# Wayne County Dove Field Rant



## Bigdaddyz (Apr 2, 2012)

Sooooo me and the wife went for a drive to look at the dove fields at Killbuck Wildlife Area....The first one we drove past I noticed they didn't plant a row or two of corn to hide in the middle. Then we went past my favorite field on Clark road and it was the same way!!!! Did they just get lazy or did the cost of corn get so high that they couldn't plant a row of cover? Also at Funk wildlife area why would they plant the dove field facing the drive that everyone walks in?? It just doesn't seem safe AT ALL!! Sorry that was my rant for the day, just feel they stopped caring about dove hunters in Wayne County!!


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

To my understanding because of all the rain in Ohio the ODNR has indicated there were allot of fields that did not get the normal attention this year because they could not get the equipment into the fields. Most fields this year will not be up to caliber of recent years past. Be happy at least they still put in fields on your location. The fields I shot over here northeastern Ohio they do not even plant anymore and I always had birds to shoot at there. Now I have to drive about an hour to find one and hardly ever get a shot !


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## Bigdaddyz (Apr 2, 2012)

That is true....I'm just surprised though that the weather played a big part in it figured they would of had everything planed by then.... Where do u normally hunt if u don't mind me asking??


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

The fields I use to hunt was in Dorset in Ashtabula Co. They always did a nice job and there were plenty of birds. A few years back we had allot of rain and they were unable to get the fields planted. Since then there has been no fields put on that wildlife area. Now I have to drive down to Grand River Wild life area with a mass of others. When you shut down areas you force a larger number of people into a area that can not support the number of shooters safely as well as the quality of the experience becomes less than rewarding. If you want to grow the ranks or even maintain your levels you need to make access better not less. They had made cut backs on what they provide and bad weather only compounds the problem. No matter what the state says the older I have become the access to land public or private has decreased and will continue to do so. Yes we have more Deer and turkey if that's what you choose. I always was an upland game hunter and those populations are long gone unless you drive four hours to find minimum numbers. Pheasant, ruff grouse and more cleaner farming practices has about made it a fast to become an old memory of days gone by . I just wish some of you could of hunted in the late 60's and early 70's. Grouse ran around like chickens and pheasants were very common in natural reproduction here in the northeastern area of Ohio.


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## Bigdaddyz (Apr 2, 2012)

I agree with you...they are just pushing hunters into unsafe situations.....I wish I could of hunted back then lol but in the 60s I was -25 years old....but I remember hearing stories from my uncle and dad about the great grouse and pheasant hunting....now I have to drive 6 hrs north to Michigan every year to get my grouse fix lol....of course our deer and turkey population are so good....they spend a ton of money on things to help the two out because, unlike doves and grouse and pheasants, deer and turkey make the ODNR money because of the tags....I just wish they could go back to caring a little bit more about all the other huntable game in ohio!!


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

Like all government control offices, just follow the money. The sad part the deer became plentiful because of a huge void and tons of land that could support their growth. The turkey also filled a void with help from the WTF and ageing wood lots that the grouse found not to their needs. More open and sterile farming practices removed the hedge rows and everything that use to grow under the corn before the bare earth movement was the end of pheasant reproduction. As well as it seems as of late that most of the money is being spent in the lower half of the state around C bus area and towards Cincy. The population in the lake area counties from Toledo to Ashtabula has seen declining population for the last couple of decades and C bus is growing the fastest in the state. Higher populations will always get the most attention that's just government.


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## massey44 (Mar 11, 2012)

I put out a 2 acre patch of sunflowers and rye im in west of Toledo 20 miles I have seen very few doves feeding in my plot


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

I would think once they start to migrate south out of state up north your fields will see allot of birds. If there is abundant other feed in the area the local birds may not even found them yet. Just got to wait them out. If you plant it they will come.


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