I should report my findings in talking with a number of knowledgeable
Ohioans--and folks in Michigan and Ontario--about the distribution of
chuck-will's-widows. I had felt my trusty Natl Geo field guide to North
America was too stingy in depicting its distribution in the region, and
I learned a lot.
        That field guide accurately depicts its distribution in a reliable area
during the breeding season, and if you just have to hear and maybe see
one, it's the best bet. However, you could surprised to see--or more
likely hear--one elsewhere throughout Ohio, throughout Michigan, or even
in Ontario. The maps in the Sibley field guides are more accurate in
showing its distribution, displaying occurrences many miles north of its
dependable Adams County haunts. Matt Anderson tells me the Toledo area,
for example, has at least seven records, one in June, the rest in May.
The oddball specimens from the Cincinnati area in January and February
remain to be explained.
        I heard from many folks who felt they were lucky to have heard  males
calling (mostly on dry evenings) in spring in many out-of-the-way spots
in Ohio and Michigan, and even some others--don't forget those 37
records at Point Pelee. It seems that chucks maintain their populations
by doing a lot of exploration. Their calls are a lot louder than those
of most other birds present, so males can spread farther and wider and
still attract mates. They are adapted to swampy areas and dry pine
plantations alike. The birth of young causes them to stop calling, which
makes the season of assessing their population by vocalization a short one.
        At any rate, the range of this bird extends well beyond Adams County,
and while you'll likely come up short looking for it elsewhere in the
state, you could get lucky anywhere.
Bill Whan
Columbus


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