Dove Hunting Tips: How to Find, Attract, & Shoot Doves

Want to learn what it takes to bag as many doves as you can this hunting season? Dove hunting season is a cherished tradition and popular sport for thousands of hunters eager to fire off millions of shells in fields each year!

The two biggest pains about dove hunting are finding them and getting access to good hunting grounds. Bag all the doves you can with our complete guide that covers our best dove hunting tips. Then, roast them over the grill for a delicious feast later on!

If it’s your first-time dove hunting, you’ll want to do plenty of research before you start hunting. From selecting the ideal firearm to safety tips and knowing how many doves you can legally shoot in a day in your state, there’s much to consider:

Tips About Hunting Dove as a Beginner

• Tip 1. Know When Dove Season Starts: Inquire what date dove hunting season starts in your state, check your local wildlife agency’s guidelines to ensure you have your proper licenses, and know the daily bag limit.
• Tip 2. Know Where to Find Doves: Scout for locations, find key water and food sources, learn how doves like to travel, and discover where they commonly go to roost.
• Tip 3. Know the Best Time to Hunt Doves: Doves stick to a routine. Learn when they leave the roost and become most vulnerable.
• Tip 4. Know Your Target: Spend time memorizing your target so you don’t mistake them for another bird and learning their flight patterns.

Tips About Attracting Doves & Setting Up Traps

• Tip 5. Plant Your Dove Field: Doves are attracted to certain crops like wheat and sunflowers. Find out how to plant a field to lure in doves.
• Tip 6. How to Conceal Yourself When Hunting: Don proper attire to withstand the elements and conceal your location from doves.

Tips About Shooting Doves on Your Hunt

• Tip 7. Choose the Right Choke: Doves will be more oblivious to danger earlier in the season, which means they will fly in close. Choosing the right choke ensures you hit your target.
• Tip 8. Choose the Best Shotgun: Hunters typically use either a 12 or 20-gauge shotgun and opt for semi-automatic styles.
• Tip 9. Use the Correct Ammo and Bring Extra: Using the wrong-sized ammo can wreck your bird. Stock up on ammo and only take shots where your chances of missing are slim.
• Tip 10. Shoot In Front of the Dove: Doves travel fast so you’ll want to shoot roughly 6 feet in front of them and track ahead of them with your shotgun.
• Tip 11. Shoot While Sitting Down: Hunters typically stay low to the ground to conceal themselves. Learn the best technique for staying in control of your shotgun from a seated position.
• Tip 12. Pick a Single Bird: It may be tempting to get distracted by a whole flock of birds. However, keeping your eyes peeled on one can increase your chances.
• Tip 13. Keep Your Eye on the Dove After Shooting: Watch where the dove lands as it falls out of the sky. Make sure everyone has stopped shooting before you go and retrieve it.

Tips About What to Wear + Have for Dove Hunting

• Tip 14. Have the Right Dove Hunting Decoys: Decoys draw in doves and help them feel a sense of comfort. Doves will eventually catch on that they are decoys though later in the season.
• Tip 15. Know What to Wear Dove Hunting: Wear a proper camo outfit and protect your eyes and ears. Snake chaps are essential to wear if you’re hunting in snake territory.

Your chances of walking onto a field and nailing a dove on your first try are slim. Dove hunting requires strategy just like any other sport. First, you must know when the season starts, where to find doves, and what time of day they’re out the most.

To effectively plan your hunting trips, have a clear understanding of when your state’s dove season begins.

• When Does Dove Season Start? Dove hunting season typically begins on September 1st and runs through early November. It picks back up again mid to late December through early January.
• Do You Need a Hunting License to Hunt Doves? When hunting doves, you’ll need a hunting license and a migratory game bird license. Remember: Know + follow all the regulations in your state.
• What Is the Daily Bag Limit for Hunting Doves? In most states, you can typically only kill 15 doves each day.

• Scout Locations: Before the season starts, look for hunting areas frequented by doves. Ask for permission if you’re scouting for doves on private land.
• Key Features: Keep an eye out for key features like water sources, power lines, gravel roads, wheat fields, ravines, and trees.
• Crops: Scan for crops like wheat, sorghum, sunflowers, oats, foxtail, and ragweed.
• Plants: Doves feed on native and non-native plants like barnyard grass, ragweed, Johnson grass, lespedeza, pokeweed, and wild peas.
• Water Sources: On humid days, doves will drink multiple times a day. Look for water sources with little vegetation like ponds, rivers, creeks, and puddles.
• Straight Lines: Doves tend to fly in straight formations. Locate straight paths along trees, fields, and gravel roads.
• Gravel Roads: Doves swallow grit (small stones) to aid digestion, which means they tend to stay near gravel roads.
• Roosting: Find out where doves have gone to rest. They may migrate fields so don’t be afraid to expand your search.

• Time of Day: Doves are out in the early morning (before 10:00 a.m.), afternoon, and evening.
• Learn Their Schedule: Doves eat and drink in the early morning hours and then roost. Around mid-afternoon and early evening, they’ll go back out.

