We're on the cusp of another Texas dove season. For many of the state's 400,000-plus dove hunters, Saturday's opener in the North and Central Zones won't get here soon enough. South Zone hunters get the green light to load their scatterguns Sept. 14, the earliest opening date since 1950.

Opening day of dove season is to Texas hunters what that first flicker of Friday night lights are to high school football junkies. It's a really big deal, but not just because it is the opening kickoff for a long line of hallowed hunting seasons that will lure thousands of Texans to the woods and water before winter gives way to another spring.

Texas dove hunting is as rich in tradition as the tailgate parties and tasty bacon-wrapped dove breasts that are often served up in the wake of a successful afternoon in the field. Even though the season is a long one spanning 90 days, opening day is one that most dove hunters had rather not miss.

There are plenty of excuses not to miss out when first shots ring in the 2018-19 season at 30 minutes before sunrise next Saturday. One of the best is the timing.

Opening day this year falls at the start of the long Labor Day weekend. That means a potential three-day window of opportunity to get out and experience what is arguably the highest quality, low-cost option available on Texas' vast hunting menu.

Weighing the options

No hunting lease to go to?

There are plenty of outfitters and landowners in good dove country who offer day hunts on private property for around $75-$125.

Though it may be getting a little late in the game to book an opening day hunt with a reputable outfitter, particularly for large groups, you might think about scheduling a hunt later in the season after the pressure wanes and late-season migrant doves arrive. The shooting is often better then, and the cooler weather makes for a much more pleasant outing.

Local Chamber of Commerce offices in good dove hunting regions are good points of contact for finding an outfitter. The Texas Dove Hunter's Association also maintains a working list on its website, texasdovehunters.com.

Another option is to buy an Annual Public Hunting Permit through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The $48 permit is available wherever licenses are sold. It provides access to more than one million acres of public hunting land around the state, including 124 properties totaling nearly 46,000 acres that are currently under lease by TPWD for dove and/or small game hunting. Many are located near Dallas County.

There is no guarantee that every dove hunt will end in a 15-bird limit, but the chances of getting the opportunity to bag a few birds should be pretty decent if you or the outfitter does some scouting ahead of time.

There are rules to be followed on TPWD's public hunting leases. The private land doves leases are only open to APHP holders once the season gets underway. Any preseason scouting must be done from roadways or by viewing maps and satellite imagery, according to Justin Dreibelbis, TPWD private and public lands hunting program.

Dreibelbis added that hunters should pick up all trash and shot shell hulls before they leave. Birds should be cleaned in the field and all gates left as they were found.

"Leases have been lost because one or two hunters failed to do these things or were discourteous to a landowner that stopped by to check on the field," Dreibelbis said. "It is up to our hunters to ensure that they conduct themselves in a courteous and ethical manner at all times while hunting on our properties."

A dove hunter's mecca

Even in a bad year, Texas dove hunting can be outstanding because of the sheer numbers of birds, especially mourning doves.

Wildlife experts estimate that Texas supports a mourning dove breeding population of around 35 million, about 11.6 percent of the nation's mourning dove population of 300 million. Factor in the influx of northern migrants that pass through the state later in the fall and the number jumps to 50 million or more.

Additionally, Texas has a white-winged dove population of around 10 million and around five million Eurasian collared doves. Collared doves are considered an invasive species and do not count toward your daily limit.

The outlook

"It's a great time to be a dove hunter in Texas," said Owen Fitzsimmons, TPWD's webless migratory game bird program leader. "Mourning dove numbers are up from previous years, and white-winged numbers have exploded, more than doubling over the past decade. Our white-winged population trend data

that they are continuing to increase in abundance and distribution and are now found almost everywhere in the state."

The rise in dove numbers has resulted in a spike in

. Fitzsimmons says Texas hunters have shot around 10 million doves annually during recent seasons, and he is expecting the trend to continue this year.

The biologist said much of the state saw periodic rain during late spring and early summer, which should add up to good production in areas where conditions remained favorable through July and August.

Good as the numbers are, hunting conditions are highly dependent on the weather. The best dove hunting usually occurs when weather patterns are stable and dry, which certainly wasn't the case across much of the state last year.

"Last year we had some unusual cold fronts in early September that pushed birds around, not to mention Hurricane Harvey, which obviously affected a large portion of the state," he said. "I'm hopeful that this year the weather will be a little more consistent for our wing shooters."

In addition to booming dove populations, Fitzsimmons says hunters can look forward to plenty of hunting opportunities around the state as the result of the 90-day season put in place a couple of years ago.

"We'll also see the earliest opening day [Sept. 14] for the South Zone that we've had in 50 years," he said.

