Home › Michigan › Species › Mourning Dove
Michigan species page · 2026-27
Mourning Dove in Michigan: closed for 2026-27
Mourning doves cannot be hunted in Michigan: there is no 2026-27 season. What the summaries and the WCO say about mourning doves while nothing is open.
Photo: Chic Bee (CC BY 2.0)
The mourning dove is not on the WCO 1.2(9) game list, so it is a protected nongame bird under WCO 9.3; WCO 3.427 authorized dove seasons only for 2004-2006, in six counties. No license, stamp or permit exists for them. The penalty for taking a protected animal falls under the general wildlife violation rules, with restitution for protected animals.
Dove rules in one list
- Seasons: No season.
- Limits: None.
- Worth knowing: Not a game species; protected nongame bird.
DNR source page, checked October 22, 2026.
Mourning Dove open days in Michigan
No open or close date exists for mourning doves in 2026-27.
| Hunt | Applies in | Weapon or method | Start | End | Days | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No season | Statewide | – | Closed this year |
Small print on mourning doves
- Not on the WCO 1.2(9) game list. WCO 3.427 authorized seasons only for 2004-2006 in six counties. No dove season in any 2026 summary.
From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2026 regulation summary and the Wildlife Conservation Order, checked October 22, 2026.
The law behind the dove closure
The protected list, the game list and the penalties, as the DNR summaries and the WCO print them.
| Who | Rule |
|---|---|
| Bear cubs, sows with cubs, cougars, eagles, flying squirrels, hawks, lynx, moose, nongame birds (except starlings, house sparrows, feral pigeons), owls, spruce grouse, wolverines | Protected wildlife cannot be taken at any time (summary glossary). |
| Moose, wolverine and all birds not defined as game (except those in WCO 9.1); mute swans and bats except as in 9.1 | WCO 9.3: shall not be taken at any time. |
| Sandhill crane, mourning dove | Not game species under WCO 1.2(9), therefore protected nongame birds under WCO 9.3; no season. |
| King rail | No open season (WCO 3.420(3)). |
| Gray wolf | No wolf season or license in 2026; WCO 3.700 text dates from the 2013 hunt. |
| Bear in a den; bear swimming | Cannot take a bear in a den, disturb a den, or take a swimming bear. |
| Swimming deer | Cannot chase, shoot or kill a deer swimming in water. |
| Eagles, hawks, owls and listed endangered/threatened species | Restitution $1,500 per eagle, hawk or listed animal; $1,000 per owl; $100 other protected animals. |
Fines, jail and restitution
| Penalty | Rule |
|---|---|
| General wildlife violations | Misdemeanor: up to 90 days and/or $50-$500 (MCL 324.40118(1)); small game and other game except deer, bear, turkey, wolf, waterfowl, moose, elk: up to 90 days and/or $100-$1,000. |
| Deer, bear, wild turkey, wolf | Up to 90 days, fine $200-$1,000, plus loss of hunting licenses for the rest of the year and 3 more years; illegal bear or antlered deer adds 2 more years (first offense) or 7 years (second); illegal turkey adds 2 years. |
| Moose | Up to 1 year and $1,000-$5,000; same revocation as elk. |
| Restitution | Per animal: elk $5,000; moose $5,000; bear $3,500; eagle $1,500; hawk or listed species $1,500; deer, owl, wild turkey $1,000; waterfowl $500; other game $100-$500; other protected animals $100. Antlered deer add $1,000 plus $500/point (8-10 points) or $750/point (11+); antlered elk add $250/point (8-10) or $500/point (11+); antlered moose add $5,000; bearded turkey add $1,000. |
| License revocation | Court may revoke licenses for the rest of the conviction year and the next year or longer; licenses suspended for failure to appear. |
The game list in full: badger, bear, beaver, bobcat, brant, coot, coyote, crow, deer, duck, elk, fisher, Florida (common) gallinule, fox, geese, hare, Hungarian partridge, marten, mink, moose, muskrat, opossum, otter, pheasant, quail, rabbit, raccoon, ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, skunk, snipe, sora rail, squirrel, Virginia rail, weasel, wild turkey, wolf, woodchuck, woodcock.
