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Dove
Hunting, Research, and Management
There are at least seven species of doves in Louisiana, four of which—mourning, white-winged, Eurasian collared, and ringed-turtle doves—may be legally hunted.
Lottery Hunts
LDWF’s wildlife management areas offer lottery hunts for youth hunters, physically challenged hunters, disabled veterans, and the general public to hunt alligator, deer, dove, turkey, and waterfowl. There are also lottery hunts at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area.
Mandatory Harvest Information Program
If you are licensed to hunt migratory birds (ducks, coots, geese, doves, woodcock, rails, snipe, or gallinules), you must get a Harvest Information Program certification and carry proof of your HIP certification with you whenever you’re hunting migratory birds. If you are age 17 or under, you do not need a HIP certification unless you are participating in a WMA youth waterfowl lottery hunt. You must get HIP certified in every state you hunt migratory birds.
Dove Fields
To provide ample hunting opportunity for Louisiana residents, LDWF manages dove fields on state-owned wildlife management areas and leases private lands from farmers for dove hunting. Managers plant and manipulate crops and manage commercial agricultural fields to attract large numbers of doves to shooting areas during the hunting season. LDWF also offers free assistance to private landowners interested in managing their property for wildlife, including doves.
Dove Banding
Data from LDWF's mourning dove banding is an essential part of the formula for estimating dove population size. The size of the dove population determines the hunting package (season) for each management unit. Additionally, banding helps estimate the effects of harvest on mourning dove populations.
Did You Know
LDWF offers free assistance to private landowners interested in managing their property for wildlife, including doves.
Migratory Bird Preservation Facility
A Migratory Bird Preservation Facility is any person, taxidermist, cold storage facility, locker plant, or hunting club which receives, possesses, or is in custody of any migratory game birds belonging to another person for purposes of picking, cleaning, freezing, processing, storage, or shipment. To operate as a Migratory Bird Preservation Facility, the facility must:
- Ensure incoming birds are properly tagged
- Keep an accurate record of both incoming and outgoing transactions
- Allow the premises to be inspected.