# 3 Acre Dove Field. What to plant?



## Joey (Jun 8, 2010)

I am in Florida and my family is wanting to plant a dove field.
It is a 3 acre square field. 
We would like to plant a variety of seeds, or just stager the planting to get us through all the phases.
We have done a few fields in the past years and had a great opening shoot or two, and then it seems like the birds just don't want to return after getting a couple shoots done.

What do you reccommend planting, and when would you plant it?

And do you spread crack corn or some chicken scratch to attract and hold them?

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Joey


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## Supercracker (Jun 8, 2010)

I'm in the exact same situation. Except with about 2 acres.


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## Sam H (Jun 8, 2010)

Corn and/or sunflower should have already been planted...or plant now for later season...also try some millet and sorghum....PLANT NOW!!..after milet/sorghum gets up and mature..bushhog/knock down some strips thru it about every 150ft or so...just suggestion

anybodyelse?...Am I wrong?


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## Steven Farr (Jun 8, 2010)

Pearltop Millet or Dove Proso

Plant the whole field now and mow strips.  Don;t skin it to the dirt when you mow it.  Come back over what you mowed and burn the strips.  You can mow the standing strips in stages throughout the season.


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## Dustin Pate (Jun 8, 2010)

Millet is the best bet now. For that small a field the key is not over shooting it. You need to space the shoots out and good deal to get the most out of it.


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## Supercracker (Jun 8, 2010)

how often and when would you start mowing the strips?


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## Dustin Pate (Jun 8, 2010)

Supercracker said:


> how often and when would you start mowing the strips?



Couple weeks before the season comes in is a good time to start. You can finish mowing it the week before the season or leave some for later in the season.


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## Supercracker (Jun 8, 2010)

cool. I'll get some millet on it tomorrow then. as it happens, I'm gonna be planting millet right next to this place. So it won't be a big deal.


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## BRIAN1 (Jun 9, 2010)

I agree with the previous post. Stage it for later hunts. I was going to say sunflowers, but it may be to late. That would perfect for a small field. Try it next year. Good luck.

Brian1


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## Joey (Jun 10, 2010)

*Thanks*

I am getting corn in this Saturday, when should I do the millet and sorgrum/proso?

Thanks,
Joey


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## Sam H (Jun 10, 2010)

Plant your millet/sorghum NOW!!!!...Your corn will have to be for later season......My corn is already 5ft tall....


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## 20west (Jun 15, 2010)

*Not too late*

Joey, millet is a good choice this late, however up til 6-21 you can also use strips of black oil sunflower. Even if not fully matured they will add color and that will bring the dove in. Start about three weeks out by cutting small portions of your millet, one week before opening day turn 
the cut portions to expose fresh dirt and creat a landing zone.


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## Joey (Jun 16, 2010)

Thanks everyone, We got most everything planted on saturday, going to do dove proso this weekend.

Joey


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## emtguy (Jun 21, 2010)

on 3 acres you are pretty much wasting youre time and money...i would plant maybe 4 rows of sunflowers or so, which would not take up much room off the 3 acres, harrow the rest and bait the heck out of it...then 2 weeks before the shoot harrow feed under and mow sunflower strips and hope that holds the few birds you will have...it prob. wont but its worth a try and it will be legal.
I would think the max birds you could get on 3 acres is maybe 150 so its worth a try i guess.


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## Dustin Pate (Jun 22, 2010)

I don't think it is a waste. Depending on how many shoot it 150 birds is ten limits. Most people don't go that many times anyway. I have hunted plenty of "small" fields and have great hunts.


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## JohnnyD (Jun 22, 2010)

Dustin Pate said:


> I don't think it is a waste. Depending on how many shoot it 150 birds is ten limits. Most people don't go that many times anyway. I have hunted plenty of "small" fields and have great hunts.



I agree.  Some of my best hunts were on 1 to 3 acre fields.  One of the more memorable ones occured on about a 2 acre field that had not been planted.  We mowed down Johnson grass from treeline to treeline and disked it up for fall planting.  Next thing we know the dove are in love with it.  I guess they were going for the JG seed or maybe they just liked freshly disked dirt.  Only hunted it once, but it was wildly successful that day.


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## daisy102998 (Jun 22, 2010)

We have shot a 5 acre feild all of the year.  The secret is not to be greedy.  Stop shooting and let them feed.  As long as they are not over shot and have a food source they will keep coming in.  You have different migratory flights come to it at different times.


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## emtguy (Jun 22, 2010)

i agree, 150 birds is ten limits but out of the 150 thats feeding daily about half will flair from the guns and never come in the day of the shoot b/c of the guns going off....i agree with him trying it, i was just pointing out a cheaper way thats also legal....tough economy out there ya know...lol


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## Joey (Jun 23, 2010)

I understand we can't shoot a lot of people or shoot everyweekend. We only have 5 family members that will be shooting, and we will only shoot it probably 2 times a phase.
We have had great sucess in the past but I believe we had to many hunters and shot it to often. That is why we have scaled back this year and going with just family members.

Joey


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## wacknstack (Jul 18, 2010)

Deer love sunflower sprouts and will make quick work out of a 3 acre field. Go with a mixture of proso and brown top millet. The BT will come up and head out fast and the proso will be more gradual and hold em in there. Mow strips about 20 feet wide.  couple weeks before season.


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