LINCOLN, Nebraska (KOLN) – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has issued precautions and recommendations for the dove hunting season.
The dove hunting season in Nebraska runs from September 1 to October 30.
Doves are plentiful throughout the state, and because of generous hunting restrictions, their wings provide excellent shooting opportunities, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said.
At the beginning of the season, daily catch and possession limits of 15 and 45 birds respectively are permitted. The catch and possession limits apply to the turtle dove, the white-winged dove and the collared dove.
According to the Commission, the hunting season is 30 minutes before sunrise and until sunset. Sunflowers, millet and wheat, which are considered good sources of food for pigeon hunting, were planted in several game reserves at the beginning of the year. A list can be found here.
Because of changing habitat conditions, the Commission recommends preseason exploration. All publicly accessible sites across the state – including federal, state, conservation partner and private lands participating in Game and Parks’ Open Fields and Waters Program – can be found here.
Nebraska residents age 16 and older and all nonresidents must have a valid Nebraska small game hunting permit, a habitat stamp and a Harvest Information Program number. Federal and state migratory bird hunting tags or duck tags are not required for dove hunting. The commission said shotgun plugs are also required, limiting hunting to no more than three rounds.
Hunters who harvest a dove with a leg ring should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service here. Hunters will be randomly selected to save and send to the service one wing from each dove during the first week of the season.
Collared doves must be killed between October 31, 2024 and August 31, 2025. The catch and possession limits are 15 and 45 respectively.
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