</a JR Holmes Oil Company </a Shark Guard Southeast Woods and Whitetail Mayer Insurance Services LLC
Aldeer Classifieds
Looking for Lowrance Ghost or 24v Ultrex
by bradbathome. 03/28/24 08:17 PM
Turkey loads/decoy
by Rem870s2. 03/28/24 04:41 PM
Wtb Browning 300 Mag
by desertdog. 03/28/24 03:36 PM
WTB Chevy 1500
by Okalona. 03/28/24 07:44 AM
Iso ruger american ranch
by AustinC. 03/27/24 08:20 PM
Serious Deer Talk
The Hollywood Buck.
by Mbrock. 03/28/24 08:56 PM
For the Don’t Shoot Does Crowd
by SEWoodsWhitetail. 03/28/24 10:45 AM
High Fencing
by RareBreed. 03/26/24 10:45 PM
Who's got the best deer hunting in AL
by TensawRiver. 03/26/24 01:26 PM
What makes you happy?
by Fishduck. 03/26/24 10:25 AM
March
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Land, Leases, Hunting Clubs
West Jefferson County hunting club
by Jmfire722. 03/18/24 08:36 AM
Western Ky farm
by todd w. 03/15/24 01:23 PM
Information on bibb county hunting club
by quickshot. 03/10/24 01:46 PM
Hunting Club
by Hibby. 03/08/24 04:34 PM
Mississippi club
by Gobl4me. 03/07/24 09:55 PM
Who's Online Now
18 registered members (fur_n_feathers, gregnbc, Pwyse, AJones, Captain Howdy, russellb, Butchman205, BAR1225, fillmore, Madmax0818, Booner Hunter, S_Dubs, Okalona, Turkeyneck78, 4 invisible), 460 guests, and 0 spiders.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Dove hunt suggestions #2201743
08/21/17 04:10 PM
08/21/17 04:10 PM
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
M
Mudlife450 Offline OP
4 point
Mudlife450  Offline OP
4 point
M
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
I've never hunted dove mainly due to lack of place to go but also just always deer hunted. I hunted quail and pheasant in my younger years in Missouri with friends. Club I'm in now had about 200 acres clear cut within the last month. Guy that runs the club said last time they clear cut he threw out a bunch of brown top Millet and had lots of dove that season. So a few weeks ago I did that same thing. Threw out about 120lbs of millet over probably 50 acres. Now this is not a clear field it's just thrown in the bare spots of all the limbs and tree tips that were left. Millet is coming up good but is there anything else I can do to either help the hunt or entice the birds to come and stay?

Last edited by Mudlife450; 08/21/17 04:11 PM.

Mossy Creek Outdoors
Athlon Optics Dealer
Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2201840
08/21/17 05:45 PM
08/21/17 05:45 PM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 15,952
Brierfield
Beadlescomb Offline
Old Mossy Horns
Beadlescomb  Offline
Old Mossy Horns
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 15,952
Brierfield

Originally Posted By: Mudlife450
I've never hunted dove mainly due to lack of place to go but also just always deer hunted. I hunted quail and pheasant in my younger years in Missouri with friends. Club I'm in now had about 200 acres clear cut within the last month. Guy that runs the club said last time they clear cut he threw out a bunch of brown top Millet and had lots of dove that season. So a few weeks ago I did that same thing. Threw out about 120lbs of millet over probably 50 acres. Now this is not a clear field it's just thrown in the bare spots of all the limbs and tree tips that were left. Millet is coming up good but is there anything else I can do to either help the hunt or entice the birds to come and stay?


doves like a fresh burned cutover but what you did sounds like baiting


We will burn that bridge when we get there
Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2201866
08/21/17 06:31 PM
08/21/17 06:31 PM
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
M
Mudlife450 Offline OP
4 point
Mudlife450  Offline OP
4 point
M
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
How is it baiting when it is growing naturally?


