For those that put in sunflowers and such for doves, do you brushhog it all down before the season opens at some point, or just leave as is? I have good amount of sunflowers, but a lot of weeds as well. So a bird that falls in there I won't be finding I dont think. Wasnt sure if I should brushhog it all down before the season to open it up and get seeds scattered or not.
Finalizing dove fields
- Thread starter r49740
- Start date
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
You might want to check your regulations. Doves are a migratory bird and controlled federally. It has been years since I've hunted dove, but as I recall, last time I looked you could not manipulate crops for migratory bird hunting. I think the wording was something like "standard agricultural practices". Many states echo the federal regulations at the state level so you end up violating both game laws. I presume "standard ag practice" may be interpreted differently by the game wardens in different localities.
Thanks,
Jack
I don't know if the laws are the same in every state but in La. it is perfectly legal to mow a sunflower field. Depending on the size I would either mow the entire field or if larger leave a few standing strips for hunters to hide in. Doves like clean ground so the tighter you can mow it the better. Might even consider spraying it after mowing to clean up even more.
I'm prepping my dove fields right now for the labor day opener.
I'm prepping my dove fields right now for the labor day opener.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Doves are migratory and under the auspicious of federal regulation, so if you have to adhere to federal law in addition to state law. https://www.fws.gov/le/pdf/dove-hunting-and-baiting.pdf In addition, many states also codify that you must follow the federal regulations. That way they can prosecute you under state law. This also makes it easier for them so they don't have to change their laws every time federal regulation change. You might want to take a look at that. Note that the feds tip their hats to the states to some extent when it comes to "normal ag practices" .
My point is that manipulating crops for other game is all governed locally, but the feds get involved with migratory birds. This complicates things and most folks don't think about it for doves. Make sure you know what is legal before you act. You could ruin a dove field by manipulating it artificially which would make it illegal to hunt over for doves.
Thanks,
Jack
I'm quite positive my practices are legal in La. Without reservation.
The same strategies are practiced all over the state with dove hunting very popular here. Doesn't matter if it is a sunflower field or milo, or brown top millet or a native field of croton. Can be mowed tight and hunted over. Exact same practice is done all over Texas where I have dove hunted since a little kid
The same strategies are practiced all over the state with dove hunting very popular here. Doesn't matter if it is a sunflower field or milo, or brown top millet or a native field of croton. Can be mowed tight and hunted over. Exact same practice is done all over Texas where I have dove hunted since a little kid
Last edited:
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
The problem is that doves are migratory and fall under federal regulations as well as any state regulations. Check the link I posted. You can see, when you dig into the details, the feds provide some leeway for states to have some influence on what is considered a "normal ag practice".
If it were me, I would contact your local game warden as they will be the most likely enforcement unless you are on federal land or in some odd situation. I would want to know how they are interpreting the regulations. While the regulations may be the same across a state, the enforcement may be different. Beyond doves, we have a few state regulations that are interpreted differently by game wardens in different areas as they are not well defined and leave room for interpretation by enforcement.
Thanks,
Jack
g squared 23
5 year old buck +
Respectfully, you do not need to contact your game warden to mow a dove field of any kind. Mow it, burn it, disc it, you 1000% percent will be fine. End of story.
Where the “normal agricultural practices” becomes very grey and will vary widely state by state and even between different game wardens is planting a winter wheat field. To some, this is a normal agricultural practice and can be legally hunted; to others, it is straight up baiting for 10 days or until the seed germinates. To still other states/interpreters, it depends entirely on the seeding rate, which must not exceed the rate used for “normal agricultural practices” in that area.
In summation, feel free to MANIPULATE your dove plots (NEVER your duck holes) to your heart’s content. But if you ADD any seed, you better get the
local game warden’s blessing first, or you are potentially asking for trouble and tickets.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Where the “normal agricultural practices” becomes very grey and will vary widely state by state and even between different game wardens is planting a winter wheat field. To some, this is a normal agricultural practice and can be legally hunted; to others, it is straight up baiting for 10 days or until the seed germinates. To still other states/interpreters, it depends entirely on the seeding rate, which must not exceed the rate used for “normal agricultural practices” in that area.
