Finalizing dove fields

[IkemanTx]

Local and state authorities have a lot of say as to what is considered common agriculture practice.

Many states allow mowing/burning to release seed, many states allow the broadcast of wheat or rye on a prepared seedbed, many states allow hunting over cover crop seed spread into harvested or standing ag crops such as corn or soybeans.


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[SwampCat]

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.

I dont like to mow all my feed at once. The longer the seed stays off the ground, the more likely it is to get wet. I have had seed sprout back from both millet and sunflowers. I am fortunate that I live at my place and can mow some more every week.

 

[r49740]

How far ahead of season do you mow?

 

[r49740]

Also, per some of the discussion on this post, here is the updated rule for Ohio dove hunting. This is direct from rule book

DOVE HUNTING Hours for dove are sunrise to sunset, except for those wildlife areas which have been posted with special regulations. Doves may be hunted with lead shot. Dove field maps are available at wildohio.gov. Doves may be hunted on areas that have been manipulated (for example, mowed or bush-hogged) for wildlife management purposes, in addition to areas that have been planted or harvested in a normal ag - ricultural manner. Neither waterfowl nor doves may be hunted on areas where grain or other feed has been distributed once it has been removed from or stored on the field where grown. Contact a Division of Wildlife district office or a state wildlife officer for clarification on baiting regulations before you hunt. Harvest Information Program (HIP) certi - fication is required to dove hunt. To com - plete the HIP certification requirement, call 1-877-HIP-OHIO (1-877-447-6446) or go to wildohio.gov and answer the survey ques - tions. After the survey you will be given a certification number. Write the certification number on your annual hunting license in the space provided. Multiyear license and lifetime license hold - ers are required to complete the HIP certifi - cation requirement annually. The certifica - tion number is required to be carried while hunting

 

[r49740]

Not looking to take the horse to the glue factory, but wanted so see again how soon ahead of time you all mow all or portions of your sunflowers down for the doves. We open on Sept 1st, but I'll be elk hunting in Wyoming so earliest I will hunt them will be around the 8th. I can mow ahead of my departing trip here if needed.

 

[Kdog]

Our season opens on 9/5 in GA. They started discing the perimeter/strips 3 weeks ago, and started cutting strips this week in the big WMA fields. Keep in mind some of these fields are 50+ acres. The guy I lease with will be discing our perimeter this morning, then will cut a few strips early next week after the rain comes through this week.

 

[SwampCat]

Doves will feed on uncut flowers - or millet. I cut a few strips through my millet last week. I will cut about a fourth of it next week

 

[g squared 23]

I will not have sunflowers this year, simply wheat I planted last fall and a jap millet/buckwheat mix, all planted in 4 small sections each about a quarter acre.

I have heard and read that he who manipulates first starts concentrating the doves better if you have competition. Therefore I started burning each section week by week after spraying with roundup two weeks prior.

So I started burning August 1st and just burned another section this past week.

This is freshly burned, and you can see the strip to the left I burned a week or two prior. I had two groups of 20 hit that strip consecutively in the late evening, so there is likely a hundred that have found the seed so far.

The same day I burned the above section, I sprayed this section of millet and will plan to burn this on opening day.


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[Baker]

I started prepping an 18 acre field about 3 weeks ago doing mowing about 3-4 acres a week. About a week before I intend to hunt I will do a much larger section but still leave a couple acres standing. Doves are showing up nicely

 

[swat1018]

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

Incorrect. Waterfowl yes, not doves.

 

[r49740]

Appreciate the responses. First year on this so learning as I go. Sounds like now through next week Would be just fine then for early September hunting. Is it possible to mow too early? What should the sunflowers look like before mowing? (Will be mowing not spraying). Should I broadcast over top winter rye for spring growth?

 

[yoderjac]

Incorrect. Waterfowl yes, not doves.

I don't think I said anything incorrect. If you start with my first post, I said that it has been years since I've hunted doves, but they are migratory and covered under federal regulations as well as state. I suggested the OP check how they are interpreted in his area. The link I posted it to the US fish and wildlife service that references the US code because I have not hunted them for years and I'm not familiar with the current details.

Check the regulations is never the wrong answer.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Turkish]

I started prepping an 18 acre field about 3 weeks ago doing mowing about 3-4 acres a week. About a week before I intend to hunt I will do a much larger section but still leave a couple acres standing. Doves are showing up nicely

Mr Baker, how hard do you try to provide them “clean ground?” I constantly read that doves appreciate clean ground, and it makes sense, given their little feet. But providing it is counter to most soil health efforts.

Jack’s cautionary tales are humorous. Down South dove hunting has historically been a bit like NASCAR (and college football recruiting). If ya ain’t cheating, ya ain’t trying. I happen to come from a long line of dove hunting desperados. One thing I know for sure — a fit guy like Baker need not worry about dove hunting laws. I’m quite sure he could outrun the rest of the hunters. :) I hear tell rock salt is the best .. if’n a fella had a tall fence around his place. ;)

 

[Baker]

Mr Baker, how hard do you try to provide them “clean ground?” I constantly read that doves appreciate clean ground, and it makes sense, given their little feet. But providing it is counter to most soil health efforts.