DNR regulation summaries, WCO 1.2(9) and 9.3 and MCL 324.40118-40119, checked October 22, 2026.
Mourning Dove field rules
Everything here comes from the 2026-27 summaries, the WCO and the statutes, and applies statewide unless a property says otherwise.
Shooting hours
Shooting hours matter only for open game, and mourning doves are not open.
No-season row
Not on the WCO 1.2(9) game list. WCO 3.427 authorized seasons only for 2004-2006 in six counties. No dove season in any 2026 summary.
Protected status
Not game species under WCO 1.2(9), therefore protected nongame birds under WCO 9.3; no season.
Penalty
Misdemeanor: up to 90 days and/or $50-$500 (MCL 324.40118(1)); small game and other game except deer, bear, turkey, wolf, waterfowl, moose, elk: up to 90 days and/or $100-$1,000.
Restitution
Per animal: elk $5,000; moose $5,000; bear $3,500; eagle $1,500; hawk or listed species $1,500; deer, owl, wild turkey $1,000; waterfowl $500; other game $100-$500; other protected animals $100. Antlered deer add $1,000 plus $500/point (8-10 points) or $750/point (11+); antlered elk add $250/point (8-10) or $500/point (11+); antlered moose add $5,000; bearded turkey add $1,000.
From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2026 regulation summaries: harvest reporting, MCL 324.40116 hunter orange, baiting, hunting hours tables, checked October 22, 2026. Hunting hours by zone · Michigan hunting laws.
Related game that is open
Each row links the species page with its full rules.
| Species | Season | Where | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Woodcock | Fall | Statewide | Sep 15-Oct 29, 2026 |
| American Crow | Summer | Statewide | Aug 1-Sep 30, 2026 |
| American Crow | Late winter | Statewide | Feb 1-Mar 31, 2027 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Fall | Zone 1 pheasant management unit (Menominee County and parts | Oct 10-Oct 31, 2026 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Fall | Zone 2 | Oct 20-Nov 14, 2026 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Fall | Zone 3 | Oct 20-Nov 14, 2026 |
DNR 2026 regulation summaries, checked October 22, 2026.
Mourning Dove questions, answered from the summaries
Is there a dove season in Michigan?
No. The mourning dove is not a game species under WCO 1.2(9) and is protected under WCO 9.3.
Did Michigan ever have a dove season?
WCO 3.427 authorized seasons only for 2004-2006 in six counties.
Can I shoot Eurasian collared doves in Michigan?
The data list only feral pigeons, house sparrows and European starlings as unprotected birds; other nongame birds are protected.
What birds can I hunt in September instead of doves?
Early teal (Sept. 1-9), rails, snipe and gallinules (from Sept. 1), Canada geese (from Sept. 1), woodcock and ruffed grouse (from Sept. 15) and crows (Aug. 1-Sept. 30).
What is the penalty for shooting a dove in Michigan?
Misdemeanor: up to 90 days and/or $50-$500 (MCL 324.40118(1)); small game and other game except deer, bear, turkey, wolf, waterfowl, moose, elk: up to 90 days and/or $100-$1,000.
Are doves protected on private land too?
Yes. Protected status applies everywhere; there is no season on any land.
Which species can I hunt in the same places?
American Woodcock Sep 15 to Oct 29, 2026; American Crow Aug 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027; Ring-necked Pheasant Oct 10, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027; Sandhill Crane no season.
Why is there no dove season in Michigan?
Not on the WCO 1.2(9) game list. WCO 3.427 authorized seasons only for 2004-2006 in six counties. No dove season in any 2026 summary.
Wrapping up mourning doves
A state park, national lakeshore, refuge or tribal land can add its own rules on top of the statewide dove rules here.
Other photos on this page: acryptozoo (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); Fyn Kynd (CC BY 2.0); alexfiles (CC BY-SA 2.0).