Dove hunting in Mexico is a huge deal every year, and hunters will pay a pretty penny for a dove hunting package across the border. Argentina hosts even bigger dove hunting events, but it’s much more cost-effective to purchase a guided dove hunting expedition into Mexico.
A typical package comes to $250 per day if you have a minimum number of hunters with you. As with most things, the more people you bring along, the cheaper the package for everyone. If that were all there was to it, the popularity of dove hunting in Mexico would diminish.
Your money goes for more than just shooting doves in the early morning hours. There are usually some additional incentives in a single package, like open bars and restaurants or a free night’s stay in a lodge. Regardless of the package, the central theme is hunting morning and white-winged doves.
Guide to Dove Hunting in Mexico
What Part of Mexico has the Best Dove Hunting
Several places in Mexico compete for the label of “best place for hunting dove.” Most of the hunting Americans enjoy in Mexico takes place on private ranches in a variety of towns.
El Fuerte River Valley, Sinaloa
The ranches here are sitting in a massive dove habitat with private hunting fields everywhere. One of the major, private hunting packages on offer in the El Fuerte River Valley, comes from Hidalgo Ranch.
Hidalgo Ranch offers your own, private bird hustler and a lodge that provides meals, beer, margaritas, and other refreshments as a part of the overall package.
La Marina Del Rio
Sitting on a huge nesting ground for white-winged doves, La Marina Del Rio offers dining, lodging at a top-grade facility, and world-class wingshooting. La Marina Del Rio is situated along the Laguna Madre, a hypersaline lagoon on the Mexican West Coast.
Yaqui Valley
Several competitors are claiming to be the best place for dove hunting in Mexico. But, historically, the Yaqui Valley is the best. Just about any dove hunting south of the border involves guided expeditions, and hunts in Yaqui Valley are no exception.
The western side of Yaqui Valley is where all of the action is, and it covers millions of acres of real estate. When dove season rolls around each year, the valley is packed with various guided dove hunts.
How much is a dove hunt in Mexico
The prices vary, but you can expect to pay several thousand dollars to hunt dove in Mexico. That’s assuming you bring all of your gear, including your shotgun. Most lodges will work with you to obtain your firearm permit in Mexico, so you don’t have to go elsewhere to do it. The base price varies, however, depending on where you go.
- GetDucks.com—$3,250 for 6 dove hunting sessions, flight, and a 4-night, 3-day stay
- Rancho Mescalero—$2,000 to $2,400 for a 4, 5, or 6-night stay
- Los Mochis, Mexico—$2,790 for 3 nights and 4 hunts or $3,190 for 4-nights and 6 hunts
That will give you a pretty good idea of what you’re looking at. Some places will provide you with a guided tour for much cheaper prices, so long as you have several people in your party and you won’t take advantage of any additional services, like lodging and dining.
Bag limit
The bag limit in Mexico is much larger than anything you will find in the United States. Between August 21 and October 18 (dove hunting season in Mexico), the bag limits are 40 per day for white-wing or morning dove.
There is no extra limitation on white-wing versus morning doves. However, morning dove season ends earlier on December 8. After December 8, you can only legally shoot and bag white-wing doves. The possession limitation is 120 for either a combination of white-wing and morning dove.
While this law applies to most Mexican states, you might want to check up on it before you leave. If you are joining guided expeditions, which most Americans traveling to Mexico for dove season do, they will already know the bag limit and won’t allow you to take more.
Bottom line
While it’s a lot of fun hunting dove in Mexico, it’s also very costly, even if you forego the extra amenities that most of the clubs across the border have to offer. Your bag limits are a lot larger than they are in the US, and that’s an added advantage to go with the expense.
If you’re lucky, you know a landowner in Mexico who can jump into dove hunting season at a low cost. For most people, the only option is to go through a club. These clubs also offer a lot more than just dove.
For the most part, they offer ducks, geese, quail, and whitetail deer hunting expeditions as well. One thing is for sure, if you pay that kind of money, it’s going to be a pretty fantastic vacation, and you can bring home more dove than you ever could in the US.
Don’t forget to visit the OutdoorWorld Reviews homepage for more expert information and dove hunting tips!