In summation, feel free to MANIPULATE your dove plots (NEVER your duck holes) to your heart’s content. But if you ADD any seed, you better get the
local game warden’s blessing first, or you are potentially asking for trouble and tickets.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Did you read the link I posted with the excerpt to the federal regulations concerning doves?
I have talked with the feds and the state. Every state I know of allows manipulation of plantings for doves - but not waterfowl. As far as what constitutes baiting - the feds defer to what your state considers “normal farming practice” - as previously stated above. In our state, normal farming practice is determined by our state’s extension office. Normal farming practice in our state is considered to be top sowing wheat, on or after Aug 15, at a seeding rate no higher than 240 lbs per acre or 80 seeds per square ft. But, that is not considered normal farming practice in Georgia.
Top sowing 240 lbs/ wheat per acre after Aug15...roughly 2 weeks before dove season opens....thats awesome! Knowing that it is legal to bait doves up to 2 weeks before the season as long as you don't hunt over it then you can put 240 lbs/acre on August 15, I think you could accidentally attract a lot of doves with that normal ag practice.
I have heard it can be quite effective
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting it is not in a particular location. I'm saying there are places where the mix of state and federal regulations are interpreted differently than others. I was suggesting the OP check in his area.
Thanks,
Jack
Considering the vast techniques and complexity of regulation around managing and hunting doves could this be an opportunity for some with an entrepreneurial spirit to start a new organization? It could be called ...QDMA----Quality Dove Management Association.
It could include a forum section where folks could share management techniques , success stories, and legal compliance. To keep it interesting and appeal to all segments of the dove hunting community it could create a bunch of acronyms to slice, dice , and segregate the community. There could even be a glossy magazine.
We could have QDM---Quality Dove management. This would be for those that take a few steps to improve their hunting by either manipulating native habitat or growing a few acres for the doves. Harvesting a full limit wouldn't be important but getting some doves for the freezer or introducing new hunters to the sport would be the driving vision.
Then there is TDM--Trophy Dove Management. This would be those that take it to the next level. Maybe they grow bigger fields, leave unmoved strips for hunters to hide in, utilize power lines and dead trees to attract doves, and are driven to get a full limit for all hunting if possible.
Now I appreciate this may cause some segregation in the community. The QDM folks 'might ' see the TDM folks as different, driven by a different set of values with risks such as exceeding the sustainable DCC....dove carrying capacity.....or being focused on a different set of harvest criteria than others. But hopefully, we can all see we are in this together with a love for the resource and a desire to share with the sum of the parts improving the whole.
Obviously its the dog days of summer in the deep south with not a lot to do. Hence my mind wanders.
It could include a forum section where folks could share management techniques , success stories, and legal compliance. To keep it interesting and appeal to all segments of the dove hunting community it could create a bunch of acronyms to slice, dice , and segregate the community. There could even be a glossy magazine.
We could have QDM---Quality Dove management. This would be for those that take a few steps to improve their hunting by either manipulating native habitat or growing a few acres for the doves. Harvesting a full limit wouldn't be important but getting some doves for the freezer or introducing new hunters to the sport would be the driving vision.
Then there is TDM--Trophy Dove Management. This would be those that take it to the next level. Maybe they grow bigger fields, leave unmoved strips for hunters to hide in, utilize power lines and dead trees to attract doves, and are driven to get a full limit for all hunting if possible.
Now I appreciate this may cause some segregation in the community. The QDM folks 'might ' see the TDM folks as different, driven by a different set of values with risks such as exceeding the sustainable DCC....dove carrying capacity.....or being focused on a different set of harvest criteria than others. But hopefully, we can all see we are in this together with a love for the resource and a desire to share with the sum of the parts improving the whole.
Obviously its the dog days of summer in the deep south with not a lot to do. Hence my mind wanders.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Ouch!
These are indeed the dog days of summer. I've spent the last week digging ditches and related manual labor to trench for power! This is well above my pay grade at this point and there is still more to do when the weather (and my body) recovers. I have plenty to do yet still my mind wanders...No issue here with manipulation, least not that I can tell. The public hunting lands all around me do it each year for the season opener, so don't see why I cant. just not sure if I should mow down a lot of it to open it up, best timing to do so(won't be able to hunt them until second week of September if season is open as they haven't posted dates yet), etc.