Mossy Creek Outdoors
Athlon Optics Dealer
Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Beadlescomb] #2201889
08/22/17 12:57 AM
08/22/17 12:57 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,228
Town Creek,Al.
Luvbowhuntn Offline
8 point
Luvbowhuntn  Offline
8 point
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,228
Town Creek,Al.
Originally Posted By: Beadlescomb

Originally Posted By: Mudlife450
I've never hunted dove mainly due to lack of place to go but also just always deer hunted. I hunted quail and pheasant in my younger years in Missouri with friends. Club I'm in now had about 200 acres clear cut within the last month. Guy that runs the club said last time they clear cut he threw out a bunch of brown top Millet and had lots of dove that season. So a few weeks ago I did that same thing. Threw out about 120lbs of millet over probably 50 acres. Now this is not a clear field it's just thrown in the bare spots of all the limbs and tree tips that were left. Millet is coming up good but is there anything else I can do to either help the hunt or entice the birds to come and stay?


doves like a fresh burned cutover but what you did sounds like baiting

Yeah I wouldn't advise doing that anywhere remotely close to opening day


Sent leaning against a big oak in knee deep water
Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2201923
08/22/17 01:57 AM
08/22/17 01:57 AM
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
M
Mudlife450 Offline OP
4 point
Mudlife450  Offline OP
4 point
M
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
I guess you guys are taking this wrong. I threw millet seed out to grow millet. I'm not continuing to throw it out and not talking about throwing it out to hunt over. Just to grow it and hopefully attract more dove to the area and looking for other things I can do.


Mossy Creek Outdoors
Athlon Optics Dealer
Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2201984
08/22/17 03:09 AM
08/22/17 03:09 AM
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 11,635
Longwood, FL
J
jlbuc10 Offline
Booner
jlbuc10  Offline
Booner
J
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 11,635
Longwood, FL
Originally Posted By: Mudlife450
Millet is coming up good but is there anything else I can do to either help the hunt or entice the birds to come and stay?

I get that it's growing but what you did was baiting. Scattering 120lbs of seed over a 50acre clear cut is not a normal ag process. 120lbs isnt even close to enough to attract doves in enough numbers to shoot on 50 acres anyways. Your best bet would be to burn it if possible, and then disc as much of it you can and top sew wheat.

Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2202020
08/22/17 03:52 AM
08/22/17 03:52 AM
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 5,648
Lincoln, Alabama
B
blumsden Offline
12 point
blumsden  Offline
12 point
B
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 5,648
Lincoln, Alabama
It takes 60 days for BTM to go to seed, so unless it gets seed heads, it wont attract birds anyways. Cutovers attract dove anyways, it's just hard to find them when you shoot them.

Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: jlbuc10] #2202029
08/22/17 03:57 AM
08/22/17 03:57 AM
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
M
Mudlife450 Offline OP
4 point
Mudlife450  Offline OP
4 point
M
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
Ok well thanks for the Input. Like I said I've never dove hunted and since they had successfully done this in the past it sounded like a logical plan at least for what we have to work with anyway. I don't think burning is an option. There is so much debris and small trees all over the place they will be planting pines next spring. I still don't grasp the concept of this being baiting regardless of it being a natural ag process or not it is still growing naturally and our local game warden says if it's growing in the ground its not baiting for deer anyway. I appreciate it


Mossy Creek Outdoors
Athlon Optics Dealer
Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2202036
08/22/17 04:03 AM
08/22/17 04:03 AM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 15,952
Brierfield
Beadlescomb Offline
Old Mossy Horns
Beadlescomb  Offline
Old Mossy Horns
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 15,952
Brierfield
it has to be normal ag process to be legal for doves. you need a prepared seed bed. now personally i think its stupid because you can only kill 15 anyway


We will burn that bridge when we get there
Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2202072
08/22/17 04:53 AM
08/22/17 04:53 AM
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 6,778
Alabama
3
3FFarms Offline
ALDEER SPONSOR
3FFarms  Offline
ALDEER SPONSOR
3
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 6,778
Alabama
I'm curious about this? It says all bait (I take that to mean anything not done in a normal agricultural practice) should be removed 10 days prior. My understanding that growing millet wouldn't really be considered "bait"...much less if it's been growing for 30-40 days.

