Mixes of sunflowers, milo and other grains give doves reason to drop in, and there is sufficient water and tree canopy in the vicinity to provide birds with roosting areas.

"You might not think about some southern or eastern locations being good for mourning doves because hunters sometimes tend to think the parts of the state where big grain field farming is found is better," said Pritchert.

"You can still bring in birds from a long way when you have pockets of food plots, and sometimes depending on how much other farming is going on in the vicinity, those sources of food may be all there is available over a pretty big area.

"Doves have no problem moving a long distance and staying in the area when they find a long-term food source -- something they really like.

"We use the types of food we can grow well, which these birds can use for weeks if they want. Once it gets ripe and they find it, we get them used to coming before the season opens, and that improves the odds for opening day," Pritchert said.

One thing hunters should give some thought are the loads they select for doves in situations where more hunters are in the field. Experienced shooters often go with a slightly bigger, heavier load in order to have better success on birds at longer range. On private field hunts where the numbers are controlled, shooters tend to get shorter-range shots at birds that haven't been goosed along, or forced higher by three other shooters. Public field hunting is different. Many of the shots you get will be behind another shooter's miss, and most doves don't slow down and become more relaxed to come land at your feet after a series of loud bangs beneath them.

Shooting 7 1/2s versus 8s might give you an advantage. They carry a little farther and a little extra powder and knockdown power isn't such a bad thing to have in your pocket if you need it.

TAYLORSVILLE LAKE WMA
There are several decent public dove lands in the Bluegrass Region in central Kentucky, which includes Taylorsville Lake WMA. Even though whitetails get some of the crops grown for doves before they mature, hunters on Taylorsville still seem to do pretty well when the season arrives.

Bottomlands, overgrown fields and woodlands combine to give doves feeding, resting and breeding areas, and quite a bit of other agricultural activity goes on in and around the management area lands.

On the Taylorsville WMA, dove fields are usually planted in the Van Buren bottoms in the Anderson County portion of the area below the SR 248 bridge near the Salt River. This is another non-toxic-shot-only area because of the use of these lands and waters by waterfowl. You won't want to wait until 10 minutes before shooting hours start to arrive. Being there well ahead of time may get you in a better spot to see, and be able to more easily retrieve the birds you knock down.

You'll likely also find a field or two across from the Army Corps of Engineers office in the Spencer County part of the WMA. Either spot should provide some good gunning Pritchert says.

The 2009 edition of the Kentucky Dove Hunting Guide will provide you all the details about hunting Taylorsville and other public areas. It's available at license outlets, or more conveniently for some on the Internet at fw.ky.gov.