Rookie Question

I know guys this is a very rookie question but i have never hunted for dove and want to be sure that i am following all the rules set for by Tpwd. Please explain "possesion" as described below. I read that i can hunt and shoot 45 birds per day as i would have those in my possesion???

North Zone:RegularDaily Bag Limit: 15*Possession Limit: 45FalconryDaily Bag Limit: 3Possession Limit: 9 Central Zone:RegularDaily Bag Limit: 15*Possession Limit: 45FalconryDaily Bag Limit: 3Possession Limit: 9 South Zone:RegularDaily Bag Limit: 15*Possession Limit: 45FalconryDaily Bag Limit: 3Possession Limit: 9 Special White-winged Dove Area Special Season(Shooting hours: noon to sunset):Daily Bag Limit: 15 white-winged, mourning and white-tipped doves in the aggregate, to include no more than 2 mourning doves and 2 white-tipped (white-fronted doves).Possession Limit: Three times the daily bag limit.Regular Season:Daily Bag Limit 15*Possession Limit 45 Falconry Season (Statewide) - Dove:Daily Bag Limit: 3Possession Limit: 9
*In all zones, the daily bag limit can include no more than 2 white-tipped (white-fronted doves). The possession limit on white-tipped doves is three times the daily bag limit.

You can only kill 15 a day.

You can shoot 15 a day, and hunt on a 3 day trip and bring them all home and be legal.

Limit is how many you can kill per day (not per hunt). Possession would me you shot some and so did your buddy...he can give you his birds as long as it's not over the possession amount. Or you can go out of town and hunt multiple days but you can't have more than your possession amount.

When hunting with others make sure you don't just put everyone's kills in one big pile...make a separate pile for each shooter.

GREAT, i was sure i was reading it wrong so thought i would ask. Thanks for all the input guys!

Your welcome, welcome to the forum, and good luck this year.

If someone gives you birds make sure you write down the required info and put it with their birds. Name of hunter, license #, date, number of birds, where shot like county and property name.

I wonder how many over-limit tickets are going to get written this year.

What kind of idiot shoots over the limit, I'm shooting my 45 and I'm done!

So if you go out in the morning and shoot your 15 you are not allowed to shoot anymore in the afternoon even if you have taken the birds from the morning to your home correct?

Correct. That is called double dipping. Just count to 15 per day and you will be fine.

Legally you are only allowed 15 a day. Look at pictures of collared Eurasian dove, also called ringneck dove. They are easy to tell apart, and do not count towards your limit. They are fine eating too! 15 a day, and you can only have 45 in your possession until you get them to their final destination. So if they are in your freezer at your house you can have however many. Legally you cannot shoot 15 in the morning and 15 in the afternoon.

Good thing this isn't a law. otherwise i would break it when my dog brings me somone elses bird.

I always thought you could shoot as many as you wanted opening day and then only 15 per day for the rest of the season...

read the definition of possession limit in the regulation book it is towards the front. It states; once the game is finally processed at residence the possession limit is void. Once you clean birds and get them in the freezer the possession limit starts over. Opening day shoot 15 take them home freeze em. I always hunt morning and evening but never have over 15 birds in my possession on opening day. Now the ringneck part is tricky, there is no limit on them and do not go towards your limit but if you clean your birds in the field like I do, I leave 1 wing attached to all the ringnecks I shoot in case I'm checked by game warden.

To be 100% sure do what I did and ask a game warden or call the TPW office and have them explain it to you

Are you saying you shoot 15 in the morning and 15 in the evening and thats ok because you already cleaned them?

Daily bag limit and possession are two different things.

From the Outdoor Annual:
Daily bag limit: maximum number of birds as specified for each species which may be taken during the legal shooting hours of any one day.

Laws, just like baseball rules are very ambiguous for a reason. Instead of spending too much time twisting around the rules...look at the intent of the law.

The intent - Between 30min prior to sunrise and sunset you can kills 15 morning/whitewing and unlimited collard/rock pigeons.
At no time can you have more than 45 morning/whitewing doves in your possession. Pretty simple.

if ya eat em ain't no proof. Worded that wrong. But the possession definition clearly states that once game is processed and at final destination, home in freezer possession does not apply. It's in front of guide under definitions. I save all my birds til end of first season and have a big dove-b-q. It would be ridiculous to think I can only have 45 birds in my freezer at one time. Same limits apply to fish and I got more than a possession limit in freezer. Like I said ask a game warden, not telling anyone to break the law

If there is a game warden on here please feel free to chime in at any time on this topic. If I'm wrong please forgive me.

Ha, I give it to you whitewing! You sounded like a SCOTUS judge right there

Uh, then what is a bag limit?

then what is a possession limit. What is a SCOTUS judge? Bag limit 15. Possession 45.

Supreme Court of the United States

You can't answer a question with a question. Especially one you already answered.

I don't wanna play anymore. Time for ice cream.

let me answer that by asking you this. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

How much wood could a woodduck duck if a woodduck could duck wood?

The bag limit means the limit for that Calendar day. It is 15 birds for that calendar day. Bag=15

The purpose of a possession limit is to allow a hunter to go on a 3-day hunt and hunt each day with a bag limit from each day. Possession = 45

Example: Get off work and go to the lease on Friday and shoot 15 birds in the evening. Then hunt all day Saturday and get 15 birds. Then hunt Sunday morning get 15 birds and head back to the house. = Total possession of 45 birds.

You cannot go out and shoot 15 birds in the morning then go back to the house then go out that evening and shoot 15 more birds. That is called double bagging or double dipping.

What would be the correct phrase for shooting 45 in a day? Triple bagging or triple dipping? Just want to be clear.

Well rooster, that would just be 30 counts of federal game violation I guess, probably get a little expensive

Thanks for the clarification on that David, helpful and informative thread.

Nope. That would be 45 counts. You go one over they ALL become illegal.

As long as we are all clear on the laws now.

BTW StateGameWardenTX

1st day=15 in possession 2nd day=30 in possession 3rd day=45 in possession. 45= take your butt home.

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Y'all reckon the green horn is really a warden?

nope

Or eat 15 and you can pick up another limit on day 4. That's a lot of bacon though for one person, maybe not for some.

only 15 slices. Share if you wanna

you going to swear me in while I place my hand on the outdoor annual?

think you been called out rooster