AZ Dove hunting

[BrodynIdaho]

Just moved to the East Valley from Idaho yesterday and was hoping to get my 11 year old out for some dove hunting come September. Any info on where to start looking for some within an hour or two of Chandler?
I would like to get out before season starts and scout some areas.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Life_Feeds_On_Life]

Idk about Chandler specifically but look into some of the nearby diaries/ag land in SAN Tan or maybe even Maricopa. You can hunt some of that, there will be others around but I guess that's part of the dove hunting experience. Or just find a tank in the desert and there's usually dove hanging around.

I've never been but supposedly opening weekend down in Yuma is a good time.

 

[Norm555]

Yuma is probably the best dove hunting in the US so probably worth a trip over there

 

[MWagner01]

3rd bump for Yuma, I've never been but from what I've heard and seen it's the best in AZ.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I have heard Yuma has great dove hunting but have never been there. I always dove hunt along the Colorado rive both above and below Ehrenberg Az. which is just across the river from Blythe Ca. I was just over there with some friends Aug 10. Lots of dove, most are white wing so, if any storms move in they will likely move out, they are pussies. We went down to Cobola wildlife refuge and the dove are crazy down there if you know where to look. They planted large fields of wheat and Millett, both are great feed for dove. Opening morning there will be a zoo. After the first massacre things will settle down some and by the afternoon it will be much better. On the 2nd it should still be good shooting with far fewer people. If you were to go there, it is all nontoxic shot on the refuge, no lead at all.

 

[BazookaJoe]

Yuma is probably the best dove hunting in the US so probably worth a trip over there

Growing up, we never missed a season opener just outside of Yuma. Great dove hunting area.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

When I first started dove hunting our group consisted of about ten people and grew a little over the next few years too around fifteen. Skip to present and several have dropped out for various reason, health, moved out of the area or jus lost interest. One couple who I hunted with a lot are not joining us this year because they hate the crowds, to them more than three people is a crowd. When they hunted with us they always broke off from our group and found their own little spot. I'm expecting a real good hunt this year based on what we saw two weeks ago. Now if the storms just hold off until after opener. Everyone going out have a safe and productive hunt.

 

[Stray Horse]

All the areas in the east valley are about gone to little brown boxes in the desert.

 

[Tbonespop]

Just moved to the East Valley from Idaho yesterday and was hoping to get my 11 year old out for some dove hunting come September. Any info on where to start looking for some within an hour or two of Chandler?
I would like to get out before season starts and scout some areas.
Thanks in advance!

We live in Chandler as well. Welcome to the valley! Some areas to check out not too far from you are around the Florence area. If you take 79 south from Florence headed toward Tucson, you can hunt almost that whole area on the way to Tucson on both sides of the road. The dove hunting won't be as good as what you have in Yuma, but you can still find birds. We've had good luck hunting down in Maricopa and Stanfield near the dairy farms. Pretty much any AZ state or BLM area not far from a dairy will have doves. Be advised, you you take your 11 year old out on opening day, make sure they have eye protection and an orange vest. Guaranteed you will get peppered. I don't even go anymore on opening morning. The last two times were damn near like Afghanistan. No way was I taking our son again. We always wait a few days, then go out.

 

[desertdwellerdyl]

Anyone going dove hunting in southeastern AZ. I'll definitely be hitting up some different spots and learning the SE AZ dove scene. I've hunted dove quite a bit in southern NM with success. It's always a ton of fun and my girlfriend loves the dove poppers that she gets to have during the season.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Yup, been going over there for 40 years now. The past several years we have been hunting the Cibola refuge, but we wait until about 9 AM to head over there. We want the crowd to die down some. We were down there two weeks go, billions, and billions of dove on the cut wheat field. The usual spots have good numbers, but nothing like Cibola. Non toxic only on Cibola.

 

[hunting_with_bailey]

PM sent.

 

[Semiwrecker]

Did you end up getting out for some dove? We also have a second dove season in November if you didn’t. I've hunted Wellton Tacna (East - outside Yuma) area for years You don’t have to go out to Yuma for dove. We have plenty of areas here locally that produce great numbers. OnX can help out. Think Corn, Desert, Water.