# Food plots for doves



## Wado (May 15, 2011)

I want to plant some sunflowers and millet to add to the wild sunflowers I should have emerging this spring if it rains down at my place east of Pearsall.I had a pretty good stand of them years ago but the guy farming my place sprayed them to clean out the wheat he planted.Talked to the seed place in Blessing and he said they been selling bird seed to plant.Cheapest route and they come up.I read an article where a fellow did one acre with some kind of hybrid and took right at 1000 birds last year off of it.Anyway, open for suggestions.


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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

Man that was hard to read, remember spaces after your periods and commas.

Some tips, certificated seed wasn't worth the cost for me. Get the small black oil sunflower and then brown top millet. Good luck keeping deer, etc. out of the food plot. When you get them to come up, mow about two weeks before season starts in strips as short as you can.

Good luck.

Not sure how many of these links still work, I had them saved in an e-mail many moons ago.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw265
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw267
http://www.qu.org/quis2/News_Details.cfm?Chapter_ID=0&State_ID=24&Chapter_News_ID=97
http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/la...nt-and-improvement/food-plots/sunflowers-wild


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

Don't tell anybody but my wife teaches business computer classes at our high school and I type like a caveman. My first reply didn't work so here it goes again. My plan is to use a slinger and drag to plant, not a seed drill so I was wondering about how many pounds per acre. Some say five pounds some say five to twelve. I have 100 acres for this but don't want to spend a fortune so I will do strips. I planted some for ornamental purposes here one time and not too many came up. I did read where some were hard to germinate and not to plant too deep. I guess that is about it and will look at the links before I go blind. Also, if you sling the seeds I guess you are at the mercy of the birds until they sprout. I know what seagulls can do to a bag of popcorn.


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

first off, who owns the land?
you mentioned a farmer spraying "your" sunflower plot.


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## Goags (May 28, 2004)

We've used this in the past in Gonzales Co. w/ decent results...it's all about timely rainfall and making it large enough to counteract the deer feeding on the shoots. They also have the black peredovic sunflower seed.

http://www.pogueagri.com/bird_buffet_spring_blend.aspx


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Thanks for all the great information, I was thinking of doing the same planting (sunflowers) at my property outside of Fowlerton, Tx.


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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

Wado said:


> Don't tell anybody but my wife teaches business computer classes at our high school and I type like a caveman. My first reply didn't work so here it goes again. My plan is to use a slinger and drag to plant, not a seed drill so I was wondering about how many pounds per acre. Some say five pounds some say five to twelve. I have 100 acres for this but don't want to spend a fortune so I will do strips. I planted some for ornamental purposes here one time and not too many came up. I did read where some were hard to germinate and not to plant too deep. I guess that is about it and will look at the links before I go blind. Also, if you sling the seeds I guess you are at the mercy of the birds until they sprout. I know what seagulls can do to a bag of popcorn.


I never used a drill either, just disked it up then used a drag to semi cover it. Sunflower come up very easy and with a little rain, you are golden. I had less luck with brown top, but I like it was due to the soil and water issue. We tried some jap millet on the mud flatts at the tank and they came up like weeds, until the **** deer and cow ate them.

I don't remember how much I used per acre, been too long. Mine was at a weekend place, so I didn't get to see it every day and don't know how the birds were about eating it.


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## Mr Duck (Dec 20, 2012)

x2 on Drundel - sunflower/disc/drag and pray for rain. we also threw in milo - tried certified seed once but now worth $. Before season shreaded strips only thing was birds always semed to fall in the uncut stands. Murphys Law I guess


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

Lots of good stuff. Disc, plant, drag and do a rain dance. I own the land but had it leased to farming. I made the farmer a good deal on it to keep the land worked. Previous years I had another rancher planting oats and grazing steers on it in the winter. The drought has put an end to the farming and grazing so I have got to do something to offset expenses and dove hunting popped up. If the pigs don't eat them up the sunflowers may bring in a few bucks. I still have about sixty acres to disc and six feet at a time is slow at a little over two acres per hour. Like I said do some strips and see what happens. Many thanks.


