When this post pops up on my blog, Mickey Donahoo and I will be out dove hunting at a friends place in San Saba. Dove season opens up at sunrise on September 1 and we’ll be out there to welcome the new season in!

Years ago, the new season opening meant mourning doves and plenty of them, but over the last twenty years, white wing doves have migrated up from the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico and can be found almost all over our State. Something new has also been added to the mix, European collared doves, or ring necks. In the 1970’s they were shipped from Europe to the Bahamas and there, for some reason, the dealer released them all and they made the flight over to Florida and now, are populating our Country. These big birds, almost pigeon size, have taken over a lot of mourning and white wing dove habitat and are considered a nuisance, with no closed season in Texas. However, they cook up just like mourners or white wings and are excellent table fare!

The picture of a white wing and ring neck dove shows the size of each. In San Saba, today, we’ll be going after all three varieties, but experience from past hunts says that white wings will make up most of our bag.