# dove field question -- oyster shells?



## smokinbass16

anybody ever heard about puttin this out in the field? its used as grit to help grind up the food they've eaten. if you have used it, how did u put it out and how much? our field is about 45-50 acres total. 35 in corn, 4 in sunflowers, 4 in browntop, and 3 in wheat. there is about a 10 yard wide dirt road winding through the field with some gravel on it too. thanks


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## chiefsquirrel83

I know growing up down in Locust Grove we use to go to Akins Feed and Seed in Griffin and buy it....rather cheap too....and legal!


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## maker4life

Don't get caught .


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## Ole Fuzzy

Ground oyster shells are typically purchased by people that raise chickens in smaller quantities.  IIRC, the benefit of the oyster shells over fine gravel is that in addition to provided grit for the gizzard, it provided calcium and other nutrients for eggshell quality.

Unless you are free-ranging chickens in the field, the ground shells are not going to constitute a bona fide ag practice.  If one were to use it, it would be smart to put it on a tarp and remove it from the field enough days ahead of shooting to comply with regs.


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## smokinbass16

actually its 100 percent legal to use. called up the local warden office a few days ago and asked them and they said it is fine.


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## chiefsquirrel83

It is legal to use that is the reason why they sold so much. Contact your local office. When I worked there DNR even stated that it is 100% legal! Have been doing it for years and DNR has checked. So you are good.


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## maker4life

I was thinking salt .


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## preston

*sand*

i have been told white sand is good to for attracting dove.


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## Jamie Brett Jr.

You dont really have to use anything they will find the rocks in the field on there own.


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## smokinbass16

salt kills the birds haha not such a good idea fyi but thanks for the responses. ill let ya know how they do


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## emtguy

salt will bring e in by the tons! never tried it though, saw a salted feild once but i was scared to shoot it...thats a harsh fine.

oyster shells in my opinion will help hold birds longer if you already got them in feild but wont bring em to a feild. waste of time and over-hyped.

i will post pics of the drag i built for dragginig p-nut feilds, i will put about 100 pounds of shell out after i drag it to see what happens and report back...i'll do 2 feilds, one with and one without so i can compare em.


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## Eugene Stinson

I was in a dove hunting club many years ago. I worked with the owner helping and learning all I could about the quarry I most like to hunt. I helped all I could in the month of Aug every year with my son. In my experence and what he showed me, oyster shell is the best and favorite of a morning dove. Large grit sand works well even a pile of fine gravel will be visited by dove. The thing is like stated above. It won't draw them in like feed. But when some find it, they will use it and bring more dove to it.  The best luck with it I have ever had was:  dump a load right out of the truck nearthe closest water sourse to your field.  But DON"T hunt over the shell. They eat seeds, drink water, pick up a few pieces of grit, then roost.   If you get a bunch resident birds raising near your field and you have all they need to survive, then they will stay and fly around the area all year till late season. The migratory bird coming from the north sees them and hangs with them for a while till the weather pushes them farther south. Your resident birds will stay,  not wanting to leave the mother load they have come accustomed to till they just can't take the cold no more.


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## maker4life

smokinbass16 said:


> salt kills the birds haha not such a good idea fyi but thanks for the responses. ill let ya know how they do



Salt kills doves ? Please explain .


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## chiefsquirrel83

Salt kills doves??? LOL!!!!


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## smokinbass16

yup at least from what ive heard. it brings em in like nuttin else supposedly but also it kills them a week or two later.


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## homey

*salt*

Kills em in a week or two? Heck I plan on killing them also.


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## smokinbass16

homey said:


> Kills em in a week or two? Heck I plan on killing them also.



ya okay me too but ur not gonna be killin every bird that eats that salt. y kill em when ur not shooting at them? put two and two together bud


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## maker4life

I've got to see some info on this whole salt kills birds thing . Everything I've ever read about salt and doves suggest the birds need the salt and benefit from the added iodine , magnessium and other minerals .


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## jimbo4116

I don't think oyster shells put in fields has an effect as an attractant. Doves generally can be found in the same place sanding or gritting, usually around clean watering holes.


Here is the only info I can find on salt. Also mentions that calcium use is high in during reproduction. Which would seem to indicate that oyster shells would not be an attractant during hunting season.

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Mourning Doves and Salt: Is There an Attraction?, by Steven E. Hayslette and Ralph E. Mirarchi © 2002 Allen Press.

Baiting with sodium salt (hereafter salt) to attract mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) for hunting has been illegal since 1931, yet no comprehensive study of the relationship between mourning doves and salt in the environment has been conducted. We measured consumption of freely available salt by captive male and female mourning doves, and we tested effects of season, grit availability, and reproductive status on salt consumption. Additionally, we evaluated the attraction of wild mourning doves to salt by comparing dove use among resource patches containing food and salt baits, salt bait, food bait, and no bait at 2 sites in eastcentral Alabama. Captive doves consumed 20 ± 3 (xÌ„ ± SE) mg salt/day. Salt consumption did not vary between genders, among seasons, or with availability of another grit source. Grit consumption by females during April-May was greater than during other periods, and greater than consumption by males during any period. Pairs of doves successfully hatching young consumed more salt/dove/day than did unsuccessful pairs or unpaired doves. Among successful nesters, mean salt consumption was highest during the week following hatching. Wild mourning dove use was similar between patches containing both food and salt and those containing food, and between patches containing salt and unbaited patches. Results confirm that mourning doves will consume salt in their environment, particularly during nesting, apparently in response to physiological demand for sodium. However, salt did not appear to attract wild mourning doves, perhaps due to physiological sodium-conserving mechanisms or the availability of natural sodium sources. Salt does not appear to function as grit in the diet of mourning doves. Grit may be an important source of calcium for doves during reproduction. Regulations prohibiting salt baiting for dove hunting may not be necessary, although additional research should be conducted in other areas to test our results.


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## Delane01

The oyster shells have salt as well. Some of the best shoots i have ever been on, back in 60's, were over oyster shells.


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## Delane01

but there may have been more birds back then.


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## emtguy

i thought they used the oyster shell for grit. maybe it's over-hyped


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