Home › Pennsylvania › Species › Mourning Dove
Migratory birds in Pennsylvania
Mourning Dove Hunting in Pennsylvania
Dove season opens Sept. 1, 2026 and runs to Nov. 27, then reopens Dec. 18 to Jan. 2, 2027. 2026-27 dove dates, limits, harvest and public tracts.
Photo: Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0)
Fifteen doves a day, 45 in possession, and shooting ends at sunset. Doves are migratory birds, so dove fields are closed on Sundays and a migratory game bird license is required. Survey estimates for 2025: 91,336 doves taken by 12,907 hunters.
Mourning Dove: the PGC summary
- Sept. 1-Nov. 27 and Dec. 18-Jan. 2, 2027; 15 daily, 45 possession; Sundays closed.
Every dove segment this license year
2 Season rows cover doves this year; tap a WMU code for that unit’s full calendar.
| Segment | WMU or zone | First day | Last day | Days | Sundays | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | 88 | None | |
| Regular season | Statewide | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 2, 2027 | 16 | None |
Fine print from the season table
- 15 daily, 45 possession. Hours 1/2 hr before sunrise to sunset. Sunday hunting prohibited for migratory game birds.
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
Limits on doves
Dove limits, from the digest and the season table.
Mourning dove
15 daily, 45 possession.
Mapped public land for doves
The map pins up to 80 of the 29 tracts that list dove; the table starts with the 15 largest.
| Area | Type | County | WMU | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Lands 108 | State Game Lands | Cambria, Blair | 2E/4D | 22,739 |
| State Game Lands 95 | State Game Lands | Butler | 2D | 10,626 |
| State Game Lands 111 | State Game Lands | Somerset, Fayette | 2C | 10,286 |
| Erie National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | Crawford | 1B | 8,959 |
| State Game Lands 223 | State Game Lands | Greene | 2A | 8,063 |
| State Game Lands 82 | State Game Lands | Somerset | 2C | 7,930 |
| State Game Lands 46 | State Game Lands | Lancaster, Lebanon | 5B | 6,053 |
| State Game Lands 232 | State Game Lands | Washington | 2A | 5,183 |
| State Game Lands 63 | State Game Lands | Clarion | 2D/2F | 3,553 |
| Loyalhanna Lake | Corps of Engineers Lake | Westmoreland | 2C/2D | 3,395 |
| State Game Lands 252 | State Game Lands | Lycoming, Union | 4D | 2,904 |
| State Game Lands 285 | State Game Lands | Beaver | 1A | 2,841 |
| State Game Lands 280 | State Game Lands | Berks | 5B | 2,552 |
| State Game Lands 169 | State Game Lands | Cumberland | 4B/5A | 2,513 |
| State Game Lands 337 | State Game Lands | Warren | 1B | 2,231 |
Further dove options
State Game Lands 249 (1,960 ac) · State Game Lands 188 (1,648 ac) · State Game Lands 289 (1,642 ac) · State Game Lands 151 (1,584 ac) · State Game Lands 242 (1,517 ac) · State Game Lands 218 (1,339 ac) · State Game Lands 205 (1,315 ac) · State Game Lands 230 (1,290 ac) · State Game Lands 243 (1,167 ac) · State Game Lands 317 (1,103 ac) · State Game Lands 290 (1,042 ac) · State Game Lands 212 (504 ac) · State Game Lands 234 (490 ac) · State Game Lands 220 (96 ac)
County guides for doves
- Cumberland County2 tracts
- Lancaster County2 tracts
- Perry County2 tracts
- Snyder County2 tracts
- Somerset County2 tracts
- Union County2 tracts
- York County2 tracts
- Adams County1 tracts
- Beaver County1 tracts
- Berks County1 tracts
- Blair County1 tracts
- Bradford County1 tracts
- Butler County1 tracts
- Cambria County1 tracts
- Clarion County1 tracts
PGC State Game Lands GIS, DCNR forest and park hunting pages and federal managers (PGC layers), retrieved 2026-10-12. Species lists are what each manager names; area rules still apply.
