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Sunflowers for doves
Posted on 4/18/24 at 6:50 am
Posted on 4/18/24 at 6:50 am
Planted two fields for the first time this year. Do you usually leave your sunflower standing when it’s time to hunt or till?
7
Posted on 4/18/24 at 7:58 am to rsbd
Absolutely leave them standing. And the thicker the better.
People like to brag about the size of the "dinner plate" seed heads they produce. So they plant them thin. Bigger stalks, bigger heads, etc.
But I do the opposite. I plant mine thick. Like over 30,000 plants per acre. Sometimes 35,000 in good soil. I want them to form a thick canopy where the heads are all tangled together. You need extra fertilizer to pull this off. 50% more than what the soil test indicates.
This does several things. It shades out the ground which keeps the ground cleaner longer. Doves have tiny delicate feet. They like to walk around on clean ground where it's easy to find the seeds. They don't like to have to scratch around.
And the thick overstory gives them protection. They can feed longer hours if they're down in the shade protected from the sun. Plus it hides them from hawks.
In a thick stand they will land on the heads, and pick out the seeds and let them drop to the ground. Then they will drop down to the ground where they can feed at their leisure. They can even nap, loaf, socialize, etc. They can't do that if they're out in an open field.
The way we do our sunflowers is we keep them all standing and thick. Then we plant brown top all around the block of sunflowers. And we burn the brown top so that the ground is clean before the season. And that's where we hunt. Over the brown top but shooting doves flying in and out of the sunflowers.
Doing it this way also extends your season.
People like to brag about the size of the "dinner plate" seed heads they produce. So they plant them thin. Bigger stalks, bigger heads, etc.
But I do the opposite. I plant mine thick. Like over 30,000 plants per acre. Sometimes 35,000 in good soil. I want them to form a thick canopy where the heads are all tangled together. You need extra fertilizer to pull this off. 50% more than what the soil test indicates.
This does several things. It shades out the ground which keeps the ground cleaner longer. Doves have tiny delicate feet. They like to walk around on clean ground where it's easy to find the seeds. They don't like to have to scratch around.
And the thick overstory gives them protection. They can feed longer hours if they're down in the shade protected from the sun. Plus it hides them from hawks.
In a thick stand they will land on the heads, and pick out the seeds and let them drop to the ground. Then they will drop down to the ground where they can feed at their leisure. They can even nap, loaf, socialize, etc. They can't do that if they're out in an open field.
The way we do our sunflowers is we keep them all standing and thick. Then we plant brown top all around the block of sunflowers. And we burn the brown top so that the ground is clean before the season. And that's where we hunt. Over the brown top but shooting doves flying in and out of the sunflowers.
Doing it this way also extends your season.
This post was edited on 4/18/24 at 7:59 am
Posted on 4/18/24 at 8:12 am to rsbd
Whatever you do don't listen to the stupid frick above me ^. You want lots of seed and big heads. You want clean ground. Put out a good preemerge, spray with select as needed during the growing season (or plant clearfield), nuke with roundup a few weeks prior and clip a few strips. It'n not necessary to disk strips, but you can. Leave as many stalks standing as you can if you're able to hunt it and find your birds. Clip additional strips throughout the season to disperse more seed.
This post was edited on 4/18/24 at 8:14 am
Posted on 4/18/24 at 8:58 am to rsbd
A lot depends on the size of your field.
We have better luck w Maximillian and black oil varieties. Smaller heads by nature.
We don’t disc or roundup. Plants are mostly dead by August around here anyway.
Small field, shred the center and leave the edges.
Big field, cut lanes and patches, 1/4 acre or so to hunt in.
Cut it close to the ground.
Doves like large open areas. They don’t like heavy overgrown plots, my guess is because they can’t see potential predation threats and can see each other. They are flocking animals by nature and that is their safety mechanism.
Also, if you don’t mow, you will have problems finding downed birds. Not to mention wading through stalks, bugs and other crap is just not good.
.
We have better luck w Maximillian and black oil varieties. Smaller heads by nature.
We don’t disc or roundup. Plants are mostly dead by August around here anyway.
Small field, shred the center and leave the edges.
Big field, cut lanes and patches, 1/4 acre or so to hunt in.
Cut it close to the ground.
Doves like large open areas. They don’t like heavy overgrown plots, my guess is because they can’t see potential predation threats and can see each other. They are flocking animals by nature and that is their safety mechanism.
Also, if you don’t mow, you will have problems finding downed birds. Not to mention wading through stalks, bugs and other crap is just not good.
.
Posted on 4/18/24 at 11:37 am to rsbd
quote:
Planted two fields for the first time this year. Do you usually leave your sunflower standing when it’s time to hunt or till?
I would watch your fields to be honest. If you have doves in your fields don't do a thing to them. If you are not happy with the numbers, cut strips in the sunflowers.
I would plan on millet nearby as well, incase the sunflowers flop.
Posted on 4/18/24 at 1:52 pm to rsbd
You’ll have to cut some strips clearly or you’ll be losing a lot of dove. Leave rows of 4-5 deep to hunt in for cover. Im not sure if your deer density but if you’re like me you should consider a temporary electric fence (a tall electric fence preferably multiple strands deep) to keep the deer out or you won’t have a crop of sunflowers that make it to seed
Posted on 4/18/24 at 2:30 pm to rsbd
quote:
Sunflowers for doves
They are eating the crap out of mine from my feeders in my back yard. Scaring all the song birds away.
Posted on 4/18/24 at 9:37 pm to rsbd
This is what seems best for us lately.
1. Sunflowers 8 rows wide and normal seeding rates and as clean as you can keep them. ( I have never hunted in a field that was think like No Colors is talking about. I’m not saying it won’t work but it definitely goes against normal/the old philosophy)
2. Clean ground between strips of sunflowers. Someone mentioned brown top, but we use soybeans that are harvested with a combine.
3. Preferably within a short distance of a City/town.
4. Sand/grit/gravel road within a 100 yards of field.
5. Trees, power lines and a water source. We have even pumped water up for them. You have to remember that is a hot and dry time of the year and they have to have water.
1. Sunflowers 8 rows wide and normal seeding rates and as clean as you can keep them. ( I have never hunted in a field that was think like No Colors is talking about. I’m not saying it won’t work but it definitely goes against normal/the old philosophy)
2. Clean ground between strips of sunflowers. Someone mentioned brown top, but we use soybeans that are harvested with a combine.
3. Preferably within a short distance of a City/town.
4. Sand/grit/gravel road within a 100 yards of field.
5. Trees, power lines and a water source. We have even pumped water up for them. You have to remember that is a hot and dry time of the year and they have to have water.
This post was edited on 4/18/24 at 9:43 pm
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