The National Mourning Dove Banding Program began in 2003 to better understand dove populations and the effects of hunting. Each July and August, doves are banded across most of the lower 48 states. ⁠ ⁠ Hunters then report band recoveries during the September–January hunting seasons, providing critical data on survival, harvest rates, and population growth. ⁠ ⁠ Banding goals for each state, set by Bird Conservation Region (BCR), are based on a power analysis to ensure enough data is collected for