About 30,000 hunters are expected to be in the field when dove hunting season officially opens in Iowa Saturday, September 1, 2012.
Dove hunters must have a valid Iowa small game hunting license and the habitat fee to hunt doves. Hunters must have a plug in their gun limiting them to three shells. Hunters must also register with the Harvest Information Program before hunting by calling 1-(855)-242-3683 or online at this link: https://jc.activeoutdoorsolutions.com/ia_customer/app/goHome.do.
Shooting hours start a half-hour prior to sunrise and end at sunset.
The daily bag limit is 15 doves and the possession limit is 30.
Doves can be found in all 99 Iowa counties.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has an online list of public hunting areas with food plots for doves at this link: www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/Hunting/mdove_plots.pdf.