Why can't he plant millet back in July (I haven't looked up the recommended dates for planting millet) and hunt over it when it goes to seed? Because he didn't have a nice, pretty, firm seedbed? What's the difference in what he did and throwing out wheat on a roadbed running through the cutover for a deer food plot? Scratch the ground with a rake and throw out some seed. He would be legal to do that.

I honestly want to know the answer to this? I know we covered the throw and mow before, but I don't know why he couldn't hunt this once his millet dried and went to seed? Or even before...not that growing millet will attract any birds...but would he be in violation to go sit on the cutover opening day?


Originally Posted by CNC
Ya'll are just overthinking it now

Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2202087
08/22/17 05:30 AM
08/22/17 05:30 AM
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
M
Mudlife450 Offline OP
4 point
Mudlife450  Offline OP
4 point
M
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
Ya that does sound kind of dumb but it is what it is I guess.


Mossy Creek Outdoors
Athlon Optics Dealer
Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: 3FFarms] #2202179
08/22/17 07:45 AM
08/22/17 07:45 AM
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 662
Conyers, GA and Auburn, AL
R
Razorsharp123 Offline
4 point
Razorsharp123  Offline
4 point
R
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 662
Conyers, GA and Auburn, AL

Originally Posted By: 3FFarms
I'm curious about this? It says all bait (I take that to mean anything not done in a normal agricultural practice) should be removed 10 days prior. My understanding that growing millet wouldn't really be considered "bait"...much less if it's been growing for 30-40 days.

Why can't he plant millet back in July (I haven't looked up the recommended dates for planting millet) and hunt over it when it goes to seed? Because he didn't have a nice, pretty, firm seedbed? What's the difference in what he did and throwing out wheat on a roadbed running through the cutover for a deer food plot? Scratch the ground with a rake and throw out some seed. He would be legal to do that.

I honestly want to know the answer to this? I know we covered the throw and mow before, but I don't know why he couldn't hunt this once his millet dried and went to seed? Or even before...not that growing millet will attract any birds...but would he be in violation to go sit on the cutover opening day?


First, I am not an expert here but have looked into this quite a bit and have some thoughts.

Migratory birds are managed by the feds. As such, they require all plantings that are to be hunted over to be planted in accordance with normal ag practices. This is not the case for deer and using deer food plots is a bad comparison because the same rule does not apply.

In the example above of wheat on a roadbed; that would be LEGAL for deer hunting, but ILLEGAL for dove hunting.


That's not to say that he WILL get a ticket for baiting, only that he COULD.


I am also not defending the minutiae here, just pointing out that there is a difference, and the method that he is using would count as baiting per the feds because the application of millet in the manner described is NOT a legitimate ag process or naturally growing forage. If it were either of those it would be legal to hunt.

Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2202209
08/22/17 08:23 AM
08/22/17 08:23 AM
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,006
Russell, Lee county
Strictlybow Offline
6 point
Strictlybow  Offline
6 point
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,006
Russell, Lee county
Been planting dove fields my whole life and I think that as long as it is growing and there is not any seed laying on the ground you should be ok.

I think the normal ag practices clause comes into effect when there are seeds laying on top of the soil.

Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2202225
08/22/17 08:58 AM
08/22/17 08:58 AM
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 40
S
s1nger1 Offline
spike
s1nger1  Offline
spike
S
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 40
This has been crazy for years. Why not allow baiting and enforce the limit? We allow bait for Deer. If you grow 20 acres of any crop and bush hog or burn the field. You have legal bait. Once the crop is planted you can do whatever you want and it is legal (as long as it fall in normal ag practice). Remove it and bring it back not legal, add seed to the field not legal. Makes no sense. How many people have been ticketed for the game warden interpretation of "normal ag practices"? Make it simple.

Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Strictlybow] #2202233
08/22/17 09:06 AM
08/22/17 09:06 AM
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 6,778
Alabama
3
3FFarms Offline
ALDEER SPONSOR
3FFarms  Offline
ALDEER SPONSOR
3
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 6,778
Alabama
Originally Posted By: Strictlybow
Been planting dove fields my whole life and I think that as long as it is growing and there is not any seed laying on the ground you should be ok.


Exactly my take on it as well. A guy hunting a green millet patch that is knee deep isn't what I would call baiting doves.


Originally Posted by CNC
Ya'll are just overthinking it now

Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Razorsharp123] #2202234
08/22/17 09:08 AM
08/22/17 09:08 AM
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 6,778
Alabama
3
3FFarms Offline
ALDEER SPONSOR
3FFarms  Offline
ALDEER SPONSOR
3
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 6,778
Alabama
Originally Posted By: Razorsharp123

In the example above of wheat on a roadbed; that would be LEGAL for deer hunting, but ILLEGAL for dove hunting.


Scratch the surface, throw some wheat out for your "deer food plot" and you are good to shoot doves over it as well.


Originally Posted by CNC
Ya'll are just overthinking it now

Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: 3FFarms] #2202282
08/22/17 10:24 AM
08/22/17 10:24 AM
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
M
Mudlife450 Offline OP
4 point
Mudlife450  Offline OP
4 point
M
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 382
Alabaster
Well I don't think I'll have a problem in our area with anyone calling it baiting. Now whether or not it will do any good I don't know and I guess I have a lot to learn. I have several hidden food plots in the woods for deer so just thought I'd give it a try. So what would you say the minimum size area would be to plant a dove field? We do have one area that is about an acre that I could work on for next year but that's about all.


Mossy Creek Outdoors
Athlon Optics Dealer
Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2202292
08/22/17 10:40 AM
08/22/17 10:40 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 6,593
Lake View, AL
Joe4majors Offline
14 point
Joe4majors  Offline
14 point
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 6,593
Lake View, AL
I don't see how they could get you baiting if you are hunting over the millet you planted in July. Not everything legal is "normal agriculture" practices. Some of the sections in the linked PDF say "managing agricultural fields and food plots." Tour food plot just happens to have a lot of hills and valleys. grin

Going back to your original question, dove are looking for food, water, and somewhere to perch/roost (dead trees, powerlines, etc.) so perhaps look into improving the other two if needed. Might be way too much work for a dove hunt that might be hit or miss though.


Legal Dove Hunting

Last edited by Joe4majors; 08/22/17 10:43 AM.
Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2220132
09/08/17 05:39 PM
09/08/17 05:39 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 4,475
limestone al
scrape Offline
10 point
scrape  Offline
10 point
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 4,475
limestone al
i went on one of those state sponsored dove hunts for youth a few years ago. it was ran by game wardons and they said millet seed was thrown on the field 2 weeks before. so I would asume its okay. of course he also said i broke the law by shooting at a dove while the sun was still pretty high above the horizon, so who knows.

Re: Dove hunt suggestions [Re: Mudlife450] #2223935
09/12/17 12:13 PM
09/12/17 12:13 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,094
Birmingham, AL
W
Wade Offline
10 point
Wade  Offline
10 point
W
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,094
Birmingham, AL
What is the Best Management Practice (BMP) for the cutover. If the millet is thrown out to reduce erosion and part of the BMP plan then it would be legal to hunt over. The same with strip pit erosion control on a WMA. Erosion control would be an acceptable process.


Don't give up, don't ever give up!
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Aldeer.com Copyright 2001-2023 Aldeer LLP.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.1.1
(Release build 20180111)
Page Time: 0.111s Queries: 16 (0.041s) Memory: 3.2836 MB (Peak: 3.5699 MB) Zlib disabled. Server Time: 2024-03-29 06:11:35 UTC