Dove Hunting Season Will Last 20 More Days This Year

Wisconsin hunters will have an extra 20 days to shoot mourning doves this year.

The mourning dove is Wisconsin’s symbol of peace, but a little over a decade ago, the state passed a controversial plan to give hunters 70 days to shoot the doves each fall. A Republican state lawmaker memorably served a meal of cooked doves in the state Capitol in the midst of that debate.

Now, the Department of Natural Resources Board has decided to expand the mourning dove season to 90 days, adding 20 days in November. George Meyer of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation said that probably not too many birds will be shot during that extra time, and that hunting hasn’t harmed the mourning dove population anyway.

“Out of the 3 to 4 million doves in the state, 100,000 have been harvested, so it’s a minimal impact on the population,” he said.

Meyer also supported another change the DNR passed Thursday that created a teal-only early duck hunting season beginning on Sept. 1.

Meyer said that since Sept. 1 is also Labor Day, some anglers and recreational boaters will also be out on the water, especially along the Mississippi River. He urged DNR conservation wardens to monitor any conflicts.