When most people think about migratory birds and waterfowl, the colorful plumage and royal presence of ducks and geese come to mind, but the gray, black, and white mourning dove graces the cover of this year’s hunting digest from the state Department of Conservation.
Only minor adjustments have been made to the regulations for the upcoming fall seasons for resident hunters. The biggest change is the establishment of a non-resident migratory bird hunting permit. Locals will pay $8 for the required license, while out-of-staters will be charged $60.
Hunters are also required to carry a small game hunting permit for dove and other land-dwelling birds: $11.50 for residents and $108.50 for non-Missourians. All waterfowl hunters ages 16 and older must also purchase a Federal Duck Stamp, which is available electronically for $32 or as a paper stamp for $25.
Mourning doves are one of the most abundant game birds in North America. With an estimated population of up to 350 million, they are common across 48 states and much of southern Canada. Missouri is home to migrating birds in the spring and fall, and many take up residency here throughout the summer.
According to the conservation department field guide “doves lived in America before humans arrived, and they proved quite adaptable to the presence of humans.” Prairie fires used by indigenous tribes created open plains that improved growth opportunities for seed-bearing plants. In recent times, crop farming, pastureland, forest management, and plant propagation helped dove populations increase.
While doves are primarily seed eaters, they will take an occasional insect while on the ground. Also notable is their position at the other end of the food chain. They are prolific reproducers, and they are frequent prey for many meat eaters. While nesting pairs may attempt up to seven nests between late March and September, the eggs, hatchlings and adults are favorite snacks for snakes, hawks, skunks and other carnivorous mammals.
The other omnivores that enjoy eating doves are humans. They are popular for sport hunters because of their acrobatic flying ability, but the real lure they provide for shotgunners is the tender breast meat each one provides.
Dove hunting season is open from September 1 through November 29. Shooting hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. The daily limit is 15 birds, which can include mourning doves, white-winged doves and Eurasian collared doves.
The conservation department field guide describes differences in the three species. The mourning dove is brownish gray with scattered black spots on its wings. It has a long, tapered tail that appears to come to a point in flight. The round-headed bird has dark, black eyes and white tips at the ends of its wings.
The Eurasian collared dove looks much like the morning dove, but it is significantly larger. It has a crescent-shaped black stripe around the back of its neck and no dark spots on its wings. The invasive species was introduced to the Bahamas in the 1970s and has rapidly expanded its range into and across the United States including sightings in California and Alaska.
The white-winged dove is uncommon in Missouri but may be seen as an accidental summer visitor. The bird is similar in size to the mourning dove. Its core range is to the southwest and south. It has a squared tail, lacks black wing spots, and has a distinct white patch along the front edge of its wings.
Dove hunters should look for leg bands on the mourning doves they harvest. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service uses identification numbers on birds to track their travels, population and harvest rates. The inscribed ID information can be entered online at reportband.gov.
Research shows that doves eating seeds off the ground also ingest spent shotgun pellets to the point of suffering from lead poisoning. Many hunting areas prohibit the use of lead shot for hunting doves. Conservation areas with wetlands and high concentrations of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds require non-toxic shotgun pellets, including Pacific Palisades near Eureka.
All information about the upcoming seasons is included in the Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest 2026-2027 at conservation department permit vendor locations and online at mdc.mo.gov. The mourning dove looks good as the cover model.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 35 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.
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