Wet spring dampened dove prospects: Field conditions at some Illinois public sites

In better times, these lines would be loaded with doves instead of the two that were typical on a Sunday evening drive. | Dale Bowman

Here are some field conditions at nearby and some Downstate public sites ranked in order of prospects. Opening day in Illinois for dove hunting is Sunday.

Silver Springs SFWA: Best local sunflowers, not seeing many doves, but ``tons of food’’

Iroquois County SWA: Good sunflowers, first year of permit system

Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA: Sunflowers planted, but only came up in fields 1, 2, 3 and 6; so no rotating odd-even fields this year.

Matthiessen SP: No sunflowers, planted proso millet.

Des Plaines SFWA: No sunflowers, wheat planted on west fields (not using usual fields)

Kankakee River SP: No sunflowers, wheat planted, some millet, foxtail

Shabbona SRA: No sunflowers, instead millet

Green River SWA: No sunflowers, instead millet, winter wheat and sudex (sorghum-sudangrass hybrid)

Chain O’Lakes SP: Millet still green

Marseilles SWA: No fields planted