# Milo for doves



## texasair (May 22, 2004)

I have a a some acreage in a county west of Houston and was thinking about planting a couple of acres of milo to bring in some doves to introduce grandkids to dove hunting.

We do have some cattle on the property and at some point would allow the cattle into the milo patch for grazing, but the primary purpose would be for doves.

I know that scattering grain on the ground is baiting. Is growing your own considered baiting?


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## geneaustin (Jun 17, 2014)

*Baiting*

*Baiting* (the following baiting rules have been established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service):


A hunter *MAY* hunt any migratory game bird: 
over standing crops, standing flooded crops and flooded harvested crops 
at any time over natural vegetation that has been manipulated 
where seeds or grains have been scattered as a result of normal agricultural planting, harvesting or post-harvest manipulation 
over crops or natural vegetation where grain has been inadvertently scattered as a result of entering or leaving the field, placing decoys or retrieving downed birds 
using natural vegetation or crops to conceal a blind, provided that if crops are used, no grain or other feed is exposed, deposited, distributed or scattered in the process 
*except water fowl and cranes* where grain or other feed has been distributed or scattered as the result of the manipulation of a crop or livestock feeding

A hunter *MAY NOT*: 
hunt migratory birds with the aid of bait, or on or over any baited area 
hunt over any baited area until 10 days after all baiting materials have been removed 
hunt waterfowl or cranes over manipulated planted millet, unless the millet was planted more than one year prior to hunting 
hunt waterfowl or cranes over crops that have been manipulated, unless the manipulation is a normal agricultural planting, harvesting or post-harvest manipulation


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## lx22f/c (Jun 19, 2009)

Perfectly legal. Plant it and enjoy the hunting. Shred strips in it about 10 days before the season and they (doves) will find it. Keep shredding for as long as you want to hunt. You will have doves if they are in the area. Good luck


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## duckmania (Jun 3, 2014)

Consider sesame also. Been hunting some sesame fields the last few years and it is crazy. Or sunflowers.


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## Spots and Dots (May 23, 2004)

Would you be interested in leasing?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

Make sure the cattle can't get into the milo until you want them in there.

The baiting regs for doves are different that for waterfowl...

http://www.fws.gov/le/dove-hunting-and-baiting.html


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## bg (May 21, 2004)

For dove, you can do anything except for harvest the crop and redistribute the seed on the ground. Shredding, etc. is just fine.

I'm planting a mix of peredovik sunflower and brown top millet for mine. I'm going to plant in mid April, mid May and mid June with the hope of having seed on the ground from mid Sep - mid Nov with 3 shreddings.


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## ddakota (Jun 28, 2009)

ditto on the cows...... I fought them for 20 yrs on my lease trying to plant food plots for dove. If they can get to it, they will wipe out all of your hard work in a day.


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## 30inClub (Jan 31, 2013)

X2 on the shredding strips. Had some of my best and most memorable hunts in a shredded milo field. Especially if there is water/pond near by!


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

ddakota said:


> ditto on the cows...... I fought them for 20 yrs on my lease trying to plant food plots for dove. If they can get to it, they will wipe out all of your hard work in a day.


Sunflowers, milo, millet, the cows will eat it all.

But they won't touch smartweed or croton (goat weed) and those grow naturally. Nearly everywhere, all you have to do is disk the soil and they come up without needing to be planted.


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## Cap10 (Mar 3, 2005)

Cows: Put a hot wire up around the food plot with a solar charger. If your battery goes dead the cows will walk through the wire and break it and in the process string it across the pasture. Also don't want to risk having it get wrapped up around their foot or leg and injuring the animal.

Legalalities: Plant it, grow it, shred or disk it. All perfectly legal for doves. Doves are different than Waterfowl and follow different regulations. If in doubt, or need clarificaton, contact the game warden for your county and ask for clarification. The info is also readily available online.

What to plant: Milo is easiest and most readily recognized by doves. Both WW and Mourning will be attracted to it. Don't get fancy with the food you put in the plot. Keep it simple with what you plant. I will tell you this. Spend the money to get certified seed with some science behind it. We use Dekalab seed. It's expensive but it will produce. Why go to all that work of seed bed prep and hot wire runnin' to put something out that isn't going to sprout because you "saved a few dollars" by using "chicken scratch" you purchased at your local feed store. Get it in the ground my mid May and plant 5 lbs to the acre if your broadcasting it.

Hope this helps.


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## barbless (Jul 27, 2004)

my place is north of Del Rio and very rocky and I do not have equipment to disk. Is there anything that will work to just broadcast out that'll come up after a rain and bring in the doves? I do have lots of dove weed which may be my best bet.


