2012-2013 Dove Season
The first two fall hunting seasons of 2012 are for the birds — doves and teal, specifically. In just a few days Texas’ 400,000 or so wingshooters will take to the fields in hopes of bagging their limit. Last year’s Texas dove season was about as bad as it could get. Drought caused watering holes and creeks to dry up, grain sources to be sparse and the damaging conditions caused migratory dove traveling the central flyway to bypass Texas in search of greener pastures.
The difference a year and rain makes in the world of hunting is amazing. With an estimated statewide population of about 40 million birds, someone is going to have a good hunt. The key is always finding the food or water that dove are utilizing. This should be a bounce back year for dove hunters. Those who didn’t have a good year last year should have a better opportunity given the rainfall.
Texas dove season in the North and Central zones will run from Saturday, Sept. 1, through Wednesday, Oct. 24, and reopen Dec. 22 through Jan. 6. This year’s bag limit will be 15 whitewings or mourning dove in aggregate.
The early teal season gets under way Sept. 15-30 statewide with a bag limit of four. Pond-filling Texas rains are expected to attract and hold migrating ducks. An early Canada goose season will run Sept. 15-30 in the East Texas Goose Zone. Bag limit of Canada geese will be three per day. The possession is twice the daily bag limit.