Planting Dove Field - No Tractor

[cpriest]

Curious if anyone has any suggestions how to make a decent dove field without access to a tractor, or any farming equipment. I have access to a family farm with open pasture and no livestock. We had it cut two weeks before season opened last year and attracted birds but they didn't stay around long. I'm not afraid to work hard, but just don't know if I'm getting in over my head trying to do this by hand. Thanks!

[Feathers and Fins]

I've done it years past for small patch, get a seed spreader and walk down a path Mark your right hand point where you start with a landscape flag go 100 yards and turn around and come back one spreader with right next to the row you started just like mowing.Mark your right side again, repeat proses till you are 20 yards wide when finished walk back over the area liberally tossing loose hay so it covers the seeded area do this the day before rain if at all possible.

Sunflower is great and White Proso (millet)

Several of the areas we would actually do a row of Prose and then triple space the next row and do Sunflower and repeat to give a good area for dove to land on the ground to feed and multiple feed sources. Also get a couple cheap plastic ponds from lows and put them at the ends of the rows and collect dead branches and place them 10yards from the ponds and keep the area well mowed.

If you have tree's on the property set a blind up under them at the midway point of the field so you can shoot in shade and best is if it is on the East side so the suns not in your eyes in the morning. Yes ive built more than 1 dove field lol.

[jdmidwest]

You could spray the grass with roundup, then use a garden tiller to make rows to plant stuff in after the grass dies out.

Or look for a local rental place, you may find a small tractor with a plow and a disk you could rent for a day reasonable. Or ask a local farmer to plow a spot for you.

[cpriest]

Really appreciate the advice guys. Will try to get to get to know the neighbors but may look for a garden tiller as well.

Would you plant the millet and sunflowers at the same time, or plant weeks apart? Thanks!

[Feathers and Fins]

Same time, Millet will die-off faster so you have seed on the ground early and then the sunflowers will be about perfect opening day. BE SURE to follow the laws and any questions contact agfc

http://www.fws.gov/le/what-is-legal.html

[ALLSTAR1]

You are too late for sunflowers; you need a minimum 3 acres ideally under some power lines. Get a 20 gal. boomless sprayer. Mount on atv or even riding lawn mower. Spray with roundup. Wait 1 week. burn off. Rent a 20-30hp tractor with a roto tiller for one day. Roto till. Spread 50 lbs of proso millet mixed with 12-12-12 fertilizer about 75lbs. Drag on old bed spring with a couple concrete blocks on it over it like a harrow. It should be mature by a week before dove season. Burn half. Shoot doves. Burn other half. Shoot more doves.

Or spray round up on 3 acres under power lines August one. Burn on or about August 20 and over seed 200 lbs wheat and drag over with bedspring. You may have to shoot doves from eating the wheat crop.. Repeat as needed to get a stand. Next year you will have wheat to burn for doves on the site.

[cpriest]

Appreciate the info allstar. Work has been crazy and prevented me from getting out the past few weekends, and the weather has not cooperated either. I'll focus on millet this year.