2022 Dove Field Thread

[ChattBuck]

Back again for 2022. Last years field grew well, did great. Had plenty of birds leading up to the season . . . then they all disappeared about 10 days prior to opening day. Not sure what happened. Neighbors 2 miles up the road had a great shoot but many others around us had a disappointing hunt as well. Who knows, but we are back after it again.

Field - Approx 5 acres in NW GA

Equipment - Branson 4815h (47hp), Two row Deere 7000 planter, 50 gallon sprayer, 6ft rotary tiller

Planting - 45% Sunflowers 45% Corn 10% millet (going in June )

Pre Planting - Round up sprayed over entire field 3 weeks ago

Tilled- this past weekend. Two passes over entire field

Fertilizer - 200lbs of Triple 19 per acre - Corn side of field got an extra 100lbs nitrogen per acre

Lime - I put down 2000lbs on the field every spring and fall

Planted - Clearfield sunflowers, Roundup Ready Corn

Post Planting/Pre Emergent - 1.5 PINTS Dual Magnum, 6 oz spartan, 8oz
non ionic surfactant in 25 gallons of water (covers one acre). - Only sprayed on Sunflower portion of field as I'll nuke the corn side with roundup later.

Post Emergent - When sunflowers are at 4-6 leaves I'll spray with 6oz of IMOX/8 oz of surfactant/liquid nitrogen (unsure amount) per 25 gallons (covers one acre) - Corn will get sprayed with roundup about 10-12 inches high and I'll add another 100lbs or so of nitrogen per acre at that time as well.

Hoping for the rain being called for Tuesday actually hits me. Just need that good 1/3-1/2 inch of rain to get me going.
oz

 

[sportsman94]

Looks great as always! Looking forward to keeping up with this thread. Where are you at in NW Ga?

 

[ChattBuck]

Looks great as always! Looking forward to keeping up with this thread. Where are you at in NW Ga?

Ringgold. About 3 miles from TN state line. About 1 mile north of Ringgold High School.

 

[sleepr71]

Lotta work for them birds?. Hope you guys kill a truck load!

 

[Gut_Pile]

Thanks for sharing again this year. Always love keeping up with this thread

 

[ChattBuck]

Would like to note I'm FAR from an expert. 90% of what I've done in this, my fourth year ever doing a field, I've learned from people on here. So please don't hesitate to critique, offer suggestions, teach me things. I'm all ears. It won't offend me.

The addition of the Dual magnum this year was something I was taught her last year as I battled weeds. I'm very open to any and all learning opportunities.

 

[sleepr71]

Do you have to have an “Applicators License” or whatever it’s called to buy the Dual Magnum(Pre-Emergent)?

 

[ChattBuck]

Do you have to have an “Applicators License” or whatever it’s called to buy the Dual Magnum(Pre-Emergent)?

Not in GA according to the website I ordered from. I ordered a generic alternative through Keystone Pest Solutions online, their Me-Too-Lachlor II.

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

Most preemergents don't require a pesticide license, only atrazine does in 2.5s and up.

 

[jack sumner]

having other fields nearby can be challenging...you can have the best looking field with tons of feed on the ground and could lose most/all of your birds in a few days to a neighbors freshly cut field....knowing when, how much, and what to mow can help you keep birds

 

[ChattBuck]

having other fields nearby can be challenging...you can have the best looking field with tons of feed on the ground and could lose most/all of your birds in a few days to a neighbors freshly cut field....knowing when, how much, and what to mow can help you keep birds

This may have been what happened. They cut a big field of millet the week before the season at the place down the road.

 

[jack sumner]

Growing and getting a field full of birds to hunt on 1 particular day is tough enough....weather,hurricanes,etc....but having another field close by is tough..what you do the last 3 days before the opener can determine what kind of hunt you will have....30 years of good,bad,and ugly have taught me that!!

 

[ChattBuck]

Growing and getting a field full of birds to hunt on 1 particular day is tough enough....weather,hurricanes,etc....but having another field close by is tough..what you do the last 3 days before the opener can determine what kind of hunt you will have....30 years of good,bad,and ugly have taught me that!!

