Arkansas Valley Doves

Arkansas Valley Doves offers 200 acres of private dove hunting just outside Rocky Ford, Colorado, in Otero County and GMU 125. Roughly a mile of Arkansas River frontage runs through the property, and that river corridor keeps birds moving across it all season.

Tall cottonwoods along the river give mourning doves a place to roost, while the surrounding grassland, cropland, and field edges give them somewhere to feed. That daily trip between roost, water, and food sets up natural flight lanes, and a hunter tucked into a field edge or along the tree line can expect steady traffic from first light. Eurasian collared doves work the same ground, adding birds to the bag on any given morning.

Getting in is simple. Park and take a short walk onto the property. There are no blinds on site, so bring a bucket, a few decoys, and some shade, then pick your spot along the field edges or the river corridor. Your party of up to six has the property to itself for the day.

Hunts are booked as single days. You will need a Colorado small game license, a Habitat Stamp, and a HIP number, all sold over the counter with no draw. Lodging, fuel, and food are minutes away in Rocky Ford, with more options in La Junta. Several smaller public hunting areas within a short drive make it easy to turn a day here into a full weekend of shooting.

The Arkansas River Valley around Rocky Ford is some of the most productive dove country in Colorado. River bottom, croplands, and weedy field edges give mourning doves everything they need in one place: cottonwood roosts, open ground to feed on, and reliable water.

Dove hunting in Colorado rewards hunters who get out early. The best shooting usually comes in the first weeks of the season in September, before cold fronts push birds south, so book your day early. Mornings and late afternoons, when birds travel between roost, water, and feed, are prime time on the field edges and along the tree line.

Eurasian collared doves live here year round. These larger, non-native doves are classified as invasive in Colorado, with no closed season and no bag limit, so they add to a mourning dove hunt and give you a reason to come back after the regular season closes. Mourning and white-winged doves follow state seasons and bag limits, so know your birds before you pull the trigger.

Reservation fees are due at the time of booking and are non-refundable. Outdoorsman fees will automatically process 48 hours prior to the adventure - it is the responsibility of the party organizer to invite their guests to the hunt prior to 48 hours before, so charges can process smoothly.

For waterfowl, fishing, and other small game adventures, cancellations made 48 hours or more prior to the scheduled adventure will not be charged. Cancellations made within 48 hours of the adventure will be charged the full outdoorsman fee.

If there is a lapse in availability, please do not be discouraged to reach out to IO. All calendars are set and managed by landowners, and unavailability is set by them. However, IO is willing to reach out on your behalf, to check on available dates. Other reasons for unavailable dates include biologist recommended hunter/harvest quotas that landowners implement, as well as state season dates not being released.

You are not legally allowed to access the property, for any adventure, prior to your selected access day. If you try to access the property at all before your selected date(s), without prior approval from IO, you will be subject to trespassing and punishments therein.

To hunt mourning and white-winged doves in Colorado, you need a small game license (annual or one-day), a Habitat Stamp, and a HIP number written on your license. Eurasian collared doves do not require a license. Licenses are available at cpw.state.co.us or any license agent.

Check current dove season dates, bag limits, and shooting hours in the CPW Small Game and Waterfowl Brochure at cpw.state.co.us before your hunt.