TWRA offering up to $4,200 for public dove fields

Moore County landowners can receive up to $75 per acre for harvested grain fields used for public dove hunts this fall

3:21 p.m. Aug. 3, 2026

Moore County landowners could earn up to $4,200 by opening their fields to public dove hunting this fall.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is looking for fields to lease for the 2026 dove season, which begins at noon Tuesday, Sept. 1. Landowners must register their fields in August.

Each field must be available for at least three priority hunting dates in September.

TWRA will pay up to $75 per acre for harvested grain fields, with a limit of 40 acres. Fields top-sown with wheat may qualify for another $30 per acre.

A 40-acre field that receives both payments would earn the landowner $4,200.

TWRA has leased private fields since the late 1980s to expand public hunting access. The agency also offers dove hunting on wildlife management areas across Tennessee.

About 28,000 hunters harvest an estimated 399,000 mourning doves in Tennessee each year, according to TWRA.

Landowners interested in leasing a field may call TWRA’s Region II office at 615-781-6622 or 800-624-7406. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.