Dove hunting season brings thousands of visitors, boosts Yuma economy

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The early dove-hunting season has come to an end, attracting thousands of hunters from across the region.

Dove hunting is a million-dollar industry that continues to generate revenue for the local economy through tourism.

Yuma sees an average of 10,000 dove hunters each season, benefiting local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses.

Visit Yuma says the dove-hunting season plays an important role in the local economy.

"Hunters are booking their hotel rooms a year in advance, so our hotels are filling up with people who come back every single year," said Marcus Carney with Visit Yuma. "Hunters are such methodical creatures of nature...it's something our hotel industry really relies on."

The hotel industry sees a significant increase in business during dove-hunting season.

"We have right around 4,000 hotel rooms. Almost all of those hotel rooms were filled for September 1 for the dove-hunt opener, so our hotels did really well," Carney said. "There were a lot of people sleeping in our hotels."

One of those hotel rooms was booked by Kirk Cowan, a San Diego resident who has been coming to Yuma to hunt for more than 30 years.

"We usually stay in a hotel. I think this year, we stayed at the Springfield because it was close to where we knew we were going to hunt," Cowan said. "The main reason we knew where we wanted to hunt was because we went to Sprague's, and I met the best guy I've ever met, named Ken, who showed us where to go."

Cowan said some of the best times of his life have been spent hunting with his family and friends.

"It's something that builds a bond different than anything else. We live in a concrete world, even in San Diego, and to get out and do things like that is so important in life...and for your children to experience something different," Cowan said.

The next wave of hunters is expected to return for the late dove-hunting season, which begins November 20 and runs through January 3, 2027.