Brown top millet

[chevyz71]

Hi all. I planted 6 acres of millet this year. My fist time planting millet myself. I know a lot of people burn millet. At what point would I do that or how do y'all prep millet for hunting? Only millet I've ever hunted was when I was younger and it was cut and baled.

 

[hoytman308]

Whatever you choose to do DO NOT cut it to early because in my experience the Saturday before dove season is to early especially if there are other fields near by. We had good birds last year and cut most of not all the Saturday before opening day and it definitely hurt more than it helped.

 

[chevyz71]

Right. I do know it does not last long and a good rain on cut millet is pretty much done with.

 

[chevyz71]

I have been thinking of cutting all the way around and 3 or 4 strips. After a few days harrowing all of that and mowing a strip on each side of harrowed spots. Just don't know when or how much to burn. Or not at all?

 

[basstrkr]

Burning is good. Leave some of it standing to promote good burning. Harrow edges to keep fire contained. I would do so the last week in August.

 

[Souhternhunter17]

Weekend before the season harrow around the entire field, plow 2-3 strips down the middle and burn it in strips. That way you can burn 2-3 and leave 1 0r 2 to burn for later hunts. If it is dry and some or most of the seed has fallen off the seedhead you can burn it standing. If it is not quite as mature, mow it and let it lay for several days before burning.

 

[across the river]

Doves like clean ground. The benefit of burning is it gives the bird clean ground to walk on an easy access the seeds. With the field only being six acres, I probably wouldn’t even worry about burning. You can rake, lightly disc, or mow a field that small multiple times to get it clean enough the birds will use it, especially if you intend to hunt it through the season and will be cutting in strips. I personally think burning a dove field is more hype than anything in most cases. If you have a huge field you need to clean a bunch of stubble up in them yeah, burn. But if the field is small and you can clean it up other ways, burning it isn’t going to increase you numbers or anything on a small field like that.

 

[Souhternhunter17]

Doves like clean ground. The benefit of burning is it gives the bird clean ground to walk on an easy access the seeds. With the field only being six acres, I probably wouldn’t even worry about burning. You can rake, lightly disc, or mow a field that small multiple times to get it clean enough the birds will use it, especially if you intend to hunt it through the season and will be cutting in strips. I personally think burning a dove field is more hype than anything in most cases. If you have a huge field you need to clean a bunch of stubble up in them yeah, burn. But if the field is small and you can clean it up other ways, burning it isn’t going to increase you numbers or anything on a small field like that.

I disagree. With a smaller acreage it’s even more important to burn as you don’t have the large acreage to attract birds. I have had 3 fields I plant and plant and prep over the last 6-7 years between 2-6 acres and the difference in bird totals with burning as opposed to not burning is night and day. If you have the ability burning is the best way to go.

 

[across the river]

I disagree. With a smaller acreage it’s even more important to burn as you don’t have the large acreage to attract birds. I have had 3 fields I plant and plant and prep over the last 6-7 years between 2-6 acres and the difference in bird totals with burning as opposed to not burning is night and day. If you have the ability burning is the best way to go.

Let’s keep it in context. I agree burning helps and said as much. My point was you don’t specifically have to burn to get a clean field and it is easier to “mechanically” clean a smaller field than a larger one. This poster has never even planted before this year, so let’s just send him out to burn the field without having ever done it before. If you a cutting strips in a small field over the course of the season, burning each time isn’t feasible or practical in most cases, so if he is going that route it throws another layer in the whole thing for him. If he is going to cut the whole thing at one time,sure, burn it. You can go show him how to do it. But he could just as easily or more easily clear a field that small using other means, which having never burned before would likely be a better option. If the field is 100 acres, burning is the best and
Most logical option, but burning a field isn’t magic. Doves like clean ground, and I think we both agree in that. But like most everything in life, there are multiple ways to skin a cat. You don’t have to burn to have a good dove shoot, and I have been on several where the whole field was burn that were terrible. Keeping it context of this thread, I wouldn’t recommend someone who has never burned a field be that worried about it on the first one he planted.

 

[Souhternhunter17]

Let’s keep it in context. I agree burning helps and said as much. My point was you don’t specifically have to burn to get a clean field and it is easier to “mechanically” clean a smaller field than a larger one. This poster has never even planted before this year, so let’s just send him out to burn the field without having ever done it before. If you a cutting strips in a small field over the course of the season, burning each time isn’t feasible or practical in most cases, so if he is going that route it throws another layer in the whole thing for him. If he is going to cut the whole thing at one time,sure, burn it. You can go show him how to do it. But he could just as easily or more easily clear a field that small using other means, which having never burned before would likely be a better option. If the field is 100 acres, burning is the best and
Most logical option, but burning a field isn’t magic. Doves like clean ground, and I think we both agree in that. But like most everything in life, there are multiple ways to skin a cat. You don’t have to burn to have a good dove shoot, and I have been on several where the whole field was burn that were terrible. Keeping it context of this thread, I wouldn’t recommend someone who has never burned a field be that worried about it on the first one he planted.

Fair enough. Sure, I have been on great shoots with and without burning but seemingly the best were on burned fields. It's all just preference and how comfortable/experienced you are with conducting a safe burn. In the end as long as there is clean grown with seed and plowed dirt near by you give yourself the best shot!