A young dove hunter taking aim in a sunflower field.

The Alabama dove season is set for 2023-2024, and opening day will be here before you know it!

Dove hunting has long been an important tradition in the South, and Alabama is no exception. In fact, Alabama dove hunters spend more than 100,000 days afield each year and harvest more than 1 million doves.

That’s a lot of dove breasts on the grill!

To help you plan for the upcoming season, this article will break down season dates, bag limits, legal birds, and much more. It’s our hope that you have a safe, successful, and completely legal dove season!

Alabama Dove Season Dates

For 2023, the Alabama dove season opens at noon on Saturday, September 2, in the North Zone. The South Zone opens a week later at noon on Saturday, September 9. 

North Zone 

  • September 2 at noon – October 22, 2023
  • November 18 – 26, 2023
  • December 16, 2023 – January 14, 2024

South Zone

  • September 9 (noon) – October 29, 2023
  • November 18-26, 2023
  • December 16, 2023 – January 14, 2024

Alabama is separated into two zones (North and South). The North Zone consists of the northernmost 58 counties in the state and the South Zone consists of 9 southernmost counties, including Baldwin, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, and Mobile. 

Map of Alabama's two dove zones.

Shooting Hours

Legal shooting hours for doves begins 1/2 hour before sunrise and ends at sunset with the exception of opening day, when shooting hours don’t begin until noon.

Bag Limit

The dove bag limit in Alabama is 15 birds per day.

License Requirements

To hunt mourning doves in Alabama, you must have the following:

A group of dove hunters with a limit of dove on the tailgate.

Public Land Dove Hunts

Several of Alabama’s wildlife management areas (WMAs) offer dove fields open to the public. We have provided an interactive map of those fields below, as well as a list by district.

In addition to the field below, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources also offers numerous youth dove hunting opportunities across the state.

Click on the panes below to see a complete list of public land dove fields and their respective season dates for each district.

Field NameHunting Dates
Freedom Hills State Season – Opening day: 12:00 noon to sunset; Remainder of season: 1⁄2 hour before sunrise to sunset. First two weeks of season: Saturdays and Wednesdays only. Remainder of state season except no hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts.
Seven-Mile IslandState Season – 12:00 Noon until sunset on opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset
Swan CreekState season – Open from Noon to Sunset Each Day
Mallard-Fox CreekState season – Open from Noon to Sunset Each Day
Field NameHunting Dates
Hollins (Field 1)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, or primitive weapon deer hunts
Hollins (Field 2)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, or primitive weapon deer hunts
James D. Martin/Skyline (Field 1)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Wednesday and Saturday only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, and primitive weapons deer hunts.
James D. Martin/Skyline (Field 2)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Wednesday and Saturday only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, and primitive weapons deer hunts.
Jackson Co. Waterfowl Areas & Refuges (Mud Creek WMA)State season – 1st Segment (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season).
Field NameHunting Dates
Cahaba River (Field 1) State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only)
Cahaba River (Field 2)State Season -(12:00 noon until sunset ) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only)
Cahaba River (Field 3)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only)
Cahaba River (Field 4)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only)
Cahaba River (Field 5)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only)
Mulberry Fork (Field 1)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts
Mulberry Fork (Field 2)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts
Mulberry Fork (Field 3) State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts
Mulberry Fork (Field 4)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts
Lowndes (Field 1)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts)
Lowndes (Field 2)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only)
Charles D. Kelly/Autauga (Field 1)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts
Charles D. Kelly/Autauga (Field 2)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts
Charles D. Kelly/Autauga (Field 3)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, primitive weapons, or gun deer hunts
Oakmulgee (Field 1)State season. (12:00 noon until sunset) No hunting on days of gun deer hunts.
Oakmulgee (Field 2)State season.- (12:00 noon until sunset) No hunting on days of gun deer hunts.
Oakmulgee (Field 3)State season – (12:00 noon until sunset) No hunting on days of gun deer hunts.
Oakmulgee (Field 4)State season – (12:00 noon until sunset) No hunting on days of gun deer hunts.
Oakmulgee (Field 5)State season – (12:00 noon until sunset) No hunting on days of gun deer hunts.
David K. Nelson (Field 1)State season – (12:00 noon until sunset) No hunting on days of gun deer hunts.
Field NameHunting Dates
Hollins (Field 1)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, or primitive weapon deer hunts
Hollins (Field 2)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, or primitive weapon deer hunts
James D. Martin/Skyline (Field 1)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Wednesday and Saturday only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, and primitive weapons deer hunts.
James D. Martin/Skyline (Field 2)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Wednesday and Saturday only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, and primitive weapons deer hunts.
Jackson Co. Waterfowl Areas & Refuges (Mud Creek WMA)State season – 1st Segment (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season).
Field NameHunting Dates
Barbour WMA (Smithfield 1)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth and gun deer hunts.
Barbour WMA (Smithfield 2)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth and gun deer hunts.
Barbour WMA (Powerline Field) State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth and gun deer hunts.
Barbour WMA (Emmit Field)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth and gun deer hunts.
Geneva WMAState Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth and gun deer hunts.
Blue Spring WMAState Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season(Saturdays and Wednesdays Only) No hunting on days of youth and gun deer hunts.
Field NameHunting Dates
Hollins (Field 1)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, or primitive weapon deer hunts
Hollins (Field 2)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays Only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, or primitive weapon deer hunts
James D. Martin/Skyline (Field 1)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Wednesday and Saturday only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, and primitive weapons deer hunts.
James D. Martin/Skyline (Field 2)State Season – (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season) (Wednesday and Saturday only) No hunting on days of youth, gun, and primitive weapons deer hunts.
Jackson Co. Waterfowl Areas & Refuges (Mud Creek WMA)State season – 1st Segment (12:00 noon until sunset opening day, then 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset remainder of season).
Field NameHunting Dates
Perdido River WMAState season – (12:00 noon until sunset) (Thursdays and Saturdays ONLY) No hunting on days of gun deer hunts.

Brian Grossman is a wildlife biologist, outdoor writer, and lifelong hunter and fisherman. Aside from his Christian faith and his family, his passions are bowhunting whitetails, turkey hunting, and fishing for anything that will bite!

Brian spent 15 years of his career working for state wildlife agencies managing wildlife and habitat on public lands. Since 2015, he has used that knowledge to produce content for the National Deer Association as their Director of Communications.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *