public dove hunting fields in each of Tennessee’s four regions to provide additional opportunities for hunters.
According to TWRA, an estimated 28,000 hunters harvest approximately 399,000 mourning doves in Tennessee each year.
Hunters participating in the season must possess a valid Tennessee hunting license and a Tennessee Migratory Bird Permit. Those hunting on private property are required to obtain permission from the landowner before entering the property.
The daily bag limit for mourning doves is 15 birds. There is no bag limit for Eurasian collared doves, although any bird that cannot be readily identified as a collared dove will be counted toward the mourning dove daily limit.
Wildlife officials are also reminding hunters that federal and state regulations prohibit hunting migratory game birds over baited areas. Additionally, any autoloading or repeating shotgun used during dove season must be limited to holding no more than three shells.
The first segment of the 2026-27 dove season runs from Sept. 1 through Sept. 28. The second segment opens Oct. 10 and continues through Nov. 1. The final segment is scheduled for Dec. 8 through Jan. 15, 2027.
Several other migratory bird hunting seasons will also begin Sept. 1, including the early seasons for Canada geese, brant, blue geese, snow geese and Ross’ geese, which continue through Sept. 20. Seasons for moorhens, gallinules and Virginia and sora rails also open Sept. 1 and run through Nov. 9. Hunters pursuing those species must also carry a Tennessee Migratory Bird Permit.
A crow hunting season will overlap with the opening week of dove season from Sept. 1 through Sept. 7. After a brief closure, crow hunting resumes Sept. 11 and continues through Dec. 20, with hunting permitted only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Additional regulations, bag limits and hunting information are available in the 2026-27 Tennessee Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Guide.
