The most dangerous game in Texas doesn’t have menacing claws, sweeping tusks or broad headgear.
It isn’t a predator, it isn’t a carnivore, and in fact, it doesn’t even have teeth.
It’s a 5-ounce bird (give or take, based on what species you’re hunting — mourning doves, whitewings or Eurasian collared doves).
Dove hunting again was the most hazardous outdoors pursuit in Texas in 2025, and it’s a good bet it again will keep that title in 2026-27 frameworks as hundreds of thousands of hunters will pursue mourning doves, white-winged doves and Eurasians from the Panhandle to the Mexican border.
Dove hunting offers a number of dangers, chiefly the inherent risk that comes with the proximity of hunters armed with weapons capable of inflicting serious damage — even out to distances that many may consider relatively safe from bird shot.
Doves also provide the first entry back into hunting seasons for hundreds of thousands of hunters annually, which in itself can be hazardous. Many hunters undoubtedly never check their shotguns or shotgun shells before heading out to shoot at birds, which is a major cause for concern simply because of what could happen. You’d be surprised how many accidents are caused by faulty gear — including guns and ammo — or by obstructions that some hunters never knew were there.
It’s always good practice to fully inspect your gear from top to bottom and inside to out for anything that could pose a hazard. In the case of doves, it’s also never a bad idea to take the shotgun you’re planning to use out to dust some clays in advance of a much tougher target. First of all, it’s a safety issue, but perhaps more importantly, you don’t want your buddies to get a hearty laugh at your expense whenever possible if your shotgunning isn’t up to par and you’re missing easy shots.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department data, there were 1,254,937 hunting licenses sold in 2025 (an all-time high) and 26 firearm-related hunting accidents, including one fatal incident. That was the sixth time in the past 60 years since TPWD has documented hunting accident data that there has been just one human death involving hunting in the state.
Of that overall total, 11 accidents were reported by dove hunters, the most for any species. Hunting for feral hogs contributed to five accidents, the second-most, and all were non-fatal. Hunting for deer contributed to four accidents, including the one fatal hunting accident.
This past year, there were no fatal accidents involving dove hunting. However, the numerous incidents involving shotgun-related injuries while dove hunting all center on a common theme: a hunter tracking a bird with their shotgun and swinging the barrel into what is considered outside a safe zone of fire. This is far and away the most frequent danger in any bird hunting scenario, but it’s one that easily is avoidable.
Here are the non-fatal dove-hunting accidents from 2025-26 frameworks as follows, taken directly from TPWD reports:
- Shooter shot across property lines hitting property (cars and tents) and striking the victim in the high back near the left shoulder.
- Victim was walking behind cover to collect fallen game when the shooter swung on game not knowing the victim was behind the cover and struck the victim in both arms, upper back and chest with pellets.
- Shooter walked along a line of trees and shot at game not knowing the victim was behind the trees. Victim was struck by two pellets in the right leg.
- Shooter’s shotgun exploded when he accidentally loaded a 20-gauge round in a 12-gauge barrel and then loaded the same barrel with a 12-gauge round before discharging it. The exploding barrel resulted in injury to the shooter’s left hand.
- Shooter was hunting out of sight of the victim. The victim moved to recover downed game and shooter swung on game striking victim in the face, chest and arms.
- Shooter struck victim with shotgun pellets while swinging on game. Multiple pellets broke the skin, and one pellet entered the right eye of the victim. The victim was not identified in the report.
- The shooter swung on game outside of his safe zone of fire and struck the victim in the distance peppering the left side of his body and neck.
- Shooter mistakenly swung on game and struck the victim not knowing where he was. Victim, who was in the distance, was hit with shot in the face and torso.
- Shooter swung on game and mistakenly hit the victim across a pond striking him in the upper torso, face and right eyelid.
- Shooter was resting muzzle on his toe when the shotgun discharged and removed his left middle toe.
- The shooter swung on game and hit the victim standing in the distance in the neck, legs, and left arm. The victim was the 11-year-old sibling of the shooter.
It’s almost effortless to get caught up in the heat of the moment when a streak of feathers springs up out of nowhere, whether it be doves in September, quail in November or pheasants in December. However, knowing where others are, including dogs, is paramount to safety.
A couple of decades ago in Brown County, a varied group was out quail hunting and a simple twist of fate meant the difference between life and death for a young hunter whose only mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. After a couple of pointers locked in on a covey in a thick clump of brush and grass, the four-hunter party cautiously approached with their scatterguns at the ready. Within steps of a young pup and a seasoned furry tracker the quail blasted out in all directions, fluttering low and fast as they typically do. An instant later, barrels barked, and a few birds dropped.
But so did a youngster on his first hunt, hit in the chest at about 40 yards with a wad of No. 8 shot. Luckily for him, one of his hunting partners that day was a doctor. Even luckier, the old man was willing to massage his heart to keep it beating.
If he hadn’t been there, the boy wouldn’t have left the field alive.
I think most hunters realize how destructive a shotgun can be, but a quick examination of sheer energy reveals that the killing force can be devastating to more than just birds. The average shotgun spits out dove-size loads at about 1,200 feet per second. When you consider that there are about 350 pellets in an ounce of No. 7½ shot measuring .094 inches in diameter and about 410 in No. 8s measuring .089, there’s a lot of potential for operator error even if you’re firmly on target nine times out of 10. Every veteran dove hunter I know has been peppered by falling shot more times than they care to count and I know quite a few who have been whacked decisively without any large wounds in and around dove fields.
This is the part where I usually knock my knuckles on something wooden.
Unfortunately, in another weird twist, our family ophthalmologist from when I was a youngster went on a Panhandle pheasant hunt with two eyes.
He came back with one.
He was blocking the end of a field when a couple of roosters took flight at least half a football field away from him and the same distance from a line of approaching hunters in the other direction. The vibrant birds also hovered low, and since he had taken his glasses off, a single pellet fired from nearly 100 yards away lodged itself into his face and claimed an object it never was designed to.
Another amazing demonstration of shotgun pellets came on a spring turkey hunt about five years ago in the eastern Panhandle. After spending all day calling and moving, and calling some more, we finally found a wily bird that seemed willing to cooperate along the edge of a field dotted with a large oak motte. However, right at the moment of thinking we had an easy hunt and things were shaping up perfectly, the bird decided to pop its head up and almost get away. The hunter to my right abruptly rolled the Rio Grande turkey at more than 60 paces with a single shot an instant before it would have been gone, folding the longbeard at a distance you shouldn’t be able to with No. 6s, even though they flew from a choked-up barrel.
If there’s one thing I can stress now that fall hunting seasons are upon us, it’s to always control the barrel of your firearm. It sounds straightforward but even in perfect conditions things can and do go wrong. So as you head into the field this weekend and next and further into other wingshooting seasons, don’t forget to watch your background and stay vigilant, no matter where you are.
And always wear eye protection, whatever it may be.
No bird is worth that much should you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
2026-27 Texas Dove Hunting Seasons
North Zone: Sept. 1 – Nov. 8, 2026 & Dec. 18, 2026 – Jan. 7, 2027
Central Zone: Sept. 1 – Oct. 25, 2026 & Dec. 11, 2026 – Jan. 14, 2027
South Zone: Sept. 1 – Oct. 25, 2026 & Dec. 18, 2026 – Jan. 21, 2027
The daily bag limit for doves statewide is 15 and the possession limit 45. No more than two white-tipped doves can be kept daily.
