(NOTE: Adjusted the chart so it is all hunters, doves, dph).
Across the northern part of Illinois, it was a down opening day for dove hunters at virtually all public sites, even the traditional hotspots.
There was even one blank and one near-blank for the opener, the first I ever remember that happening on opening day.
The best I heard of was Green River State Wildlife Area with 119 hunters taking 891 doves for an average of 7.5 doves per hunter.
By opening day numbers most years, that would fall in the middle, not be leading.
But it is an odd year. Kankakee River State Park was close to Green River with 316 doves taken by 44 hunters for an average of 7.2 doves per hunter.
Here are the numbers I pulled and listed in order of success for northeast Illinois and some traditional top spots.
Green River SWA:119 hunters, 891 doves, 7.5 doves per hunter.
Kankakee River SP:44, 316, 7.2
Matthiessen SP:99, 505, 99, 5.1
Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA:136, 657, 4.8
Des Plaines SFWA:87, 347, 87, 4.0
Silver Springs SFWA:75, 159, 2.1
Iroquois County SWA:63, 119, 1.9
Shabbona Lake SP:51, (most hunters left early, only one group stayed), 2, 0
Chain O’Lakes SP:16, 0, 0
Marseilles SFWA:No draw, check-in at gates. No sunflowers or millet. No numbers on opening day. NOTE: The site is NOT open Friday, Saturday or Sunday over the Labor Day weekend.
Mazonia SFWA:Closed this year for dove hunting.