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

sesame is pretty drought resistant and doves love it.
that wild bird mix sounds good, too.
native teaweed is also some of the best for mourning doves.


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## Fishin' Texas Aggie 05 (May 27, 2012)

One thing we used with great results was a mix of different kinds of millet.


It grows low to the ground and has lots of liitle seeds. Buy planting a variety you staged germination of the mature seed


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## pepo211 (May 1, 2007)

If you wanna make the doves go crazy plant the sesame as one of the earlier posters stated. If you are looking to plant sunflowers to hunt you can buy cheap 50 bucks a bag usually have about 220,000 seed per bag and an acre rate is usually around 15,000. But the birds will usually pass you buy. I sell seeds to guys from here to the valley and they plant sunflowers intended for harvest to our north. They have branded technology and usually run about 300 per bag but ask anyone I sell to and they will tell you the doves like them more because they are generally easier for the doves to eat. Small black oilseed. hope this helps and good luck. Remember when starting dove plots it usually takes a bit for them to find you.


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## Tx_Biologist (Sep 7, 2012)

Easiest and most cost effective food plot is to put in plain old birdseed, price around and most AG stores like tractor supply are the cheapest. Mix in a bag of black oil sunflower seed. You'll need to prep the soil by discing, but broadcast on top and drag to cover up. Don't worry it'll do good on its own just look in backyards under bird feeders and you'll see plenty of germination for the cost. I can't help you on the deer because they'll eat it as fast as it will come up if you can't fence them out. All you need is rain.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

Just in case anybody else is going to plant sunflowers for next fall here it is. I called Pogue Seed Company in Kenedy Texas today and here are some prices. Brown top millet 50 lbs. $37.00, Black Peredovic Sunflower 50 lbs. $33.00 and Sesame Seed two bucks a pound. Very friendly fellow and I am looking forward to doing business there.


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## Mojo281 (Sep 7, 2006)

I'm not trying to be a Junior Game Warden, but y'all should know that it is illegal to manipulate (shred) any type of agricultural crop (other than sunflowers or voluntary millet) and hunt migratory birds over it... It's considered baiting by federal law. Might want to read the Texas Outdoor Annual...

Just wanted to warn ya before you and your friends get expensive tickets.


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## Brad Beaulieu (May 10, 2006)

Mojo281 said:


> I'm not trying to be a Junior Game Warden, but y'all should know that it is illegal to manipulate (shred) any type of agricultural crop (other than sunflowers or voluntary millet) and hunt migratory birds over it... It's considered baiting by federal law. Might want to read the Texas Outdoor Annual...
> 
> Just wanted to warn ya before you and your friends get expensive tickets.


Rules are different for dove, maybe you're thinking of waterfowl. Never seen a specific reference to sunflower or vol. millet.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/regulations/fish_hunt/hunt/migratory/
Tried to download the regulations and definitions of baited vs. planted and manipulated. Find the Migratory Game Birds on the link if it doesn't direct you there. Haven't tried it.


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

Mojo281 said:


> I'm not trying to be a Junior Game Warden, but y'all should know that it is illegal to manipulate (shred) any type of agricultural crop (other than sunflowers or voluntary millet) and hunt migratory birds over it... It's considered baiting by federal law. Might want to read the Texas Outdoor Annual...
> 
> Just wanted to warn ya before you and your friends get expensive tickets.


This does not apply to the doves


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

If you have deer in the area they will eat the sunflower as they are coming up ....

I have seen it happen in Dilley .... thats if you can get it to rain...


