Dove Field Size

RinggoldGa

Senior Member
I'm closing on some land/home in two weeks. Going to have a 19 acre unfenced pasture that has been used as a hay field. I want to put in a little dove field for me and 5-6 friends to hunt at the same time.

I have absolutely no idea how much of that field I would need to cultivate in order to have a big enough place to host that kind of hunt.

Also, what would the cost be to plant a dove field (lets say brown top millet) per acre?

Any and all advice appreciated. Figure it's too late to be able to get one in by the time I would be able to (late June) but would like to mentally start preparing now!
 

OmenHonkey

I Want Fancy Words TOO !
You should be able to walk the perimeter and lay it out visually where people would need to set-up. And just go from there. Millet isn't expensive really. Your cost will be in Killing the grass/weeds and the tractor work and fuel to get it to where you have a cultivatable field.
 

RinggoldGa

Senior Member
I'm limited by the fact that I don't yet own it. Don't own a tractor (going to buy soon) and have never cultivated a field.

Sooooo, my plan is to take it slow, research it, and do it right next year.

Just didn't know if 1-2 acres would suffice or if I needed a larger plot.
 

RinggoldGa

Senior Member
Make it as big as the land will allow.

But then the guy wanting to pay me to have rights to the hay wont' pay me as much! I should have phrased the initial question to say "how little can I make it and be ok". The more I leave to hay themore $$ I make.
 

elfiii

Admin
Staff member
I'm limited by the fact that I don't yet own it. Don't own a tractor (going to buy soon) and have never cultivated a field.

Sooooo, my plan is to take it slow, research it, and do it right next year.

Just didn't know if 1-2 acres would suffice or if I needed a larger plot.

2 acres is way too small for 5-6 friends.
 

nrh0011

Senior Member
Go as big as you can, tractor included. Buy the biggest one you can afford. Brown top is relatively inexpensive and pretty easy to establish. Probably 30$ an acre in seed or so, not a huge fertility requirement either.
 

Dustin Pate

Administrator
Staff member
In general, an acre per hunter makes a really comfortable field if it lays right. You can definitely have good shoots on a smaller field, but you will have to limit pressure. Also, if there is a larger, more desirable, field nearby, it can pull your birds away.

I'd be asking the gentleman that is bailing the hay what his desired return is. Then work out a balance on the two.
 

JackSprat

Senior Member
You can top sow a pasture with wheat.

You can spread chicken litter.

2 acres is plenty for 5 or 6 people who know how to shoot, if it's in an open field as this appears it will be. Not every one has to stand in the middle of the plot.

Discuss with the farmer growing millet for hay. He might be willing to do it on shares. Would save you a lot of work.

Biggest problem is what Dustin Pate mentions - guy down the road dumping out a pile of bait.

When I was doing fields, I got to where I aimed for the 2nd weekend, and the first weekend of the 2nd season to get those migratory birds, cut down on the competition from bait piles.

Also discuss with your farmer natural forage. Is he amenable to you burning the field after he has finished haying?
 

abrannon

Senior Member
Another idea to make 2 acres work is to plant in strips. Two strips of Millet, 2 strips of grass, 2 strips of millet, etc..

You can get your two acres and the grass can still be bailed.

You can also try to find some Croton to plant in the grass. That will help attract the birds.
 
One of the best dove shoots I ever had was in a 1.5 acre picked peanut field. We positioned hay bales for 8 shooters and had the best 2 hr. shoot ever.
 

abrannon

Senior Member
Really there is no issue with the 2 acres. Just position the shooters at a safe distance from one another. Nothing says all shooters have to be on the two acres that were planted. The birds have to fly to the food plot, shoot them as they fly in.
 
Top