No need to travel far for excellent dove hunting

Arizona Game and Fish Department sent this bulletin at 08/27/2026 04:26 PM MST

Aug. 27, 2026

No need to travel far for excellent dove hunting

City of Buckeye welcomes hunters for season opener

PHOENIX — With dove season right around the corner, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) wants to remind Valley hunters that there is no need to travel far for an excellent dove hunting experience.

Each year, AZGFD partners with the City of Buckeye, local businesses, wildlife organizations and private landowners to bring exciting wingshooting action and events to the area. The Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce has a great resource page that lists dove events and highlights restaurants that provide cleaning stations and hotels that offer discounts to dove hunters.

Opening week events include a hunter’s brunch and competition for the biggest dove, bingo night with the National Wild Turkey Federation and a dove cook-off and pint night hosted by Arizona Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. For more information, including hunting area maps and events, visit buckeyeaz.gov/dove.

Two spots to note: The Robbins Butte Wildlife Area provides access and plenty of opportunity for hunters, while the nearby Joe Foss Shooting Complex is a great place to bust some clays in preparation for opening day.

Make sure to check out the Outdoor Skills Network for a variety of dove season outings for all skill levels. From beginner events that introduce gun safety, bird identification, hunting tips and proper field care to meet-up opportunities for more seasoned hunters, there’s something for everyone. Plus, each event is led by an experienced hunting mentor.

Before you head out, read the 2026-2027 Arizona Dove and Band-tailed Pigeon Regulations and make sure you have a valid Arizona hunting license, as well as a migratory bird stamp — both of which can be purchased at www.azgfd.com/license/. A combination hunt and fish license for youth hunters 10 to 17 is only $5 and includes a migratory bird stamp. Hunters under 10 years old do not need a hunting license when accompanied by a licensed adult (two children per adult).

Dove hunters play an important role in conservation. Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program funds are excise taxes collected on the sale of hunting and fishing equipment (including 11 percent on ammunition), the benefit of which comes right back to Arizona for habitat improvements, shooting ranges, boating access and more.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department receives no general fund tax dollars. The majority of funding to manage more than 800 native wildlife species comes from Arizona's hunters and anglers.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, or disability in its programs and activities. This agency receives Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including its employment practices, the individual may file a complaint alleging discrimination directly with the AGFD Ombudsman, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086, (623) 236-7373 or Office of Civil Rights, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.

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