Solax

Hey guys, I'm planning on planting a patch of sunflower seeds for doves this year. The field I hunt is nice sized but the one end has a road and the side has a house so we can't hunt there. I figured the sunflowers will keep them where we want them to be.

Any suggestions on this? Think it'll work? They seem easy enough to plant/take care of so I'm pumped.

texasaggiebowhunter

The only problem with planting sunflowers is getting rid of them when you dont want them anymore. They seed out and keep reproducing forever. Im in west Texas and we have sunflowers everywhere. A hinderance for farmers but great for dove hunting. We farm and also have day hunters. We let a patches of sunflowers grow then jsut before hunting season we shread shooting lanes. Makes it perfect. Sunflowers are tough and hard to plow. Plant some and you wil find out.

Buck Summers

Great idea! My boyfriend and I planted some sunflowers last season and it worked great for doves.

Solax

texasaggie, the place where im planting them is in the back of this field where no one can really see them. it's under a power line as well so the land there is not really used for antyhing. i have a 4-wheeler trail on one side so they won't be growing up there, on the other side is woods so they're welcome to grow in to there. i think it'll be alright.

i was actually just out last night and mowed the patch i want and started tilling. ill finish tilling and plant them tonight.

thanks.

Solax

Planted the sunflower seeds this weekend. Now all I need is a little rain for them to come up. I germinated them in my kitchen until they sprouted and then tilled the area where i planted them. sprinkled on the ground and covered with loose soil. hopefully they'll grow so i can do some serious dove hunting come Sept.

JoeA

Cool! I saw a recent edition of Shotgun Journal where the two hosts were shooting some doves in South Africa. They were staked out in huge field of sunflowers and they had doves all over them. Let us know how it works out. Good idea and good luck.