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Migratory bird
Mourning and White-winged Dove Seasons, Limits and Licenses in Mississippi
Read the 3 season rows for the mourning and white-winged dove first, because dove is open today and runs through November 22, 2026.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
3 separate windows between September 5, 2026 and January 24, 2027 is how the 2026-27 calendar treats the mourning and white-winged dove, across 3 printed rows. Dove is in progress and its final day is November 22, 2026.
Dove season is split into three windows: September 5 to October 4, October 24 to November 22 and December 26 to January 24. The migratory digest and the seasons sheet print one statewide season, though the MDWFP dove program page prints North and South zones with identical dates, so the zones change nothing for a hunter.
The limit is 15 doves a day, mourning and white-winged together, and 45 in possession.
From 2026-27 MDWFP hunting seasons sheet and 2026-27 migratory game bird digest (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Mourning and White-winged Dove season table
If you want the most days afield, pick dove: 30 days between Sep 5 and Oct 4, 2026.
| Hunt | Area | Window | Length | Daily limit | Paper needed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dove | Statewide |
| 30 | 15 singly or in aggregate | License and HIP | |
| Dove | Statewide |
| 30 | 15 singly or in aggregate | License and HIP | |
| Dove | Statewide |
| 30 | 15 singly or in aggregate | License and HIP |
- Shooting hours one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. The MDWFP dove program page prints North and South zones (north of US 84 plus south of US 84 and west of MS 35; south of US 84 and east of MS 35) with identical dates; the Migratory Digest and seasons PDF print Statewide.
From 2026-27 MDWFP hunting seasons sheet and 2026-27 migratory game bird digest (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Why the dove zone question matters
Check this before planning around a zone line: Migratory Digest and seasons PDF print one statewide dove season; the dove program page prints North and South zones with identical dates (flagged).
From migratory digest and seasons sheet (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Mourning and White-winged Dove: the limit rules
Daily numbers, possession numbers and season caps are different things here, and the table shows which the sheet states.
| Quarry | Limit as printed |
|---|---|
| Mourning and white-winged dove | Daily 15 singly or in aggregate, possession 45. |
From MDWFP seasons and bag limits page (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
What to buy before hunting mourning and white-winged dove
Two prices sit side by side because a license for a mourning and white-winged dove hunter costs a non-resident far more than a resident.
| License or stamp | Resident | Non-resident | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Game license | $10.00 | $95.00 | Small game, birds |
| All Game Hunting license | $25.00 | $300.00 | All game, no bow |
| WMA user permit | $15.00 | $30.00 | Any WMA use |
When mourning and white-winged dove is the quarry: A Small Game or All Game hunting license, hunter education if born after January 1, 1972, and HIP certification for migratory game birds.
Hunting mourning and white-winged dove means: Residents who are visually impaired, paraplegic, a multiple amputee, adjudged totally disabled by the Social Security Administration or totally service-connected disabled by the VA need no hunting or fishing license (carry proof).
Note for mourning and white-winged dove: All persons born on or after January 1, 1972 must complete a hunter education course before buying a Mississippi hunting license. If you hunt mourning and white-winged dove: Free in-person courses (10 hours of instruction; students at least 10 years old; pre-registration); residents 12 and older can complete the full requirement online.
From MDWFP license price page, license requirements and hunter education page (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Mourning and White-winged Dove: weapons, reporting and conduct
MDWFP spreads the mourning and white-winged dove rules over several pages, so they are gathered here with their topics.
- Migratory birds. In the mourning and white-winged dove woods: Shotgun plugged to hold no more than three shells (except during the Light Goose Conservation Order, which allows unplugged shotguns); non-toxic shot required for waterfowl and coot; not legal: shotguns larger than 10 gauge; lead shot while waterfowl or coot hunting.
- Decoys and bait. For mourning and white-winged dove hunters: Illegal to hunt or trap any wild animal or wild bird with the aid of bait; liquid scents allowed; electronically operated calls may be used for nuisance animals and crow only.
- Landowner permission. Planning mourning and white-winged dove? Landowner permission is required to hunt, fish or trap on the lands of another.
- Roads and vehicles. On a mourning and white-winged dove trip: Unlawful to hunt with a firearm that is not unloaded on or in the right-of-way of any street, public road, highway, levee or railroad maintained by a railroad corporation, city, county, levee board or state or federal entity; unlawful to hunt or kill any game animal, furbearing animal or game bird from any motorized vehicle or boat (squirrels and game birds may be hunted from a boat if the motor is off and progress has ceased).
- Selling game. Applies to mourning and white-winged dove: No buying or selling of any game animal, game bird or game fish except skins and sinew of legally taken deer, raccoon and muskrat carcasses for food during the open trapping season, and raccoon carcasses during the gun season on raccoons.
