Dove question

[jigman29]

I have never shot doves to amount to anything being as I am in the North Georgia mountains. I drove to a cut cornfield we have to look for geese to shoot the other evening and saw about 50 or more doves roosted on the edge of the field. It will probably be a few days before I am able to shoot the field and was wondering id they usually hang around if not pressured or do they constantly move?

Next, if I decide to get a group together to plant a field for next year what is the minimum acreage for a dove field? And would it be worth trying to plant one in Rabun county or am I out of the normal migration routes?

Forgive my ignorance on the subject but am hoping to learn a little more about them.

 

[Maydog]

They will normally hang around if there is food available. What time of day did you see them? I would try to go sit and watch the field from 2pm until 430pm and see how many are coming in to the field. I don't believe that there is a typical migration route for dove and they can show up overnight to a field that has ample food, although they typically like larger fields. We always figure an acre to the hunter but you can certainly squeeze people closer together if everyone is careful with their shooting.

 

[jigman29]

These were in there about midday.

 

[spring]

During the winter, an unmanaged harvested corn field typically will not have enough residual corn on the ground that never sprouted to hold some migrating dove for long. If you have some now, get out and shoot this afternoon.

 

[Hooked On Quack]

If you got 'em, shoot 'em ASAP, here today gone tomorrow.

 

[chase870]

If you need a professional consultant to look at this I will be happy to come have a look. I grew up shooting winter doves, as mentioned in a previous post if they are there you best go ahead and shoot them when they are there