Dove hunting: Some opening day numbers around Illinois

Here are the sites in northeast Illinois as well as some of the top sites around the state for the opening day of dove hunting on Thursday.

Overall, it is a bit of a down year, even at the usual top spots, I suspect because of the late summer rains.

Here are the sites I have numbers for so far, listed in order of doves killed per hunter. May add some if I get them.

Site: doves killed, hunters, doves per hunter

Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA: 1,474, 156, 9.4

Green River SWA: 1,281, 145, 8.8

Iroquois SWA:501, 59, 8.5

Matthiessen SP: 695, 109, 6.4

Silver Springs SFWA: 347, 90, 3.9

Des Plaines SFWA: 199, 81, 2.5

Shabbona Lake SP: 77, 31, 2.3

Kankakee River SP: 34, 46, 1.4 (late add)

Chain O’Lakes SP: 2, 16, 0.1

Marseilles SWA: 0, NA, 0.0 Note: Only open Monday through Thursday