Dove hunting has run under federal migratory bird rules for more than a century. These are the key dated moments.
1918: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act puts migratory birds, including doves, under federal protection and regulation.
1921: Federal rules set September 1 as the earliest date a dove season can open, under the treaty with Great Britain.
1960s: Federal breeding bird surveys begin tracking dove numbers; Iowa reports its dove population stable since the mid-1960s.
2002: Hunt4 Dove.com is part of the original Hunt4 family of hunting sites.
Today: About 300 to 400 million mourning doves live in North America, and 40 of the lower 48 states hold regulated dove seasons.