"It's a very labor-intensive job, but our area managers and staff do a fantastic job of trying to set the table for doves and to accommodate hunters," Pritchert said.

So let's take a look at a few places across the Commonwealth where this kind of work is going on, so you'll know where to scout and investigate the possibility of an opening-day hunt on public lands this season.

SOUTHEAST REGION
Thanks to less productive habitat in the Southeast Wildlife Region, dove-hunting opportunity on both private and public lands here is limited. Hunters will likely do better in finding dove-hunting spots at the western edge of this region, which covers mostly the Appalachian Plateau and a few counties just outside this more forested, mountainous area of Kentucky.

The Green River WMA, though, is one spot of public ground that traditionally offers good early-season hunting. On this 20,500-acre property in and around Green River Lake in Taylor and Adair counties, outside Campbellsville, hunters will find a couple of fields on state Route (SR) 70 just before the SR 76 junction.

Green River WMA usually has 6 to 8 acres in sunflowers or other dove foods, and those fields are kept in topnotch shape up until opening day. It is not a huge area, but is well located and attracts a lot of mourning doves. Hunters can expect to drop several birds, and most will do more shooting than the 10 or so doves they will harvest.

Most of the rest of the public-land dove hunting in this region will come from leased dove fields on private lands. A couple of spots have been reserved for mentor youth dove hunts on the opening Saturday of the season. Adults can hunt these areas by reservation as long as they have a young hunter along with them.

After the mentor hunt, these fields open to the public on specific days during the first week or two of the season, then usually open from mid-September on through most of October. Hunters should watch the KDFWR Web site at www. fw.ky.gov, or contact the agency for reservation information in mid-August. Hunter numbers are limited on mentor hunts, and the one or two opportunities in the Southeast for these type hunts are popular and fill up quickly.

NORTHEAST REGION
The Northeast Region stretches from Pike County northwestward toward Bracken County along the Ohio River. In this zone of counties, most of the best public dove hunting on WMAs is related to the property around Corps of Engineers reservoirs.

Grayson Lake WMA offers a couple of dove-hunting spots that are prepared for opening-day hunting. Hunters have decent success on this area, where bottomland fields pull in birds from surrounding areas.

On areas such as Grayson and Paintsville, or even Yatesville Lake WMAs, hunters should be sure to scout a day or two ahead of time, in late afternoon, to see how many birds are present and perhaps select a place to set up shop. Whichever area looks most promising is the place to arrive early, prior to shooting hours at 11 a.m., and camp out until the birds show up.

Hunting public lands for doves means getting there very early and taking up your position for best results when the action starts. Many sportsmen will take their lunch and make a day of it.

The only other area in the region where raising dove plots is feasible for the KDFWR for public hunting is on Clay or Fleming WMAs. These two areas are so close together they are essentially considered one WMA for management purposes.