Dove opening dates. Why does South open 14 days later

[stevieray54]

Can someone explain why the South Zone opens 2 weeks later than North and Central zones. Why all 3 don’t open on the same date.

[CTR0022]

Bc the south zone has a longer second split. The season state wide can inly be so many days. The south zone has a shorter first season so the second season can be longer.

[DUKFVR]

At one time tpwd also said too many birds still nesting in south zone in that time period.

[Greenheadless]

At one time tpwd also said too many birds still nesting in south zone in that time period.

This. Some of the birds we would shoot seemed like they just had the egg stuck to the side of their head at time. I know they can nest multiple times thru the nesting season as well.

[Deerguy]

At one time tpwd also said too many birds still nesting in south zone in that time period.

This is the correct answer, but it is USFWS that establish the framework for the seasons, both earliest start date and how many days the season can run. States can then decide how/if they want to split the season. South Zone cannot open before Sept 14, but the special WW season/zone allow for some incidental MD take.