Different states regulate which dove/pigeon species you can hunt slightly differently. Some states may also regulate which species you can bag to help control the populations or simply because the species is scarce.

For example, of the seven dove species, you can only kill three in Texas: mourning doves, white-winged doves, and white-tipped doves. Red-billed and band-tailed pigeons are too scarce to hunt in Texas.

• Identify Doves: Doves can be hard to identify if they’re flying with other birds. Spend time learning their characteristics to easily identify them.
• Study Doves: Take the time to study flight lines and patterns, as this knowledge will prove invaluable when positioning yourself for a shot.

Once you know where to locate doves, the next step is luring them in. However, doves are smart creatures so you’ll need to know how to hide and avoid scaring them away.

• Plant Wheat: Plant wheat fields in the spring if you have at least a quarter acre of land. You can also try planting sunflowers, but these are harder to grow.
• Alternatives to Planting: Create pie-shaped wire nesting cones out of tin and hardware cloth and place them in trees. You can cut vegetation on dead branches for perching.

• Stay Out of Sight: Set up a stool behind large plants, trees, hay bales, and fences. Face away from the sunrise and look for shady spots to conceal yourself.
• Don’t Move: Avoid movement and stay relatively still. Aim your gun at the last possible second before you shoot the dove.

Learning how to shoot a dove is a skill in its own right. Master shooting a dove with our expert tips.

You need a wide-shot pattern. Tighter chokes can mutilate the bird if you’re in close range. Opt for an improved cylinder for a wider shot pattern and switch to a modified choke later on.

The right shotgun makes all the difference for dove hunting. Most hunters use a 12 or 20-gauge shotgun for dove hunting. Semi-automatic shotguns will also perform well and shoot quicker than pump actions.

• Pellet Size: Use ammo that fires the most rounds at the highest speed. Experiment with pellet sizes, including #4, #5,# 6, #7½, or #8.
• Bring Extra Ammo: Bring more ammo than you think you need. Be conservative with it and don’t waste it on pointless shots. You can carry ammo in a shell bag.

• If the Dove Is Landing Down: If the bird is landing down on the fence or a branch, you’ll want to shoot below it. Picture where the dove is landing and aim there.
• If the Dove Is In Front of You: Doves can fly over 50 mph. You’ll want to shoot roughly 6 feet in front of them. Track their path with your gun and shoot ahead of them.

Steady yourself. Shoot from sitting on the ground and position your gun so it’s mounted against your cheek. Practice shooting from a sitting position so you get used to it.

Zero in on one bird. Doves may fly in a flock, which can be distracting. Pick a single bird and keep your eyes focused on that target.

• Watch Where the Dove Lands: After you hit the dove, it will fall from the sky. Keep your eyes peeled and make a mental note of where it landed.
• Wait Before Picking Up the Dove: After killing the dove, don’t immediately go get it. Check with your fellow hunters that they’ve paused shooting so you can safely retrieve it.

If you’re going dove hunting, then you should learn how to dress the part. Learn what to pack and wear on your next dove hunting trip.

Dove decoys are perfect for presenting your ideal hunting spot as a place that helps doves feel secure. Whether you perch your decoys on a tree branch or on a dove roost, these decoys don’t guarantee that doves will always perch among them.

Dove decoys attract doves that would otherwise fly outside of your shooting range. Doves may eventually catch onto the decoys, but you can use them at the start of the season.

• Doves congregate in groups to feel safe: A dove’s natural instinct is to gather in flocks for safety purposes. They can collectively watch out for potential predators and communicate with one another through their distinctive cooing calls.
• Add movement among your decoys: Plenty of dove decoys have spinning wings. This motion creates a special effect that looks like the decoy is flapping its wings. This helps a dove perceive your trap as a safe haven where their companions seek refuge.

• Camo Clothes: Camo shirts and shorts help you to blend into your surroundings. Dress in comfortable layers that you can take off throughout the day.
• Ear Protection: Earplugs or earmuffs can help protect your ears as you shoot. You shouldn’t have earplugs in all of the way so you can still hear your fellow hunters.
• Eye Protection: Shooting glasses offer ballistics protection. They also help you to see the doves more clearly in the sky.
• Snake Chaps: If you’re hunting in an area known for snakes, wear snake chaps. They block snakes from biting you.

• Prepare for the Heat: Bring water and snacks for yourself, especially if you’re in an area that gets hot. Stay hydrated and conceal yourself beneath the shade.
• Practice Safety First: Never shoot your firearm in the direction of a fellow hunter. Stay roughly 100 yards away from other hunters and devise designated shooting lanes before hunting.
• Pay Attention to Weather: Doves aren’t a fan of the rain, but they do enjoy cool days. Hunt during a cold front, which will attract more doves.

Want to bag a dozen birds? Dove hunting gear and accessories ensure you have everything you need. From blinds and stools to camo clothing, outwit doves by concealing yourself and luring them in close. Put our expert dove hunting tips to the test, and enjoy the rewards of your hard work!