Georgia’s 2025 Dove Season Kicks Off September 6

Opening day of dove season is a cornerstone of Georgia’s hunting calendar, ushering in an exciting time of camaraderie and challenging wingshooting. 

This article dives into all aspects of the upcoming dove season, including season dates, regulations, public dove field opportunities, and baiting laws.

Shooting Hours

Legal shooting hours for dove hunting is 1/2 hour before sunrise until sunset. In the past, hunters couldn’t start shooting until noon on opening day, but the DNR changed that rule in 2021, so now you can start 30 minutes before sunrise the entire season.

The best time to hunt doves is early mornings and late evenings, when the birds are flying between their roost sites and feeding areas. That typically includes the first and last two hours of daylight.

That’s not to say you can’t shoot doves about any time of day, but if you’re limited on time, focus your efforts to those peak flight times.

Bag Limit

The bag limit for Georgia dove hunting is 15 per day and 45 in possession.

Eurasian Collared Doves may be taken at any time, and there is no limit.

Dove Hunting License Requirements

Regardless of whether you’re hunting private or public land, Georgia dove hunters age 16 and over need a valid hunting license and a Georgia Migratory Bird Stamp.

*A Sportsman’s or Lifetime hunting license covers both requirements 

Banded Doves

If you harvest a banded dove, please report the band number and how, when and where it was recovered on the Bird Banding Laboratory website at www.reportband.gov.

Public Land Dove Hunts

If you don’t have access to a quality private dove field, don’t worry. Georgia has lots of public land opportunities scattered across the state. In fact, over 50 of the state’s wildlife management areas (WMAs) and Voluntary Public Access areas (VPAs) specifically plant food plots for dove hunting each season. 

Learn More: Georgia Public Land Dove Field Forecasts for 2025

All of these WMAs and VPAs allow limited dove hunting during specific dates. Seventeen of them have quota hunts, which are typically one-day hunts on opening day. Three of them have an additional quota one-day hunt on the second Saturday.

WMAs without designated dove fields allow dove hunting anytime statewide dove season and the WMAs small game season coincide.

CHANGE FOR 2025: McGraw Ford WMA and the Perry Dove Field are both quota hunt fields for opening day, which is a change from the previous year. You can check the regulations for the public field you plan to hunt through the 2025-2026 Georgia Hunting & Fishing Regulations at GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources.

Final Thoughts

Dove season is an exciting time that Georgia hunters look forward to every fall. I mean, who doesn’t love emptying two or three boxes of shells at fast flying birds while being laughed at by family or friends. 

Maybe that’s just me.

Either way, I hope the information provided in this article helps you plan a few successful dove hunts this fall. And don’t forget to take someone new with you!