# Planting the perfect dove field???



## mr. buck (Jan 11, 2009)

Did a search on here and came up with some loosely related topics but not exactly what I was looking for. have a couple of questions I'm hoping you guys that know a lot more than me can help out with. The gentleman that ranches our lease has offered to plant and maintain an 10 acre field for us for dove season however we'd like as long as we pay for the seed. We plan to plant a combo of milo and sunflowers. The questions are:

1) What type of sunflower seed do you recommend
2)What ratio of milo to sunflower should we use and how should we set it up (ie, should we ring the sunflower field with the milo)?
3)When does this need to be planted by? (We are close to Abilene)
4) How many days prior to the opener should we ask him to HARVEST some strips out of the field in order to hold the most doves?

This field has two large tanks just off of it, a few big dead oak trees and hundreds of acres of mesquite around it so it should be nice. Thanks in advance for any answers you feel like providing.


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## srmtphillips (Oct 3, 2007)

Sesame seeds. Lots of friends around Carrizo Springs plant them and the birds love them. The seeds are small so the dove can eat the mess out of them. Red top cane is another good one


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

tough call. ideally, you'ld plant so that the crop is mature by mid-Aug.
but in the real world that's too late as a hot dry summer will probably hamper grain production.
native sunflowers and teaweed are dove magnets, too. especially for mourning doves.
plant mid Apr, the stuff will be ready late Jul and the birds will have a month to enjoy.


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## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

You might wish to check out the regulation really carefully about planting a field for hunting....just FYI...


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

Texas Jeweler said:


> You might wish to check out the regulation really carefully about planting a field for hunting....just FYI...


Nothing illegal about planting for doves and then mowing the standing crop down to distribute the seeds and then hunting over it...

http://www.fws.gov/le/HuntFish/dovebaiting.htm

It's only illegal if you brought seed in and spread it around and then hunted over it.

(Plus don't forget that grit pads are perfectly legal now)


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

Buck, I re-read your post...
any type of domestic sunflower should be OK
I'd mix milo and SF seed and just lightly disc under in moist soil, no particular ratio, as grain harvest is not considered.
dont seed it too thick, as MDoves prefer room to watch for predators and DONOT like thick vegetation to feed.
mow mature plants in strips thruout the season if possible. for 10ac, I'd mow half a couple weeks before Sept1 and the rest Oct1 and you'ld have a good dove field.


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## CASTIN AND BLASTIN (Jan 28, 2011)

i do not know much adout sunflower, but my mom friend has a milio field that we got to hunt and we shot a bunch


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## Upchurch85 (Dec 12, 2006)

What's a grit pad?


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## MEGABITE (May 21, 2004)

Upchurch85 said:


> What's a grit pad?


http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=314533&highlight=grit+pad


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