# Dove field question



## JHannah92 (Jun 9, 2009)

Anyone ever plant birdseed in their dove field?  Heard about people doing this, and if it works well, it's a lot cheaper than any other seed I know of.  Ever tried it? How was it?


----------



## maker4life (Jun 9, 2009)

I believe I heard someone on here say they've tried it . My worry would be buying a bunch of bird seed and hardly any of it germinating .


----------



## JHannah92 (Jun 10, 2009)

That was my worry too.  I planted some birdseed in my flower bed yesterday to see if it came up.  If it does I'm gonna put some out along with my millet seed.


----------



## BirdNut (Jun 10, 2009)

We did it one year down the road at a neighbors place.  I am trying to remember exactly how many bags we put out, but can't recall at the moment.  Lets just say it was a low budget dove field.

He even called Pennington and asked their opinion, and they said they wouldn't expect a very high germination rate.  They were right, but we still wound up with a decent stand of Milo and Millet.  The sunflowers didn't really make, not sure why (Maybe too late?).

For not a lot of money we had some decent shoots.  The field set-up already had some doves around, it was a rural/semi-suburban setting.  There was a pond, and we planted on a hillside above the pond.  There was good roost areas on 2 sides, an open field to on side, and the pond.  The neighbor disked the fescue pasture in some strips and a couple of circles.  The whole area was maybe 20 acres, with maybe 40-50% of it planted.

We were also going for a little quail training area, so it worked out real well for that too with pen-raised birds and some recall pens.

The dove shoots were better than any WMA field I've been on.


----------



## Capt Quirk (Jun 10, 2009)

I took the lid off of a butter tub, set it in the yard, and filled it with regular wild bird seed available at most grocery stores. Fill it up daily, and soon the doves will be there waiting for you and the seed.


----------



## Dead Eye Eddy (Jul 15, 2009)

It grows under my mom's bird feeders, so I don't know why it wouldn't grow in a prepared field.  I don't think that planting commercial birdseed is "standard agricultural practice" though, so you'd probably get ticketted for hunting over it, even if it's all covered and germinated.


----------



## Nimrod71 (Jul 15, 2009)

I have planted it before and it worked pretty good.  You have to be careful and not plant it to deep.  Sessmee works good to and will last a long time.


----------



## General Lee (Jul 16, 2009)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> It grows under my mom's bird feeders, so I don't know why it wouldn't grow in a prepared field.  I don't think that planting commercial birdseed is "standard agricultural practice" though, so you'd probably get ticketted for hunting over it, even if it's all covered and germinated.


Not an issue..........


----------



## easbell (Jul 16, 2009)

Be careful to check and see what is in the bird seed. Some have seeds of plant you do not want growing on your property. Thistle for one but there are others.


----------



## jimbo4116 (Jul 16, 2009)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> It grows under my mom's bird feeders, so I don't know why it wouldn't grow in a prepared field.  I don't think that planting commercial birdseed is "standard agricultural practice" though, so you'd probably get ticketted for hunting over it, even if it's all covered and germinated.




Here is what you want to know.

http://www.fws.gov/le/HuntFish/WhatisLegal.htm


----------



## easbell (Jul 16, 2009)

I went to the link and found this interesting... 
"Lands planted as wildlife food plots, provided the seed is planted in a manner consistent with Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service recommendations for the planting of wildlife food plots. In states without Cooperative Extension Service recommendations for the planting of food plots, the seed must be planted in accordance with Extension Service guidelines for producing a crop."

What I am wondering is....Do the dates for planting food plots differ from those used for planting ag? Anyone know the answer?


----------



## trkyburns (Jul 16, 2009)

I never realized that stuff would actually grow.  

I know it is too late to plant a dove field with what would typically be planted in one.  But would it be too late to try and grow a decent dove field from birdseed?  I am talking about a very small patch just big enough for 2 or 3 people to hunt over.


----------



## easbell (Jul 16, 2009)

you could grow one for the 2nd season. Millet needs about 80 days.


----------



## Dustin Pate (Jul 16, 2009)

easbell said:


> you could grow one for the 2nd season. Millet needs about 80 days.



I believe browntop is around 65 days.


----------



## jimbo4116 (Jul 16, 2009)

trkyburns said:


> I never realized that stuff would actually grow.
> 
> I know it is too late to plant a dove field with what would typically be planted in one.  But would it be too late to try and grow a decent dove field from birdseed?  I am talking about a very small patch just big enough for 2 or 3 people to hunt over.



Brown Top Millet, Sunflower seeds or milo will all make for the second season.


----------



## Souhternhunter17 (Jul 19, 2009)

wether its legal or not,i would go with quality,(brown top,corn,sunflower) not quantity(birdseed).


----------



## emtguy (Jul 20, 2009)

low germ rate, the seed is parched so it dont grow readily under peoples feeders....the stuff to plant for doves is benny or seaseme seed as some call it, we have stripped p-nut feilds with it for years ad a dove will walk over a p-nut to get to benny....trust me.

the club im in is 1100.00 a year and most of that goes to buying benny....its amazing, can kill a limit in 25 minutes anywhere on the feild. shot same feild 3 sat in a row last year over it.


----------