A big front came through last year in the days before the opener and that didn't help. Also the field down the road shot sunrise and we waited till after the traditional noon and not sure how that played a role as well.

Any advice on what to do the week or so before the opener to maximize effectiveness of our field would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[Geestring]

Looks great as usual. Thanks for sharing

 

[Big7]

Hurricanes messed them up last year.
Not much you can do about that.

Your field looks amazing, excellent even.

I'll pay to shoot on it if you are planning on doing that. Our family farm was sold 3 years ago so I tried WMA's without much luck. Sucked bad.

 

[ChattBuck]

Hurricanes messed them up last year.
Not much you can do about that.

Your field looks amazing, excellent even.

I'll pay to shoot on it if you are planning on doing that. Our family farm was sold 3 years ago so I tried WMA's without much luck. Sucked bad.

Appreciate that. But I have 3 x more friends wanting to hunt it than I have spots available!

 

[jack sumner]

Plant more millet than corn and sunflowers..early season there is alot of young birds that prefer smaller size grain than corn...I plant brown,white,and jap millet...after the opener harrow/replant mowed strips and you might have another crop to hunt for migratory birds during the holidays...once you mow corn/sunflowers in august it is only good for a short time...save the corn for later season hunts on mature birds....also leave a strip of bare ground beside the millet to disc as needed....try to have/do something the other field doesnt have...if your losing birds go over mowed millet with a finishing mower or lawn mower with deck raised and make a windrow of millet top/grass and burn 3 days before opener....good luck!

 

[ChattBuck]

Plant more millet than corn and sunflowers..early season there is alot of young birds that prefer smaller size grain than corn...I plant brown,white,and jap millet...after the opener harrow/replant mowed strips and you might have another crop to hunt for migratory birds during the holidays...once you mow corn/sunflowers in august it is only good for a short time...save the corn for later season hunts on mature birds....also leave a strip of bare ground beside the millet to disc as needed....try to have/do something the other field doesnt have...if your losing birds go over mowed millet with a finishing mower or lawn mower with deck raised and make a windrow of millet top/grass and burn 3 days before opener....good luck!

Great advice. I'm going to have about about 3/4 of an acre or so of millet in the middle of the field and we plan to try burning it the week before the season.

I'm also going to keep 4 strips the full width of the field tilled and in bare ground throughout the growing season and we will keep some cracked corn and sunflowers spread out in them till early august.

We don't typically hunt the late season dove hard. Usually just once if I'm seeing a lot of birds but we usually don't.. After the first two opening weekends I till up most of the field and plant wheat/brassicas for the deer. I leave about 1/3 of the corn standing as it helps with the deer as well.

 

[jack sumner]

another thing to think about...there are a ton of deer leases/private lands/wma to hunt on, but very few good dove fields. As your field gets more established so will the people that want to be your friend or give you some change to hunt your field....most have no idea the cost/labor it takes to have a good field on a consistent basis...so I always use the reciprocation rule and tell them I will hunt/fish with them 1st cause I know what I have!! Also have hunts the middle of the week while your neighbors are working so they wont hear all that shooting and decided to have their own dove field which will cut down your birds....hard lessons learned my friend!!

 

[ChattBuck]

another thing to think about...there are a ton of deer leases/private lands/wma to hunt on, but very few good dove fields. As your field gets more established so will the people that want to be your friend or give you some change to hunt your field....most have no idea the cost/labor it takes to have a good field on a consistent basis...so I always use the reciprocation rule and tell them I will hunt/fish with them 1st cause I know what I have!! Also have hunts the middle of the week while your neighbors are working so they wont hear all that shooting and decided to have their own dove field which will cut down your birds....hard lessons learned my friend!!

I had three partners in the field but lost one of them to Covid last year. 48 yo healthy guy. Miss him a lot. So the the other two split the fertilizer and seed cost with me and help out occasionally with labor. They get to bring a guest opening day and can hunt it all dove season. I bring 5 guests opening day. I could easily bring 20-30! I've gotten real good at telling people no.

I could make the field much larger but then I'd lose the hay field I sell hay off of. Don't want to do that. 5 acres and only a few friends shooting works out really well.