Texas hunters should find strong dove populations

A rainy spring and early summer led to a good nesting season through most of the state and near record high populations of mourning and white-wing doves across large portions of Texas.

This year’s season opened Sept. 1.

Spring population surveys conducted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff found an estimated 34.3 million mourning doves in Texas, the third highest estimated population in survey history. White-winged dove populations have increased four percent, becoming the new record high with an estimated 12.8 million this year.