| Window | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Window 1 | 12 SEP – 13 SEP 2026 | 2d |
| Window 2 | 01 SEP – 09 NOV 2026 | 70d |
As publishedSept 1-Nov 9, 2026 (general); Youth-only Sept 12-13, 2026
Youth-only window Sept 12-13, 2026 (from the seasons calendar table) precedes the general season. Shooting hours one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Only flying birds may be shot; shotguns limited to 3-shell capacity; not legal in most state parks/recreation areas (a few named exceptions) or road rights-of-way. Requires SD's own 'State Migratory Bird Certificate' ($5, valid July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027) in addition to a Small Game/Combination/Youth Small Game license (residents) or Nonresident Small Game equivalent (nonresidents), this is SD's state-branded HIP-equivalent; the handbook never uses the term 'HIP.'
South Dakota is a genuine statewide case: SD GFP's own mourning dove page describes doves as abundant nearly everywhere in the state, with no published regional breakdown, and the season itself isn't zoned. An independent ornithological reference agrees, calling the species common and widespread with no regional distinction. No quantitative South Dakota-specific source breaks abundance down by region; the USFWS Mourning Dove Population Status report only tracks it at the continental Management Unit level. Hunting-outfitter marketing copy makes inconsistent claims in both directions and isn't a rigorous source either way. The statewide framing stands as the accurate one.
The federal survey cannot say whether South Dakota dove numbers are rising or falling. Its 2016 to 2025 estimate comes out at 1.02% per year, but the range around it runs from -0.68% to +2.80%, wide enough in both directions that no direction can be called. Read that as unknown, not as steady. The figures also run through 2025, one season behind this fall.
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