Dove and early goose hunting season kicks off Sept. 1 in Pennsylvania

September 1 kicks off the traditional first part of the small game season when dove and early Canada goose seasons get underway. 

Doves are Pennsylvania’s most plentiful game bird, and they make tasty table fare, especially their breasts when they’re wrapped in bacon and grilled. And they seem to be everywhere, but for the dove hunter, the problem is where to safely hunt them. 

Doves prefer open woodland edges with favored habitat being farmland with scattered trees and shrubs, open woods, evergreen stands, orchards, roadside trees and suburban gardens. Doves usually avoid dense forests. They generally concentrate in areas with plentiful weed seeds, near trees for roosting and nesting and within easy flight of a water source. As for nesting, a few weeks ago a dove built a nest in my neighbors front porch column. I’ve already seen them in hanging flower pots. So I presume some are not that particular where they nest. 

If you’re new to the area and are looking for a place to dove hunt, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has prepared more than 80 managed dove fields statewide. Locally in upper Lehigh County it’s on State Game Land #205. There, habitat employees plant food crops for not only doves but for songbirds, pheasants, rabbits quail and other wildlife. Aside from that, if you can find a sunflower field, it should provide lots of action. 

While upper Lehigh County has the majority of large farm fields, upper Berks County has considerably more. And if you stop and ask the landowner (most likely a Mennonite farm), they’ll often give hunting permission. This also holds true for geese that are usually on nearby Ontelaunee Reservoir. In Lehigh County, a farm that has a pond or one close to Leaser Lake could be potential hunting spots. 

Dove season began Sept 1 and runs through Nov. 27 with a bag limit of 15 doves and a possession limit of 45. The early goose season kicked off Sept. 1 and runs until Sept. 25. In the Atlantic Population Zone, the daily limit is eight with a possession limit of 24. 

As a reminder, the PGC says Sunday hunting is prohibited for migratory game birds that includes waterfowl, doves and woodcock throughout the 2026-27 license year. 

While we covered the big game seasons in last week’s column, the small game season begins with squirrel that runs Sept. 12-Dec. 24 and again Dec. 24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 28, 2027. 

*Rabbit hunting season begins Oct. 17-Dec. 24 (Oct. 3-18 for junior/mentored hunters) and Dec. 26-Feb. 28, 2027.

*Pheasant season runs Oct. 24-Dec. 24 (Oct. 10-18 for junior/mentored hunters), and Dec. 26-Feb. 28. 

The weather is forecasted to be hot during the first week of dove/goose seasons with some rain, so it may be a good idea to take a camo-painted plastic bucket along to keep the harvested doves cool with a couple freezer packs inside so the meat doesn’t spoil. 
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