September Kicks Off Hunting for Dove & Other Birds
Dove season is coming in hot, along with several other September migratory bird hunting seasons! These early fall hunting seasons are so much more than just a few days to get outdoors before the weather grows cold. They mark the start of an entire collection of new memories and good times with friends and family outdoors. The Sept.1 dove season opener is practically a holiday in Oklahoma, and the September teal and special resident Canada goose seasons (both opening Sept. 10) bring the first chances of the season to pursue waterfowl.
It’s an exciting time of year for hunters, and it all starts with a hunting license. Log in to your Go Outdoors Oklahoma profile and get your license today, and be ready!
Note: In addition to a valid hunting license, migratory bird hunters must possess a valid Harvest Information Program permit, and waterfowlers must also have an Oklahoma waterfowl stamp and federal duck stamp – all available online through Go Outdoors Oklahoma. Exemptions apply, so log in today to make sure you have what you need to Go Outdoors!
Resources for Dove Hunters
Widely seen as the traditional first opportunity to venture afield in the fall, dove hunting is always a big deal — and a big draw. Based on the Wildlife Department’s annual Game Harvest Survey of hunting license holders, about 69,000 people went dove hunting in Oklahoma, taking more than a million birds over the course of the split season. If that many people are doing it, then maybe they’ve discovered something special! Check out our full story below.
Looking for public land dove hunting possibilities? Check out our dove hunting resources webpage for tips. There’s even a list of fields on WMAs that are managed for doves, along with GPS coordinates and maps of those areas.
Doves are found from one side of the state to the other, and hunters don’t have to travel far to find them.
Recently harvested grain fields and cattle watering ponds on private land can be excellent places to hunt doves.
Additionally, excellent hunting can be found on many of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s wildlife management areas or through the Oklahoma Land Access Program (OLAP), which leases private land statewide for hunting, fishing and other activities.
The combined daily limit for mourning, white-winged, and fully dressed Eurasian collared doves is 15. There is no daily limit on collared doves provided the head or a feathered wing remains attached to the bird while in the field and being transported to their final destination.
Dove hunters are reminded to make sure their shotgun can hold no more than three shells at any one time.
Dove season remains open until Oct. 31, then will reopen Dec. 1-29.
Also, check out our blog post, “Four Tips for Better Dove Hunting,” posted on the Wildlife Department’s Outdoor Oklahoma Journal below. It’s an oldie, but a goodie!
The first full weekend of September is traditionally Free Hunting Days in Oklahoma. On these two days, Oklahoma residents may participate in open hunting seasons without the requirement to have a state hunting license.
These free days also provide a perfect chance for current hunters to gather up some folks who have never been hunting and give them an experience that might open a door for them, while also helping to continue a time-honored American outdoors tradition.
This year, open hunting seasons during Free Hunting Days include dove, squirrel, coyote, raccoon, beaver, striped skunk, prairie dog, rail and gallinule. State Game Wardens will not check for state hunting licenses for residents on those days.
However, Game Wardens will be on duty as usual to ensure compliance with bag limits, shooting hours, shotgun plugs, hunter education requirements, special area regulations, and other general regulations that are published in the Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Regulations. The regulations are available online at www.wildlifedepartment.com, in the free Go Outdoors Oklahoma mobile app for Apple or Android, or in print free at license dealers statewide.
September brings Teal & Goose Hunting, Duck Blind Drawings
September teal and special resident Canada goose seasons both open Sept. 10. Full details and regulations are available for 2022-23 here (select “Migratory Birds”).
One effective way to hunt waterfowl is from a blind, or a hunting spot constructed or set up specifically to conceal hunters from the keen senses of wildlife. Waterfowl blinds may be set up on specific public reservoirs according these rules.
Seasonal blind permits are issued by a drawing, annually for Eufaula, Fort Gibson, W.D. Mayo (L&D 14) and Webbers Falls (L&D 16) reservoirs. The drawings will be held at the Porter Office at 9097 N 34th St West, Porter, OK 74454. on Sept. 17, 2022. All participants are urged to pre-register for their desired lake at GoOutdoorsOklahoma.com, but in-person registration will be available for those unable to do so.
The schedule will be as follows:
Ft. Gibson – 7 a.m. check-in and registration, 7:30 drawing
Eufaula – 9 a.m. check-in and registration, 9:30 drawing
Webbers Falls – 11 a.m. check-in and registration, 11:30 drawing
W.D. Mayo – 12:30 p.m. check-in and registration, 1 p.m. drawing
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