BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced that the 2026 dove hunting season will kick off on Saturday. 

Louisiana is divided into North and South zones for dove season, according to LDWF. The North Zone runs from Sept. 5-27, Oct.10-Nov. 15 and Dec. 19-Jan. 17, 2027. The South Zone runs from Sept. 5-20, Oct. 17-Nov. 29 and Dec. 12-Jan. 10, 2027. 

Dove hunters 18 years and older must have a basic hunting license and be Harvest Information Program certified. Hunters 17 and under do not need a hunting license or certification. Licenses can be purchased on the LDWF website. 

LDWF will also have lease fields available in DeRidder and Colfax. Hunting on each of the lease fields will begin one-half hour before sunrise on Saturday. The registration fee for the lease fields is $10 for adults plus a convenience fee. People age 17 and younger do not have to pay the registration fee. Only non-toxic, size 6 or smaller shots may be used, and dogs and ATVs are allowed.