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## Cap10 (Mar 3, 2005)

Another option may be the use of watering holes since you do not have access to much equipment. It can be as simple as over flowing a cattle watering trough starting at the end of July. 

However, there are numerous types of atv impliments(sp?) that are capable of doing quality habitat management. A small pull behind disk and small sprayer will certainly help get you going in the right direction.


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## bg (May 21, 2004)

For anyone interested, my fertilizer supplier has peredovik black seed sunflower at $30 for 50lb and brown top millet at $40 for 50lb, it's TDA certified seed and about 1/2 the cost of what you will find if for elsewhere. I'm happy to order some for anyone and you can just reimburse me. Planting rate for both is 50lb/acre broadcast or 10lb/acre with a drill or planter. 

They also have yellow dent corn (deer corn) for $47 per 50lb.

They don't have any milo.

They'll deliver to my shop in Tomball and I'll work with you to get it picked up.


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## barbless (Jul 27, 2004)

Cap, 10-4 on the water. I installed this small trough last year on a flat area that has lots of dove weed. Everything drinks out of it.


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Nice watering hole, any idea what the name brand is?


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## barbless (Jul 27, 2004)

I don't know the name or maker but i got it from Mummie's feed store in Hondo. It's pretty bullet proof but that SOB is heavy. I strained my milk setting it up.


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## ccrocker1313 (Oct 23, 2005)

*1st Black Oil Sunflower, they must be in the ground by May 1st .. *

*You can't keep them away from them with a shotgun ... *

*2nd Best Milo or Sesame Seed in a combo it's better than Sunflower's ....*


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## CCRanch (Jul 8, 2006)

I'm gonna plant an acre or so in sunflowers. Ground is already disced up. Do I just scatter the seed or do I need to disc the seed in or run a roller over it?


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## KIKO (Oct 24, 2006)

Look for sweet milo, it has a longer stems that grows about 8ft tall and can't keep wildlife off it.


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## bg (May 21, 2004)

CCRanch said:


> I'm gonna plant an acre or so in sunflowers. Ground is already disced up. Do I just scatter the seed or do I need to disc the seed in or run a roller over it?


Broadcast and drag it to cover the seed about 1/2". We just did some at a friend's last week and he drug a piece of chain link fence over it. 5 days later, it was sprouting.


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## bg (May 21, 2004)

Here is what my buddy did after a week, all Peredovik Sunflower in this photo. His browntop millet is coming up as well, about a 2 days behind the sunflowers.


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## Fishdude52 (Apr 4, 2015)

This is an interesting thread, as I'm thinking about doing the same on my farm outside Victoria. But I get conflicting reports from game wardens in different areas about what defines "normal harvest". Seems like a slippery slope, and the risk is high if you are wrong. Anyone have first-hand advice from a warden?


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## bg (May 21, 2004)

Read this - http://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/dove_management/dove_management_texas.pdf

It covers baiting and such, and the rules are different for dove than for waterfowl. For dove, the only thing you can not do is harvest the seed and redistribute it on the ground. Everything else is fine.


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## bg (May 21, 2004)

It was a lot of work to get them planted, mostly due to equipment problems, but a couple of weeks later and the sunflowers are looking good (pics 1 and 2). The millet is coming in nicely as well (pic 3).

There are thousands of dove down here right now, of course I'm sure they'll all disappear in September...


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## Shooter (Jun 10, 2004)

Looks good bg. I went to the ranch last Thursday to disk it again and got over an inch of rain Thursday night. I'll give it another try in a week on so. Not being able to disk did give me enough time to take a couple of hogs though. LOL


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## Part Timer (Jul 2, 2012)

bg said:


> Read this - http://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/dove_management/dove_management_texas.pdf
> 
> It covers baiting and such, and the rules are different for dove than for waterfowl. For dove, the only thing you can not do is harvest the seed and redistribute it on the ground. Everything else is fine.


Not disagreeing with you, but im curious. if you let it grow to seed, and then shred it. How is that different than harvesting and then redistributing it to the same field(which it says is illegal). I want to plant my dads 3 acres, but dont want to encounter a GW that got into a fight with his old lady that morning and wants to take it out on me. lol


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## Part Timer (Jul 2, 2012)

A little time spent googling gave me the answer. Never mind. I guess im going to give it a try this year.


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## bg (May 21, 2004)

I'm glad you found your answer. It was covered in the TPWD publication I linked beginning on Page 6 under the heading "Baiting regulations" as well.


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