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

I found the definitions of baiting, crops and manipulating as per TPWD but for some reason that link doesn't work. Oh well, not doing anything illegal so proceeding as such. We have a few deer and a whole bunch of pigs but they got to eat too. If it doesn't rain it won't matter. Right next door to an irrigated coastal hay farm so maybe the deer will stay over there. Since I took my water trough out of the pens our pack of yard does thinned out. Got some videos of turkeys coming through the yard. Thirteen in one bunch. Like the sign says coming out of Beeville, PRAY FOR RAIN.


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## Roostor (Jul 17, 2006)

The only dove that it would not apply to would be the ring neck or pharoe doves...mourning doves are considered migratory game birds, and if you hunt over baited or manipulated fields, a Texas State Game Warden will give you a citation!


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

Roostor said:


> The only dove that it would not apply to would be the ring neck or pharoe doves...mourning doves are considered migratory game birds, and if you hunt over baited or manipulated fields, a Texas State Game Warden will give you a citation!


Baited as in spilling grain to attract the birds? Yes, that is illegal. Planting a crop for the specific reason of attracting doves, duck or geese to kill them is perfectly legal.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

There is one gray area in the definitions in TPWD Migratory Game Birds regulations as to manipulation, shredding and such, and it states alteration of "natural" vegetation or crops. In other words if you have a field of native sunflowers or dove weed or whatever you can run over it with a shredder and sling it everywhere. Only after harvest may "crops" be manipulated. As long as the crops are there and not manipulated pre- harvest, hunting doves is perfectly legal and waterfowl and cranes also. Here is the catch. If you plant rice, wheat, sunflowers or whatever and before bird season starts you "manipulate" without harvesting as described by The Department Of Agriculture you have committed a no no. Every year on Buffalo Road in Matagorda County there is sesame planted for this purpose. The corner of 1862 and 35, same thing. I got to asking around and found out it's legal if done right. One of our game wardens here drives right down Buffalo to go home. It's all good, just don't sit on the tailgate of your truck and shoot doves. Or out of a high rack in a jeep. Quail is a different story.


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## Benny (May 21, 2004)

http://forages.tamu.edu/PDF/E569 Normal Agricultural Operations and Dove Hunting in Texas.pdf

Explains it well


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

Best bet is to call the TPWD Regional Office and talk to them personally. Tell them exactly what you want to do and they will tell you exactly what you can do..sometimes it gets real gray in here.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Any of yall ever plant bundleflower ? Its great for birds and also deer love it. Also its perrineal(sp).(comes up every year.)


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Thanks for sharing!


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## Goags (May 28, 2004)

Here's some of the Pogue bird buffet blend from a 5-25-07 pic., back when we got occasional rain in Gonzales Co. Dry as a bone now, and not planting.


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## Cap10 (Mar 3, 2005)

Doves and Waterfowl are totally different.

Doves: You can plant, shred, disk, burn, graze, and manipulate a dove food plot all you want and it is perfectly legal. Basically the only thing you can not do is pour seed out onto the ground and hunt over it.

Waterfowl: You can plant a food plot but you can not disk, shred, burn, put cattle on it, partially harvest it, or manipulate the crop in any way once the plant has seed on it. Basically the only thing you can do is plant it and let it go and not touch it again. You can manipulate native, non-planted, vegetation.

This is it in a nut shell.

We plant a lot of dove food plots and have some outstanding success. Our best food plots are basic plots planted in Milo. Planting sunflowers can be risky business. They do not like moisture and soil that drains poorly. Most of the soil on the coast retains moisture and many areas drain poorly thus making sunflowers okay, but not the best. Milo is about $11.00/50 lbs bag VS the ~$35.00/50 lbs bag. Anyways, if you have any questions, need help, or would like to visit about dove food plots feel free to call me at 361-235-0100.

Will Granberry, Owner
Avian Skies, LLC
http://www.avianskies.com
https://www.facebook.com/avianskies


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## marsh bandit (Aug 17, 2011)

I don't think your going to have to worry about to much rain down here in south tx. We plant sunflowers on 5 acres in Cotulla and have great shoots. The neighbor has some 100+ acres tracts with just ole goatweed and does even better


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