Shawn Fliehman of Yuba City and Al Silva and son Mathew Silva of Hayward (right to left) pose with limits of doves they shot at Graylodge SWA on opening day of the 2004 season. Photo by Marvin D. Bibby

The dove opener falls on a weekday this year. Bummer. But that could mean fewer hunters on public lands, right? So, take the day off, grab your shotgun and give one of these spots a try. It could be the best season in years!

It was hot and dry during the September opener for dove last year. In fact it was very hot and very dry for much of last September. That may have made up for the unfavorable rains and left over budget problems which reduced the planted acreage on many state wildlife areas, because for the most part, we enjoyed fairly good shooting throughout the state for the first half of the dove season. While we will not know this season's weather until it gets here, we do know that the state's wildlife areas have planted up a storm for 2005. Upland Bird Stamp money was made available to most state wildlife areas to purchase seed, fertilizer and diesel fuel. And most areas were able to get a good crop in. So, if the weather holds, the season should be great as there is a lot of safflower on prime shooting areas.

California Game & Fish talked to biologists and area managers throughout the state to locate the best picks for unattached hunters. But a word of caution: Conditions on any given shooting area can change quickly. Scout them first, before you decide where to go. Nothing compensates for good scouting. It's part of the hunt.

SACRAMENTO VALLEY
The Upper Butte Basin State Wildlife Area west of Gridley, shot about a three-bird average on opening day last year, says Jerry Bradley, assistant manager. He told California Game & Fish that safflower fields are located in the same general area as last year, and again, the Little Dry Creek area was not planted, although it will be open to dove hunting and some of the bull thistle along interior roads will be mown. Howard Slough has planted 45 acres of safflower in plots along the west side of Butte Creek north of the check station and just north of SR 162 near Butte Creek out of Parking Lot No. 2. A third section has been planted five miles north and east of the check station in the Upper Bronner area. So if you don't mind a walk, this may be worth checking out.

Self-registration and maps will be available at the check station. Llano Seco will have a manned check station again this year on opening day. Expect to find 55 acres of safflower between the check station and Parking Lot 2 and another five acres planted near the northern boundary of the area out of Parking Lot 3. Register and get a map at the check station on Seven Mile Road before walking into the plots.

"It was a good opening. Hunters took close to seven birds each," reports Mike Womack, area manager of Graylodge SWA. "In the years I've been here it's the second best opening we ever had." A lot of hunters would agree. I shot out of Parking Lot 9 last year and the birds were there until late morning -- lots of birds and lots of hunters, forcing me to a secondary spot out in the weeds, trying to short stop them on the way in. But it was still a great hunt and most of us left happy. Tabulations by Graylodge staff indicate that 462 hunters bagged 1,116 doves for a 2.42 dove/hunter average over the course of the early season.

This year Graylodge has planted close to 280 acres of safflower, roughly split between the east side and west side shooting areas. But Mike won't tell us where. "You need to scout if you want to find them," he laughs. That's part of the Graylodge hunt. Expect to find the area crowded the weekend before dove season as experienced hunters search them out.