| Window | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Season | 01 SEP – 29 NOV 2026 | 90d |
As publishedSept 1, 2026 - Nov 29, 2026
Regulated jointly with Eurasian collared-dove under a single combined 'DOVES' season/limit line in IA DNR regs -- no separate mourning-dove-only season is published. 3-shell gun plug required. HIP registration required annually. Shooting hours 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset.
Iowa DNR states mourning doves are found in all 99 counties, but names two areas of higher concentration: the Loess Hills and the southern three tiers of counties near the Missouri border. Iowa DNR upland wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz corroborates this, noting southern Iowa carries higher dove densities than northern Iowa at the September 1 opener as birds begin moving south, though good hunting is available statewide.
Iowa dove numbers have fallen steeply over the last decade, at -4.31% per year from 2016 to 2025 on the federal survey. Across the full 59-year record the state is flat, at -0.30% per year with a range that crosses zero, so this is a recent slide rather than a long decline. These figures run through 2025, one season behind this fall.
Recent decade down 4.31% per year against a flat long-term record.
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