The Illinois Dove season opens today and this year I made the cut for Lake Sangchris State Park's Day On e of the Dove Season Lottery! Two years ago I was Day 4 and their Day 1-4 daily hours are noon-5. Well I had football practice from 3:30-6:30 so my day ended early around 2:45. Of course Conservation Officers cam around 2pm and checked everything they could check, from Permit to shotgun plugs....so really I hunted from 12-2, took 5 shots and killed two birds. Last year I was day 2 and said screw football, i am staying. Birds were everywhere! So I shot and shot a lot. Year one, I brought 50 shells and shot 5 times, so year two I brought the 45 shells I had left from the year before. I brought home 8 birds. Must have downed another 6-8 that fell into the corn fields (never to be found). I also had a number of birds downed, they flew up and away when I came to pick them up? WTF? Needless to say, I brought home 8 and ran out of shells in time to make it to football even if I didn't want to. This year I am armed with 100 shells! At Sangchris this year, everyone must use #6 shot in steel non-toxic shot. Last year they said 6 to 7 1/2? I am guessing they had a number of birds that fell and flew? I will post my results later tonight. If I limit out (God willing) I will be searching for the perfect deer stand sites. BHOD!
Well, I would be lying if I didn't say I picked my dove site based on bowhunting deer. I wanted to scout deer stand sites and hunt doves at the same time so thats how I picked my site
