The Ohio Division of Wildlife deserves a pat on the back for its efforts in managing our dove population. The Buckeye State harbors millions of migrant and resident birds every fall, and though success is never guaranteed, good weather can mean some of the best wingshooting of the season is awaiting hunters this month.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Harvest Information Program (HIP) said that an estimated 17,500 Ohio dove hunters took home 307,700 doves during the 2007-08 season. The data showed that a hunter generally made three to five trips afield during the season and harvested as many as five birds per trip.

That's not bad shooting, and a lot of it is the direct result of the ODOW's dove management work.

"We plant a variety of natural foods, depending on what's working in the dove fields in a particular area," said Damon Greer, an ODOW wildlife biologist. "This year the fields will be pretty much in the same places and condition they were in last year, but the weather is always the deciding factor."

Winter wheat, millet, sunflower and corn are the mainstays. Sunflowers often mature after the opener, at least in the northern half of the state, and sometimes they're used specifically because they'll draw doves later in the season.

Here's a look at where the Buckeye State's best dove action will be near you in 2009:

DISTRICT ONE
Delaware Wildlife Area
The word from wildlife biologist Gary Ludwig is that the Delaware Wildlife Area is one of central Ohio's most dependable dove producers.

Some of the region's wildlife areas have been difficult to raise food plots on but Delaware has been the exception.

More good news is that Delaware consistently has good numbers of birds on the opener. The dove fields over the last couple of years have been the best that Ludwig has ever seen. The sunflowers looked good and shooters were ready to go, but the inexplicable happened. The birds passed it up. It was probably because of cold fronts and other weather patterns, but no one knows for sure.

Planted fields will be found on county roads 216 and 220, south of county Road 21, west of the intersection of county Road 250 and township Road 225, on township Road 80 and southeast of the dog training area.

The Delaware WA is at the intersection of U.S. Route 23 and state Route 229 in Delaware and Marion counties north of the city of Delaware.

Deer Creek Wildlife Area
The Deer Creek WA is a dove hunter's paradise. Some 1,000 acres of crops are cultivated every year in the midst of reverting crop fields.

Hunting pressure can be high, but so are the success rates, said Ludwig. Every year, limit hunts during the first two or three days of the season are consistent with the usual strong showing of birds.