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Migratory game bird
White-winged Dove Hunting in Arkansas, 2026-27
Arkansas white-winged dove dates for 2026-27, from September 5, 2026 to January 15, 2027, with limits, methods, licenses and public land.
Photo: Judy Gallagher (CC BY 2.0)
Where Arkansas white-winged doves stand this season
White-winged doves get 1 row in the 2026-27 guidebooks, and the earliest one opens September 5, 2026. Limits that apply to white-winged doves: 15/day with mourning dove. How the white-winged dove season is laid out: same as mourning dove.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 4 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
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All white-winged dove windows in Arkansas
Rows are sorted by first day, and the status column compares each white-winged dove window with today.
| Season | Area | Dates | Bag | Now | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dove | Statewide | Sep 5–Oct 25 Dec 8–Jan 15 | 15 mourning and white-winged doves/day combined,… | Waterfowl guide p. 4 |
- HIP required. Dove permit hunt applications August 1-15.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 4 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
What applies to every white-winged dove hunt
Statewide dates, HIP registration and federal shot rules frame every white-winged dove hunt in Arkansas.
Dove permit hunts on public fields take applications August 1-15, 2026.
The ten-day rule applies to white-winged doves: a baited area stays off limits for ten days after cleanup.
Sources: Waterfowl Guidebook and baiting (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
White-winged Dove: daily and season limits
Bag rows that name white-winged doves, as AGFC printed them for 2026-27.
| Bag row | Limit | From |
|---|---|---|
| Mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared dove | 15 mourning and white-winged doves/day combined, possession 45; Eurasian collared dove no limit (Dove) | Waterfowl guide p. 4 |
What you may use on white-winged doves
Legal methods for white-winged doves depend on the season row; the weapon groups below are the guidebook lists that apply.
- Waterfowl and migratory birds
White-winged doves may be taken under the waterfowl and migratory birds list with shotguns 10 gauge or smaller holding no more than three shells; nontoxic shot T or smaller for waterfowl and coots; other migratory birds nontoxic T or smaller or lead BB or smaller. Off limits for white-winged doves: rifles, pistols, traps, live decoys, sink boxes, motorboats under power, bait.
Method lines for white-winged doves
- White-winged doves, as printed: Shotguns (nontoxic or lead shot BB or smaller); manipulated crops allowed for doves.
Sources: Waterfowl guide p. 36 and Waterfowl guide p. 4 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
White-winged Dove: licenses, tags and stamps
For white-winged doves, start with one of the resident or nonresident licenses below; all of them end on June 30.
| Item | Who buys | Price | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combination Sportsman's License | Resident | $35.50 | CS |
| Sportsman's License | Resident | $25 | RS |
| Wildlife Conservation License | Resident | $10.50 | HNT |
| Annual Small Game License | Nonresident | $110 | NRH |
| Annual Hunting License | Nonresident | $410 | NBG |
Sources: license list and license requirements (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Arkansas law for white-winged dove hunting
Plugged shotguns only for white-winged doves; nontoxic shot T or smaller for waterfowl and coots.
| Topic | As printed |
|---|---|
| Near homes | When after white-winged doves: written permission of the owner or occupant needed to hunt with firearms within 150 yards or archery within 50 yards of a residence (owners and lessees excepted). |
| Levees | When after white-winged doves: no hunting from or across the main levee of the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers from Louisiana to state Highway 11 north of Grady (Lincoln County). |
| Vehicles, aircraft | White-winged dove hunters note: no hunting from a moving motorized land vehicle or from an aircraft. |
| Technology | For white-winged dove hunters: no electronic tracking equipment to locate wildlife and no computer-assisted hunting. |
Sources: Guidebook p. 55 and Guidebook p. 49 (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Public ground that names white-winged doves
Picked for white-winged doves: each card quotes the guidebook statement that names them, so you can see the area rule at a glance.
Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA
Area rule for white-winged doves: Deer Notes: Dove (mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared): Sept.
Lake Conway WMA
Area rule for white-winged doves: Bear Notes: Dove (mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared): Sept.
Rick Evans Grandview Prairie WMA
Area rule for white-winged doves: Deer Notes: Dove (mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared): Sept.
Hot Springs State Forest WMA
Area rule for white-winged doves: Area Notes: Shotguns using legal ammunition may be used to take dove on areas designated on the public use map as open for firearms.
Hope Upland WMA
Area rule for white-winged doves: Area Notes: Dove hunting open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only during the statewide dove seasons.
Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge
Species group on the record: migratory game birds, covering white-winged doves.
Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge
Species group on the record: migratory game birds, covering white-winged doves.
Cache River National Wildlife Refuge
Species group on the record: migratory game birds, covering white-winged doves.
Sources: WMA listings (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
When you may shoot white-winged doves
Migratory bird hours apply to white-winged doves: a half hour before sunrise until sunset, not after. Each town gets its own times; AGFC's Little Rock table covers most dates, and the NOAA formula fills the rest.
| Town | Day | Sun up | Sun down | Hunting window | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Dorado | Sep 5, 2026 | 6:47 a.m. | 7:32 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:32 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| El Dorado | Dec 8, 2026 | 7:06 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | AGFC table |
| El Dorado | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:14 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mountain Home | Sep 5, 2026 | 6:43 a.m. | 7:34 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Mountain Home | Dec 8, 2026 | 7:04 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Mountain Home | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:12 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fayetteville | Sep 5, 2026 | 6:51 a.m. | 7:41 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 7:41 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Fayetteville | Dec 8, 2026 | 7:15 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fayetteville | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:23 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fort Smith | Sep 5, 2026 | 6:52 a.m. | 7:41 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:41 p.m. | NOAA formula |
| Fort Smith | Dec 8, 2026 | 7:17 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 6:47 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | AGFC table |
| Fort Smith | Dec 21, 2026 | 7:25 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | AGFC table |
Sources: shooting hours and AGFC Little Rock sun table (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission); checked November 9, 2026.
Mourning dove foraging in grassPhoto: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Mourning dove perched on a bare branchPhoto: ImagePerson (CC BY 4.0)
Mourning dove perched on a weathered wooden fencePhoto: Tony Alter (CC BY 2.0)
Answers about Arkansas white-winged doves
Can I hunt white-winged doves on WMAs?
WMA dates can differ from statewide ones; Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA, Lake Conway WMA and Rick Evans Grandview Prairie WMA each print a line for white-winged doves.
What registration do white-winged dove hunters need?
HIP, along with the hunting license.
What source does this white-winged dove page use?
AGFC guidebooks and season date sheets for 2026-27.
What are the 2026-27 white-winged dove dates in Arkansas?
The 2026-27 dates for white-winged doves: dove September 5 to October 25, 2026 and December 8, 2026 to January 15, 2027.
What is the bag limit for white-winged doves in Arkansas?
15/day with mourning dove.
What does the guidebook allow for white-winged doves?
AGFC allows shotguns 10 gauge or smaller holding no more than three shells; nontoxic shot T or smaller for waterfowl and coots; other migratory birds nontoxic T or smaller or lead BB or smaller.
Is a license required for white-winged doves?
Yes, for anyone 16 or older; the license table on this page lists every product for white-winged doves.
What hours apply to white-winged dove hunting?
White-winged doves follow 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset, which on September 5, 2026 at Little Rock ran 6:15 a.m. to 7:32 p.m.
Is it legal to hunt white-winged doves this week?
Not on November 9, 2026. The next white-winged dove window opens December 8, 2026.