silverstreak

We hunt dove on a ranch in Central California. There are usually a lot of doves in the area but before the season opens they leave, and not due to cold but because of the lack of feed to keep them there. The last several years the dove weed has been very sparse and the little there is does not mature until later. We have an area that is about 17 acres, it is fairly level but there is no way to irrigate. We have planted barley in the past which seems to help in bringing pigs in, but doesn't seem to do much for the dove. We have the equipment to work the ground real good and a sprayer to spray for weeds. We also have a grain drill if needed to plant. any ideas as what to plant and when to plant?

cjclemens

Sunflowers or wheat come to mind. Plant sunflowers in spring and mow them down just before dove season starts. It'll scatter the seeds, but it makes an irresistible food plot for doves. Wheat is another good one. I'd probably use spring wheat. Plant and mow just like you would with sunflowers. Once it's mowed off, just set up a mojo dove in the middle and have a blast, literally.

Oldtimr

Sunflowers are great for doves but before you mow them down to hunt over the field check with your state on baiting laws. In my state that would be considered baiting. Hunting over standing sunflowers is ok but once they are mowed or brush hogged, it is bait.

BrushyPines

In prior dove fields, we planted patches of milo & sunflower. Then right before dove season would open we burned the patches. For some reason the burnt milo, sunflower & ground attracted the doves. We also disc the ground and threw wheat out for extra feed. I've learned over the years that dove love broken up ground & burnt ground.

silverstreak

We get most our rain in January and February. We would have to time our planting so how long does it take the suggested planting to mature in order to be able to mow prior to September?

MudderChuck

You have to have some water for the seeds to germinate, after the young plants are established, they tolerate the dry pretty well.

The best Dove fields I ever hunted in semi arid areas, were spots equal distant from a Sunflower field, brush for roosting and a water canal. I'd pass shoot when they flew from the roost to food, food to water and from water to roost, morning and evening.

Something to think about is water. A stock tank near a bush may help draw the Doves in. They like to land in a bush and eyeball the water before they fly in to drink. They aren't real fond of that green slime that grows in still water.

Many varieties of Sunflower and they seem to have new and improved all the time. Maybe a call to the local agriculture department might prove fruitful for seed recommendations for your specific area.

A tip if you are in an arid area, you can often spot micro climates, like a fold between two small hills that slopes. There is often brush where the ground stays a little moister than the average. Usually smaller plots, but a little is better than nothing.

silverstreak

I am wondering what any of you think of this idea. The field is presently planted with barley that is mixed in with weeds. The barley really didn't head out too good due to the lack of rain. It is dried out and since we're only a couple of weeks away from opening of dove season I want to go and flail mow barley and grass, put up a couple of dead limbs and put about 4 dove decoys on each along with a Mojo dove decoy on each, what do you think? We have a river with a small amount of water about 200 yards from this 17 acre field, and there are lots of oak trees where they can roost. The past weekend we observed a lot of birds flying back and forth but not large bunches congregating in the field. My thoughts are there is no large feeding areas within a few miles of us to hold birds there and by cutting what we got and putting out decoys it might attract some birds. What do you think?

Oldtimr

You don't say what state you are in, would it be legal to knock down the grain to hunt over the field? In some states such as PA it is not. Better check with you game agency first. For next year consider planting sunflowers. There was a wildlife mix on the market to plant that had dwarf sunflower seed in it that worked pretty well for doves of course I don't know if the hogs would go after it.

MudderChuck

Seems like you have thought it through pretty well. Not being there to observe is kind of a handicap for giving advice.

Just throwing some stuff out there. I've actually had better luck pass shooting than trying to shoot a flock. The flock scatters every time you shoot and it can take a while for other Doves to come in or the spooked ones to return.

I'm thinking there may be more birds there than you realize. They just come through in dribs and drabs.

What about setting up a blind between where they roost and food or water? Try to spot the flyways and set up our blind there.

I had a really good spot between two low hills, the Doves would come through in singles and pairs over a saddle between the two hills. They were on me before they could react. Two to three hours in the morning and I'd have my limit. I've had up to six hunters in that spot and everybody got there limit or nearly. It really didn't seem there were that many birds there, as you wouldn't see them in flocks at the food, which was over the hill.

They tend to make a Bee line to food, water and to roost. And generally fly low, especially after they have eaten in the early evening.

The least productive hunts I've had is trying to get close enough to shoot at a feeding flock. I may get a few birds, but not nearly as many as hunting a flyway. Just a guess, I'm not a Dove, but birds often feed in a flock because the more eyes the better the chance to spot a predator. Once they scatter it can take quit awhile for them to re-gather. I have had reasonable luck setting up near a roosting site in the late afternoon and early evening.

What is the soil where you are at? Red clay? Maybe fifty pounds of mortar (washed) sand spread out someplace between the food and the roost will channel them to a specific spot? And maybe a few decoys on the sand?

Who is to say whether you are mulching or knocking down the grain? I guess a really anal Warden might say something, most just want to check your license, if you have shot too many birds or to check what ammo you are using.

Topgun 3006

You guys, other than Oldtimr, should probably quit telling the OP how to attract doves to hunt before you check to see if they are in violation of Title 50 Code of Federal Regulations Part 20.21 (i) governing the legal hunting of migratory birds that is being discussed here. The last couple sentences posted by MudderChuck in post #9 are a little disturbing, as he's telling you to go ahead and possibly violate the law even when there are specifics on what you can and can't do in Title 50! What he is telling you might get you a nice appearance ticket in court! Now I would guess from his previous posts on subjects he is not well versed in he'll come back and just say we're arguing semantics to get out of the gaffe he made! Everyone please read the Federal Laws and don't get busted by doing anything considered illegal here:

http://www.fws.gov/le/dove-hunting-and-baiting.html

[url]http://www.fws.gov/le/waterfowl-hunting-and-baiting.html