Dove harvest numbers
Survey harvest of doves, newest year highlighted.
| Year | Harvest | Hunters | Hunter days | Per 100 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 91,336 | 12,907 | 46,140 | 197.95 |
| 2024 | 85,781 | 13,170 | 44,160 | 194.25 |
| 2023 | 101,749 | 13,462 | 48,453 | 210.0 |
| 2022 | 92,781 | 15,031 | 58,743 | 157.94 |
| 2021 | 148,139 | 15,965 | 60,465 | 245.0 |
| 2020 | 144,743 | 15,008 | 74,674 | 193.83 |
| 2019 | 125,197 | 14,418 | 61,932 | 202.15 |
| 2018 | 156,671 | 16,531 | 61,027 | 256.72 |
Harvest data: harvest, hunters, hunter days. Estimates as published by the PGC.
What the law says about doves
Licenses, hours, orange and the other PGC rules that apply to doves.
Paperwork
Licenses and permits that apply to doves.
When to shoot
For doves the day ends at sunset, with no evening half hour.
Orange
Orange is not on the list for doves. If you walk State Game Lands between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31 for anything else, orange is required.
Sunday rule
No Sunday hunting for doves. Migratory game birds are the one group left out of the new Sunday rules. Sunday details
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission 2026-27 digest, license types and harvest reporting, checked October 12, 2026. Pennsylvania hunting laws · License guide.
Guns, bows and methods for doves
Arms rules change with the season, so check the row for the season you are hunting.
| Season | Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Waterfowl and migratory birds | Manual and semiautomatic shotguns no larger than 10 gauge plugged to 3 shells; bows and crossbows; nontoxic shot up to size T for waterfowl. | Lead shot for waterfowl; unplugged guns; sink boxes; shooting from moving motorboats. |
Other dove method rules
Migratory bird restrictions
No migratory bird hunting on Sundays; no sink boxes, motor vehicles, aircraft, moving motorboats, live decoys, recorded calls (except snow goose conservation season), baited areas (baited for 30 days after removal) or driving birds.
Baiting (general)
Unlawful to hunt in or around any area where bait, food, salt, minerals or their residues are or were used within the past 30 days to lure game or wildlife. Normal farming/habitat practices and food plots are not baiting; crop manipulation for doves allowed; nonliving bait allowed for coyotes.
Decoys
Food-simulating decoys are bait; live decoys prohibited for all hunting; electronic decoys allowed for crows, waterfowl and doves.
2026-27 digest, sporting arms and unlawful acts pages, checked October 12, 2026.
Mourning Dove questions and answers
Are Eurasian collared doves game birds in Pennsylvania?
Yes, the Eurasian collared dove is on the PGC game bird list.
Is orange needed when hunting doves?
Orange is not on the list for doves. If you walk State Game Lands between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31 for anything else, orange is required.
Can doves be hunted at night?
For doves the day ends at sunset, with no evening half hour.
Which sporting arms may I use on doves?
Waterfowl and migratory birds: Manual and semiautomatic shotguns no larger than 10 gauge plugged to 3 shells; bows and crossbows; nontoxic shot up to size T for waterfowl.
Is Sunday dove hunting legal?
No Sunday hunting for doves. Migratory game birds are the one group left out of the new Sunday rules.
How many doves may I keep?
15 daily, 45 possession.
When can I hunt doves this season?
Doves: regular season Sep 1 to Nov 27, 2026; regular season Dec 18, 2026 to Jan 2, 2027.
Where can I hunt doves without private access?
29 tracts, among them State Game Lands 108, State Game Lands 95 and State Game Lands 111.
What paperwork do dove hunters carry?
PGC licenses for doves: Resident Adult Hunting License ($20.97); Resident Migratory Game Bird License ($3.97); Nonresident Migratory Game Bird License ($6.97); Nonresident 7-Day Small Game License ($31.97).
Gear that fits Mourning Dove country
Click through for current models and prices.
Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Mourning Dove: final checks
Pair this dove guide with the WMU guide for the ground you hunt; unit lines follow roads, not county lines.
Other photos on this page: TheTurducken (CC BY 2.0); GA-Kayaker (CC BY 2.0); Fyn Kynd (CC BY 2.0); Michele Dorsey Walfred (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); USFWS Mountain-Prairie (CC BY 2.0).