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What and when to plant for dove fields

Posted By: muzziehead

What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/05/19 05:41 PM

I have talked about planting a few strips maybe 1000 yds long and each about two tractor widths wide with rows of CRP in between the strips for dove hunting this coming season. I grew up in south Georgia and we had plenty of birds to hunt over peanut fields, but I was thinking of planting Sunflowers, grain sorghum and maybe millet. Anyone have any suggestions on what to plant and when I need to plant it in order to have it ready for dove season. I just don't want to let that window of opportunity slip by me this year. Any other suggestions are also welcome.
Posted By: GKelly

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/06/19 06:00 PM

I'd plant 3 strips of millet 20 days apart. by the time you plant the 3rd row the 1st row will be ready to bush hog. 20 days later cut the 2nd row and disc and replant the 1st row. 20 days later cut the third row and disc and plant the 2nd row..... this way there is always seed on the ground and standing crop I'd start 2 months minimum preferably 3 months before season.
Posted By: Strictlybow

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/07/19 07:51 PM

We usually start planting in May then stagger a few more in thru June. Brow top, Proso millet and sorghum work the best for us. Deer eat the sunflowers to quick. Whole kernel corn is too large for our birds. Plant in strips and keep the unplanted strips bare. Doves like to land on clean ground where they can see.
Posted By: bambam32

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/12/19 02:29 AM

Originally Posted by GKelly
I'd plant 3 strips of millet 20 days apart. by the time you plant the 3rd row the 1st row will be ready to bush hog. 20 days later cut the 2nd row and disc and replant the 1st row. 20 days later cut the third row and disc and plant the 2nd row..... this way there is always seed on the ground and standing crop I'd start 2 months minimum preferably 3 months before season.


I’m going to try this on two of our food plots this year since we don’t plant until the end of October.
Posted By: 257wbymag

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/12/19 03:11 AM

Proso millet is the way to go. It’s a bigger hardier seed. It’s white also and I believe birds pick it up better.
Posted By: Acorn

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/12/19 03:53 PM

I've got the same question. Have access to about a 3-4 acre field in Baldwin County. was wondering how much, what, and when would I need to plant to have something for 5-6 people to hunt, but not too big that it wouldn't work for 2-3 people.
Posted By: Orion

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/15/19 01:54 PM

Proso Millet is the best
Posted By: Festus

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/16/19 02:50 AM

Top-Sew Wheat on Plowed Ground in September/October.......much more economical....
Posted By: 257wbymag

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/17/19 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by Festus
Top-Sew Wheat on Plowed Ground in September/October.......much more economical....


It works. Til it rains.
Posted By: cartervj

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/17/19 02:04 PM

Crabgrass is often overlooked. I know in the corn fields I have hunted in the past the dove key in on the crabgrass.

I grew pumpkins one year and the only grass growing was crabgrass, we had a heck of a shoot for several weekends.

Our best field of planted stuff was a several row rotation of corn, peas, several millets and sorghum. Planted early and started by bush hogging the millets and leaving the corn standing for cover.
Posted By: Festus

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/18/19 12:09 AM

Should your top-sewn wheat get rained on.....when it dries enough....get back out there and disk it again....put out fresh wheat. Wheat is CHEAP...
Posted By: Remington270

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/22/19 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by Festus
Should your top-sewn wheat get rained on.....when it dries enough....get back out there and disk it again....put out fresh wheat. Wheat is CHEAP...


I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer, but that's not legal, per state law.
Posted By: JohnG

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 03/22/19 03:52 PM

I like the roasted wheat George Kelly in Faunsdale sells..
Posted By: ALFisher

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 06/04/19 02:54 PM

do they still sell roasted wheat in faunsdale?
Posted By: jlbuc10

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 06/04/19 11:18 PM

What can you spray on BTM for grass competition?
Posted By: 257wbymag

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 06/05/19 12:45 AM

Not a thing.
Posted By: globe

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 06/08/19 08:33 PM

Game warden told me the best way to top sew wheat and be legal was to plant one strip every week.
You are correct though, can’t disk it under and start over “legally”.
Posted By: 257wbymag

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 06/09/19 03:56 AM

Originally Posted by globe
Game warden told me the best way to top sew wheat and be legal was to plant one strip every week.
You are correct though, can’t disk it under and start over “legally”.


Good advice. That’s what I do. Small strips at a time
Posted By: hallb

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 06/13/19 02:54 AM

This makes it sound like as long as it's a "prepared" seed bed, you're legal.

https://www.outdooralabama.com/mourning-dove-hunting-alabama/dove-field-planting-guidelines
Posted By: muzziehead

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 07/17/19 10:49 PM

Well, I am probably behind on the time to get the seed in the ground but I am planting 3 strips 30' x 2400' with a buffer in between them of about 30'. Going to plant brown top millet and Sorghum. Just bushhogged strips yesterday and will be turning the dirt as soon as I can get back to it. Decided to only put out 200lbs fertilizer per acre. Hoping that will be enough. Saw about 20-30 birds just a day after bushhogging so it should attract some birds by the time the season arrives. I have not been on a good dove shoot in over 30 years.
Posted By: North40R

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 07/18/19 02:57 AM

Browntop will have seeds in 45 days muzziehead.

Go ahead and get your buffer zones between the millet disced up good and overseed them one at a time with wheat. Between that and your millet you should have a great shoot if the birds cooperate.
Posted By: muzziehead

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 07/24/19 10:01 PM

Here is a pic of the three strips that I planted this past week just before the rain arrived. Hoping for the best. Been seeing plenty of birds feeding on what seed did not get covered. It is my understanding that I can bushhog the brown top and and then broadcast up to 200lbs of wheat on top of that and it is perfectly legal. Is this correct? Also, would it be best to just disk up a couple of lanes adjacent to the brown top millet to broadcast the wheat. I have always found that doves prefer bare ground to feed on and not sure how just bush hogging the millet would work. Any advice is greatly appreciated. This is the first time I have planted any plots for strictly dove hunting but plan to continue doing so in the future if this is successful. Trying to get a video to load but it is taking forever.

[Linked Image]

Video link

[img]https://i.imgur.com/VxwMVu8.mp4[/img]
Posted By: ALFisher

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 07/24/19 10:21 PM

Once your brown top comes up, I would disc the strips next to them and keep them clean, and then top sew wheat on them. I would not top sew wheat into your brown top, as it will germinate and ruin your brown top crop. When your brown top comes up, I would mow it or if you have time, spray it and then burn it.
Posted By: muzziehead

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 07/24/19 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by ALFisher
Once your brown top comes up, I would disc the strips next to them and keep them clean, and then top sew wheat on them. I would not top sew wheat into your brown top, as it will germinate and ruin your brown top crop. When your brown top comes up, I would mow it or if you have time, spray it and then burn it.


Well, the landowner will not allow me to spray or burn on this section of the lease. I was planning to disk on strip adjacent to each planted strip but will have to use the 6' disk instead of the 14' wide one. I was planning to bush hog the brown top once it seeds out, thinking that should put a lot of seed on the ground and will continue to broadcast wheat on the three strips that I plan to disk up until the time we plan to shoot it. I assume when you refer to mowing the brown top when it comes up, you mean once it heads out, correct.
Posted By: ALFisher

Re: What and when to plant for dove fields - 07/29/19 09:04 PM

Correct, but I would still disc all the areas in between your millet rows. Keep them clean and then when time, top sew in wheat in stages.
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