As the heat of summer starts to give way to cooler mornings and longer shadows, Southerners across Alabama and Georgia know exactly what time it is—dove season is here.
Opening weekend isn’t just about hunting birds—it’s about tradition, fellowship, and Southern culture at its finest. From field to tailgate, this weekend marks the unofficial start of fall, blending the thrill of the hunt with the comfort of good food, cold drinks, and college football.
A Time-Honored Southern Rite
For generations, dove season has brought families and friends together across the South. Whether it’s on family farms, leased fields, or specially prepared hunting properties, the early September kickoff is circled on calendars well in advance. Hunters young and old gather before sunrise, shotguns in hand, camo shirts on, and dogs trailing close behind.
For many, it’s the first hunt of the year—a welcome return to the rhythms of the outdoors. There’s a special kind of excitement in the air as you scout the field, listen for wings fluttering across the tree line, and call out the first few shots of the morning. But even for those who don’t pull the trigger, it’s the community and tradition that make the weekend unforgettable.
Preparing the Field: A Labor of Love
Long before the first shot is fired, dove season starts with preparation. Getting your dove field ready is a season in itself, and many landowners take great pride in managing their property to attract birds and create a successful hunt.
Throughout the summer, fields are planted with crops like sunflowers, browntop millet, sorghum, or corn—all favorites for migrating doves. Proper mowing or bush-hogging a few weeks ahead of opening day helps spread seed and create clean ground where doves can easily feed.
Water sources, shaded edges, and power lines are all bonus features that help draw in birds. Timing is key—**you want to hold doves, not push them out—**so scouting the field days ahead and keeping pressure light until opening morning is often part of the plan.
Whether you’re managing a large property or a small family field, it’s the preparation that sets the stage for a successful and memorable season.
More Than Just a Hunt
Dove season in the South is deeply rooted in fellowship. You’ll often find trucks lined up around the edges of fields, coolers popped open, and the smell of charcoal or pecan wood starting to rise. After the hunt, it’s not uncommon to stay a while—cleaning birds, firing up the grill, and sharing stories that get taller with each telling.
And of course, you can’t have dove season without football. With college teams kicking off across the country, the field-to-football transition is as seamless as it is sacred. Someone’s truck bed becomes the tailgate spot, the game gets streamed from a speaker or screen, and you settle in for hours of good food and even better company.
Cooking Up Tradition
One of the most cherished parts of dove season? The wild game feast. Dove breasts wrapped in bacon, stuffed with jalapeños and cream cheese, then grilled to perfection—it doesn’t get much more Southern than that. Pair it with a pot of baked beans, some fresh cornbread, and sweet tea (or something a little stronger), and you’ve got a meal that could rival any Saturday night dinner.
For many families, the weekend becomes an annual tradition that passes from one generation to the next—teaching kids not just how to hunt, but how to gather, give thanks, and celebrate the land and the people who make it all possible.
Here’s to Opening Weekend
As dove season opens this weekend across Alabama and Georgia, it’s more than just the start of a new hunting season—it’s a celebration of Southern life. It’s about honoring the land, enjoying the outdoors, and cherishing the time spent with the people you care about most.
Whether you’re in the field at sunrise or gathered around the grill at sunset, take a moment to soak it all in. These are the traditions that stick with us, season after season.
Happy dove season, y’all. Check back in for more weekly land and lifestyle updates from John Hardin Land & Lifestyle with Southeastern Land Group!