- Bait. Rule for mourning and white-winged dove: No hunting with the aid of bait or over a baited area; an area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of bait (Migratory Digest, federal rules).
From MDWFP general hunting rules and harvest reporting (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Mourning and White-winged Dove hours on key dates
One-half hour before sunrise to sunset (all migratory game birds, including doves, ducks, geese); the clock times below are worked out for the centre of one county in each MDWFP region with the NOAA solar formula, on Central Time.
| Date | Alcorn County | Hinds County | Harrison County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2026 | 5:59 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. |
| Sep 20, 2026 | 6:10 a.m. to 6:56 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 7:03 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 6:57 p.m. |
| Oct 4, 2026 | 6:20 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 6:39 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | 6:37 a.m. to 6:10 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 6:21 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 6:17 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | 6:30 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. |
From MDWFP general hunting rules and 2026-27 migratory game bird digest (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Where to hunt mourning and white-winged dove on public ground
29 public areas list the mourning and white-winged dove, made up of 17 WMAs and 12 refuges; the eight largest by acreage are below.
| Area | Type | Acres | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panther Swamp NWR | Refuge | 41,448 | Yazoo, Humphreys |
| St. Catherine Creek NWR | Refuge | 21,271 | Adams, Wilkinson |
| Hillside NWR | Refuge | 15,444 | Holmes, Yazoo |
| Divide Section WMA | WMA | 15,300 | Tishomingo, Prentiss |
| Yazoo NWR | Refuge | 12,784 | Washington |
| Mahannah WMA | WMA | 12,695 | Issaquena, Warren |
| Dahomey NWR | Refuge | 10,276 | Bolivar |
| Nanih Waiya WMA | WMA | 8,269 | Neshoba |
Seasons on a public area can be narrower than the statewide dates above, so the area page and brochure decide.
From WMA brochures and 50 CFR 32.43 (MDWFP), checked November 14, 2026.
Mourning dove perched on a bare branchPhoto: ImagePerson (CC BY 4.0)
Mourning dove on the groundPhoto: Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0)
Mourning dove perchedPhoto: cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
What hunters ask about mourning and white-winged dove
When does the mourning and white-winged dove season start and end?
A dove window is open now and ends November 22, 2026; the first mourning and white-winged dove row of the year started September 5, 2026 and the last ends January 24, 2027.
Has mourning and white-winged dove season started yet?
Yes, as of November 14, 2026 the dove row was open through November 22, 2026; always confirm in the MDWFP HuntFish app.
Is there a limit on mourning and white-winged dove?
Daily 15 singly or in aggregate, possession 45.
What paperwork does a mourning and white-winged dove hunter need?
Where mourning and white-winged dove is concerned: A Small Game or All Game hunting license, hunter education if born after January 1, 1972, and HIP certification for migratory game birds.
How early may I hunt mourning and white-winged dove?
Before a mourning and white-winged dove hunt: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Does public land in Mississippi have mourning and white-winged dove?
29 public areas list the mourning and white-winged dove on their species lists, including Hillside NWR, Divide Section WMA, Yazoo NWR; the full list sits on the public land page.
Are Sundays closed for mourning and white-winged dove?
On a mourning and white-winged dove trip: The sources we read contain no general statement that Sunday hunting is allowed or prohibited; Rule 9.1 covers deer, bobwhite quail, wild turkey, small game and fur-bearer seasons only.
Do I need a federal permit for mourning and white-winged dove?
Where mourning and white-winged dove is concerned: HIP certification required for all migratory game bird hunters. The migratory group in the digest lists doves, ducks, geese, brant, teal, coots, mergansers, woodcock, snipe, rails, gallinules and crows.
What gauge is allowed for mourning and white-winged dove?
Before a mourning and white-winged dove hunt: Shotgun plugged to hold no more than three shells (except during the Light Goose Conservation Order, which allows unplugged shotguns); non-toxic shot required for waterfowl and coot.
What is the baiting rule for migratory birds?
Applies to mourning and white-winged dove: No hunting with the aid of bait or over a baited area; an area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of bait (Migratory Digest, federal rules).
Do the dove dates differ by region?
When mourning and white-winged dove is the quarry: Migratory Digest and seasons PDF print one statewide dove season; the dove program page prints North and South zones with identical dates (flagged).
Do young hunters need a certificate for mourning and white-winged dove?
Note for mourning and white-winged dove: All persons born on or after January 1, 1972 must complete a hunter education course before buying a Mississippi hunting license; ages 12 through 15 need a certificate to hunt alone, and they may hunt without one with a licensed or exempt hunter at least 21.
Other photos on this page: ImagePerson (CC BY 4.0); Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0); cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0).