2022 Dove Field Thread

[Bigearl68]

Your best friend would be a flail mower, and things don’t have be perfectly clean. Heck, I left a field of sunflowers standing with grass and pigweed everywhere. They landed in it feed just the same.
And you can always hit the regrowth with clethodium or Liberty.

 

[ChattBuck]

Did the millet head out in the corn?

Somewhat. Not great big heads with big seed but they did produce seed.

 

[Gut_Pile]

I wouldn't be scared to run a fire through it once it turns brown

 

[ChattBuck]

I wouldn't be scared to run a fire through it once it turns brown

You and three others here locally said the same thing!

 

[dixon413]

May help to wait until corn dries a little more before mowing.

 

[ChattBuck]

Got the dove side of the field looking better. Last weeks roundup application already paying good dividends. Widened the strips Saturday and mowed them down to just about dirt.

Letting the corn brown up some more and will work hard on that side of the field next week to make it more palatable to the birds.

Had 15-20 birds working the field Saturday as I worked. Nowhere near the number I'd like to see. However, this time last year I had A LOT of birds but come opening day I didn't have many at all. Hoping to flip the script this year.

 

[Geestring]

If you don’t have any birds it won’t be from lack of you trying. I’m sure you’ll be fine , you always work really hard at it and your plots always look phenomenal .I Wish you the best

 

[ChattBuck]

If you don’t have any birds it won’t be from lack of you trying. I’m sure you’ll be fine , you always work really hard at it and your plots always look phenomenal .I Wish you the best

I'm old enough that the work on the fields is enjoyable enough that even in the birds don't show I'm happy. Getting to spend a day or two hunting with friends is icing on the cake. If the birds actually cooperate then I'm overjoyed.

 

[ChattBuck]

Final product. Not seeing a lot of birds. A mile down the road is the only agriculturally managed farm within 3-4 miles of me. They've planted for dove for over 50 years and have had shoots for longer than that. Birds are pretty imprinted on it. They are seeing a lot of birds while a mile down the road we are kinda thin. They baled a bunch of millet past week or so and are harvesting corn right now.

 

[ChattBuck]

Here's the neighboring farm. Can see the bales of millet in their millet field and the corn in process of harvesting.

 

[ChattBuck]

Finally, may not shoot a lot of dove but I like the view for the deer in what we call the "driveway stand".

 

[Semi-Pro]

Finally, may not shoot a lot of dove but I like the view for the deer in what we call the "driveway stand".

Nice

 

[Gut_Pile]

Looks great

 

[Foster]

I have been looking for a final update on your field, it has been great to follow along for another year. Thank you for letting us live vicariously and best of luck on the shoot.

 

[ChattBuck]

Opening day wasn't great. Foggy morning with low cloud ceiling. Birds weren't flying much and ones that did stayed very high. They'd circle the field but wouldn't come in. Heard similar reports from other fields in the area. Only a few people had good hunts.

I hunted the morning. Got some shooting in. Knocked down a couple of birds. Had a good time with some good friends then headed out to the UGA Duck Shoot at Mercedes Benz in the ATL. Dawgs all got a limit!

 

[au7126]

Opening day wasn't great. Foggy morning with low cloud ceiling. Birds weren't flying much and ones that did stayed very high. They'd circle the field but wouldn't come in. Heard similar reports from other fields in the area. Only a few people had good hunts.

I hunted the morning. Got some shooting in. Knocked down a couple of birds. Had a good time with some good friends then headed out to the UGA Duck Shoot at Mercedes Benz in the ATL. Dawgs all got a limit!

 

[au7126]

What gauge is the Humpback? I have the 20-16- and 12. Took the Sweet 16 with high brass ammo and could not shine a flash light on my arm and shoulder the next day.

 

[ChattBuck]

What gauge is the Humpback? I have the 20-16- and 12. Took the Sweet 16 with high brass ammo and could not shine a flash light on my arm and shoulder the next day.

I too have the set of all three A-5's. My favorite guns. This was the light 12.

 

[ChattBuck]

Shot the field again yesterday. Had a good nearly 2 hr hunt with birds flying most of the time. Knocked down a few, then the rain hit. Hard.

Friday I had tilled up all my cut strips, planted winter wheat in some and brassicas in others. Probably planted 2.5 acres. Put out 500 lbs of 19-19-19. So while my hunt was washed out I was very happy to see all that get rained in. Hoping to get some good winter food for the deer to keep them happy.

 

[ChattBuck]

Winter wheat has exploded up in the sections I planted it 6 days ago. Nearly half an inch of rain two days after planting did the trick. The brassicas have yet to come up which makes me a bit nervous.

I tilled all the cut strips up, fertilized, broadcast the wheat in some and brassicas in the others. I drug the wheat strips following seeding. I didn't drag the brassicas. Hoping they come up soon.

All the green in the still standing sunflowers is last years millet that came back up. May provide for some good later season dove feed. Will the deer eat the millet as well?