2018-19 dove seasons

North Zone: Saturday-Nov. 4 and Dec. 21-Jan. 14

Central Zone: Saturday-Nov. 4 and Dec. 21-Jan. 14

South Zone: Sep. 14-Oct. 30 and Dec. 14-Jan. 21

Additional days for special white-winged dove season: Sept. 1, 2, 8, 9 (special regulations apply)

Dove hunting tips

It's easy to become rusty during the offseason or forget the basics when you haven't visited a good dove field in a year or more. Here are a few tips to make your dove hunting trip safe and enjoyable:

Be mindful of self and others: Always be aware of where other hunters are positioned and don't take questionable shots. Play some defense out there. Wear shooting glasses as protection from stray pellets.

Wear proper clothing: Doves have excellent eyesight. Wear drab or camo clothing to blend with the natural surroundings. Shield your face to avoid being seen by approaching birds.

Take cover: Make use of your surroundings. Huddle up next to a bush or tree to break up your pattern and find shade from the searing September sun.

Use a decoy: Spinning decoys such as the Mojo can be like magic in the dove field. The spinning wings will at times attract doves from a distance and hold their attention until they fly into shooting range.

Be water hole savvy: Water will be at a premium this year, especially in areas hard hit by drought. Stock tanks could draw afternoon birds like a magnet.

Use the best shot: Among the best dove loads are numbers 71/2 and 8. Premium shot shells cost a little more than the blue-light specials, but they will pattern much better.

Get choked up: Improved, skeet or modified cylinder chokes are good for dove hunting. A full choke is not advised because it patterns too tight and leaves little margin for shooting error.

Get comfortable: Take along a bucket or chair to sit on during slow periods. It is also a good idea to bring along an ice chest for cold drinks, snacks and keeping birds cool after cleaning.

Be mobile: Don't be afraid to change locations if birds are consistently skirting you unless it will infringe on other hunters. Sometimes moving 30-40 yards is all it takes to get within reach of sweet spots.

Rules of the road: Doves are migratory birds that are federally protected. Hunting violations pack stiff fines. Always abide by the limits, legal shooting hours and never hunt around a "baited area."

Keep birds separate: Always keep your birds separate from birds killed by other hunters. Leave some plumage on Eurasian collared doves so they can be identified.

Be legal:

Dove hunters should have a valid hunting license, migratory bird stamp endorsement

hunter education certification card (if required) with them while in the field. Hunters born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must complete an approved hunter education course before hunting alone. Pump and autoloading shotguns must be plugged to hold no more than three

.

Mind daily limits: 15 doves per day, no more than two white-tipped doves. No more than two mourning doves and two white-tipped doves during the South Zone special white-winged dove days.

Check for jewelry:

If you kill a mourning dove or white-winged dove with a metal band on its leg, be sure to report it to TPWD using the contact info provided on the band. Reporting banded birds

useful data for managing the birds. Banded Eurasian collared doves could be worth some valuable prizes for hunters preregistered in the Banded Bird Challenge run by the Texas Dove Hunter's Association.

Bob Thornton says the organization banded 300 of the exotic doves in all areas of the state as part of the contest, which runs Sept. 1-Jan. 31, 2019. The top prize is a Polaris UTV. It costs $20 to enter. For more info, call 210-764-1189.

Know your doves

Mourning dove: The most abundant dove in Texas. Brown with black spots on its wings and a long, pointed tail. Capable of flying 35-55 mph.

White-winged dove: Once found mostly in the Rio Grande Valley, populations are rapidly expanding to urban areas statewide. Easily identified by the white chevrons on its wings and a large, rounded tail.

White-tipped dove: Found mostly in South Texas. Has a large, rounded tail and rust-colored wing linings.

Eurasian collared dove: Pale in color compared to mourning doves with black feathers at the back of the neck. About 40 percent larger than mourning doves and 20 percent larger than white-winged doves. The invasive species is not regulated by hunting laws.

Texas dove hunting facts

Texas has more dove hunters than any other state, averaging around 410,000 the last five years. In 2016-17, 463,000 dove hunters spent an estimated 1,990,992 days in the field.

TPWD estimates Texas dove hunters have killed an average of nearly 10 million doves annually the last five years.

Dove hunting is a huge cash cow that contributes more than $300 million annually to the Texas economy, much of it in rural towns and communities that roll out the red carpet for dove hunters each September.

In Coleman County, one of the state's top dove hunting counties, the economic impact of dove season is estimated at around $5-$8 million annually.

Coleman, Medina, Uvalde, Williamson, Bexar

Hidalgo consistently rank among the top counties for dove hunting. Taylor, Bell, Atascosa, Cameron, Matagorda and Guadalupe counties also yield big numbers.

Texas dove hunters spend about $12 million annually on shotgun shells. Using $5 as the average cost per box, that's 60 million

.

Most dove hunters are mediocre shots at best. Several studies have shown that dove hunters shoot as few as four and as many as 8.6 shot shells for every dove they bag.