Jack’s cautionary tales are humorous. Down South dove hunting has historically been a bit like NASCAR (and college football recruiting). If ya ain’t cheating, ya ain’t trying. I happen to come from a long line of dove hunting desperados. One thing I know for sure — a fit guy like Baker need not worry about dove hunting laws. I’m quite sure he could outrun the rest of the hunters. :) I hear tell rock salt is the best .. if’n a fella had a tall fence around his place. ;)

Thats pretty funny right there...and true. Though I'll never confess to anything. Years ago I had a lawyer tell me--- " the truth does not require full disclosure"

Dove hunting down here is akin to religion with several deep life truths
Symbolically it means you have survived the brutal southern summer. Cooler days ahead.
Football starts and lasts till February. Geaux Tigers
Something to hunt essentially every day till February
One of the best parties of the year is opening day of dove season. Everybody shows up

Now to your question. Interesting you ask as we just mowed part of our field again today for the second time as close as we could. Years past I have burned the fields with gly or even burned with fire to keep as clean as possible. My dove field has about 8 pine trees scattered in the middle of the field. I am saving the area shotgun distance around the trees to mow about a week before we hunt so it will be optimum . Also saving the entire west side of the field from the woods into the field, about shotgun range, to mow last . This provides shade for the hunters which can be life saving early Sept. Those are the areas I want to concentrate the doves. TDM at its best!

After the hunts about the first of Oct. I will plant back to rye, wheat, radishes, turnips and crimson for soil health. But sacrifices must be made for the doves!

 

[TreeDaddy]

Thats pretty funny right there...and true. Though I'll never confess to anything. Years ago I had a lawyer tell me--- " the truth does not require full disclosure"

Dove hunting down here is akin to religion with several deep life truths
Symbolically it means you have survived the brutal southern summer. Cooler days ahead.
Football starts and lasts till February. Geaux Tigers
Something to hunt essentially every day till February
One of the best parties of the year is opening day of dove season. Everybody shows up



.........And Skynard provides the soundtrack

bill

 

[Kdog]

Appreciate the responses. First year on this so learning as I go. Sounds like now through next week Would be just fine then for early September hunting. Is it possible to mow too early? What should the sunflowers look like before mowing? (Will be mowing not spraying). Should I broadcast over top winter rye for spring growth?

It really depends on the size of your dove field. If we had a smaller field, we would only disc the perimeter, and maybe one or two strips down the middle and not mow at all. For larger fields you can start a month or so before the season like Baker is doing.

 

[Catscratch]

If you are worried about legality of mowing then just bale it afterwards. Completely in line with normal ag practices.

The boys burned our wheat field a couple of days ago, I wasn't there but they said it was a great burn. If we don't get rain between now and opener it will be bare dirt with tons of seed laying on top. If we get rain it will germinate and require a spraying of gly and another burn for the doves to hit it hard.

I've hunted many sunflower fields that were not mowed or burned. Doves will gladly land on a 5' tall sunflower head (hanging there like a parrot) and pick seed out of it.

 

[Kdog]

If we don't get rain between now and opener it will be bare dirt with tons of seed laying on top. If we get rain it will germinate and require a spraying of gly and another burn for the doves to hit it hard.

Are you referring to the wheat germinating? You should have minimal if any germination if you got a good burn.

 

[swat1018]

I don't think I said anything incorrect. If you start with my first post, I said that it has been years since I've hunted doves, but they are migratory and covered under federal regulations as well as state. I suggested the OP check how they are interpreted in his area. The link I posted it to the US fish and wildlife service that references the US code because I have not hunted them for years and I'm not familiar with the current details.

Check the regulations is never the wrong answer.

Thanks,

Jack

It is perfectly legal to mow for Doves, federally. To say otherwise is incorrect. From your own link:

What is Legal?
You can hunt doves on, over, or from:
• Lands or areas where grain or feed has been distributed or scattered solely as the result of the
manipulation of an agricultural crop or other feed on the land where grown. Standing crops.

No need to confuse anyone, game laws can be confusing enough. Ducks, geese, coots, WATERFOWL, that's another story.

 

[yoderjac]

It is perfectly legal to mow for Doves, federally. To say otherwise is incorrect. From your own link:

What is Legal?
You can hunt doves on, over, or from:
• Lands or areas where grain or feed has been distributed or scattered solely as the result of the
manipulation of an agricultural crop or other feed on the land where grown. Standing crops.

No need to confuse anyone, game laws can be confusing enough. Ducks, geese, coots, WATERFOWL, that's another story.

I did not say otherwise. I said the regulations were confusing because of the federal/state interplay and the OP should check the regs. That is why I posted the link!