re: Planting Dove Field... What do you plant?

From an LSU Ag publication:

As the heat cranks up, the outside chores really get to be a chore. The hunters I know are dreaming of cool frosty mornings and getting back into the woods.

The first opportunity for most hunters to get back to their outdoor adventure is dove hunting. Many hunters will set aside a plot of land especially for dove hunting.

Doves feed on small seeds and the standard for most dove hunters is brown top millet.

Brown top millet is an annual warm season grass. It can be planted from April through August. It requires about 60 days to reach maturity and is cut for hay when the seeds start to head. Millet is a dove hunter’s favorite because it is a prolific seed producer that can yield up to 1200 pounds of seed per acre.

I would go ahead and plant soon to be ready for the first of September. First, prepare a good seed bed by plowing the field. Next I would fertilize the field with about 300 pounds of 13-13-13 fertilizer per acre. Then broadcast seed at the rate of 20-30 pounds of seed per acre and harrow or roll the field to get good soil/seed contact.

In approximately 60 days you can cut the field for hay or you can cut and then burn the plant material off. Doves are not good scratchers like turkeys and they do not like to perch on standing plants to eat seed heads. They prefer to feed in clean fields with seeds lying on the ground in an open area to accommodate their short legs.

You can cut the field or a portion of the field 10 -14 days prior to hunting to give the doves a chance to find the field. Nonmigratory doves are reported to fly up to 12 miles to reach a feeding field.

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Slickback

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when we planting yours?

Mine is in Mississippi. 5 acres aint hardly enough for many people either. Its kind of a family shoot and I am trying to head the charge of carrying on the tradition.

I may try to burn some this year after all... I am kind of experimenting to see what works best in my area anyway. Maybe burn a strip and leave another strip. The Sunflowers make it nice to hide in, so I leave them the first hunt then cut them down and scatter those.

The jap millet is really white compared to brown top. Hoping the birds can locate it better.

i can borrow one for us, but i'll for sure see you thursday. we'll coordinate then

Another question for the OB...

My dove field used to be in the middle of around 200 acres of open cow pastures. Around 100 of the acres next to my field has been planted in pines. My dove numbers have decreased yearly since they were planted.
Has this type of planting affected anyone else?

i'll talk to my uncle this weekend about his, he'll probably tell me to take tractor and disks

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I am surprised by the milo recs

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Yea, milo is not all that great. Except for a few day periord when it has gotten wet and is in the begining stages of rotting. Then they'll kill it. They'll certainly eat milo, but it won't be their top choice. I'll never plant it primarily for killing doves again. Tried it last year and it sucked.

throw you some salt and crushed oyster shells in there early too! Disk alot though haha

Those ringnecks are money....No limit and easy to shoot.

I missed the email myname@gmail.com. That would be great. In the past I traveled out of state a lot for work. I am traveling instate now and am looking for a place that I can stop by from time to time in the afternoons and make a hunt. It seems that most people make a hunt or two and call it quits. I am looking to be able to hunt sporadically throughout the season but will take anything I can get...