| Window | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Season | 01 SEP – 29 NOV 2026 | 90d |
As publishedSep 1-Nov 29, 2026 (general season); falconry extension Nov 30-Dec 16, 2026
Statewide, with localized closed-area exceptions around specific named reservoirs/WHMAs in Goshen, Platte, Fremont, Sweetwater, Lincoln and Teton counties (does not close the season statewide). HIP permit required (federal duck stamp is NOT required for dove). A separate falconry-only extended season runs Nov 30-Dec 16, 2026 with a smaller aggregate bag limit (3 daily/9 possession, shared across falconry-taken migratory species that day).
WGFD publishes no sub-state hunt-area map for dove, but its own migratory game bird management plan (Chapter 18) states a real habitat-driven pattern rather than pure uniformity: doves 'typically nest within shelterbelts, riparian zones, sagebrush habitats, and urban areas throughout the state, but they are most abundant near irrigated, small grain fields.' Independent hunting-press sourcing corroborates that this translates unevenly across the state, naming eastern Wyoming's agricultural counties as the most consistently productive dove ground. Local closures apply at specific reservoirs and WHMAs in Platte, Sweetwater and Lincoln counties (full season), plus Goshen County after Nov. 13 and Fremont County after Nov. 14, per WY's Chapter 14 migratory game bird regulation — an access caveat to check before planning around them.
The federal survey cannot say whether Wyoming dove numbers are rising or falling. Its 2016 to 2025 estimate comes out at 0.55% per year, but the range around it runs from -1.05% to +2.18%, 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.
Join the waitlist and tell us what you’re working on — the planner reads it first once your access opens.
Free, invite-gated, unsubscribe anytime. See what it returns