There will be early September dove hunting opportunities in Texas.

The 2017-2018 migratory game bird seasons adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) expand the early September four-day special white-winged dove area hunting season to the entire South Zone boundary.

“For the second straight year, Texas will be taking advantage of a 90-day dove season and the expansion of early white-winged dove hunting during the first two weekends in September, in effect, create early September hunting opportunities statewide for the first time ever,” Dave Morrison, TPWD Wildlife Division deputy director, said in a release.

The 2017-2018 migratory bird hunting seasons also include a reduced daily bag limit on pintail, which is now one. There will also be a change in the opening date for sandhill cranes in Zone B.

The youth age restriction for waterfowl hunting has also been changed to 16 years old, according to TPWD.

The season calendar and framework for 2017-2018, as provided by TPWD, is below:

Dove
North Zone: Sept. 1–Nov. 12 and Dec. 15-31
Central Zone: Sept. 1–Nov. 5 and Dec. 15–Jan. 7, 2018

Special White-winged Dove Days (entire South Zone): Sept. 2-3, 9-10.
South Zone: Sept. 22–Nov. 8 and Dec. 15–Jan. 21, 2018

The daily bag limit for doves statewide is 15 and the possession limit is 45.

During the early two weekends in the Special White-winged Dove Days, hunting is allowed only from noon to sunset, and the daily bag limit is 15 birds, to include not more than two mourning doves and two white-tipped doves.

During the general season in the special area, the aggregate bag limit is 15 with no more than two white-tipped doves.

Ducks/Geese
Early Season
Statewide Teal: Sept. 9-24 with a daily bag limit of six birds
East Zone Canada Geese: Sept. 9-24 with a daily bag limit of five birds

General Duck
High Plains Mallard Management Unit: Youth: Oct. 21-22; Regular: Oct. 28-29 and Nov. 3-Jan. 28, 2018
North Zone: Youth: Nov. 4-5; Regular: Nov. 11-26 and Dec. 2-Jan. 28, 2018
South Zone: Youth: Oct. 28-29; Regular: Nov. 4-26 and Dec. 9-Jan. 28, 2018
Bag Limit: Six per day in the aggregate to include no more than five mallards, of which only two may be hens, three wood ducks, three scaup, two redheads, two canvasback, one pintail, one “dusky duck” (mottled, black or Mexican-like) may only be taken after the first five days of the season in the respective zones. Mergansers: Five per day with no more than two hooded merganser. Coots: 15 per day. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit for all migratory game birds, except snow geese, which have no possession limit.

Geese
East Zone: Nov. 4–Jan.28, 2018; Conservation order: Jan. 29-Mar. 18, 2018.
Bag Limit after the Early Canada Goose: Five dark geese, to include no more than two white-fronted geese, 20 light geese (no possession limit on light geese)
West Zone: Nov. 4–Feb. 4, 2018; Conservation order Feb. 5-Mar. 18, 2018.
Bag Limit: Five dark geese, to include no more than two white-fronted geese, 20 light geese (no possession limit on light geese)

Sandhill Crane
Zone A: Oct. 28–Jan. 28, 2018. Bag Limit: Three, possession limit nine.
Zone B: Nov. 24–Jan. 28, 2018. Bag Limit: Three, possession limit nine.
Zone C: Dec. 16–Jan. 21, 2018. Bag Limit: Two, possession limit six.

Snipe
Oct. 28–Feb. 11, 2018 with a daily bag of eight and possession limit of 24

Woodcock
Dec. 18–Jan. 31, 2018 with a daily bag limit of three and possession limit of nine

Falconry
Statewide: dove Nov. 18-Dec. 4; Ducks Jan. 29-Feb. 12, 2018.

Additional information on Texas’ hunting seasons and regulations is available in the Texas Outdoor Annual, available at most hunting and fishing license locations, and online.