Getting our Dove Field Ready.

sandhills hunter

Ten Pointer
Spraying our sunflowers with Gramoxone spayed this week. Sunflowers will be good and dried down by opening day. Planning to bush hog a couple lanes through field next week to make travel and marking/finding downed birds easier. Looking forward to a big hunt.!
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Spraying mine today since we finally got some dry weather. Sprayed one small field and I've got the other one to do this afternoon. The doves have already been feeding in them.

I am about 10 days behind where I'd like to be due to the extreme wet weather this spring.
 

stilker

Old Mossy Horns
I'm seeing a lot of what look like younger doves this last few weeks,could be a good year.
 

jenkinsnb

Ten Pointer
I know nothing about prepping a dove field, having never had the land before, so I'll ask. What is the reason for spraying the sunflowers as opposed to just discing them under?
 

Eggman

Twelve Pointer
The plants are still green. You spray to kill them and other vegetation so they will dry down and bust/scatter seed on clean ground. This makes a good field that much better.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I spray more for the weeds than the sunflowers, but it helps dry down the sunflowers faster too.
 

sandhills hunter

Ten Pointer
Like the fellows above said, it makes for a clean field and dries the sunflowers down. Making easy pickings for the doves and the scattered to the ground. If you just allow your sunflowers to die on their own, it will take weeks and weeks for the sunflower heads to dry down. In a normal year when we have good grass and weed control we only bush hog just enough lanes through the field to make travel thru the field easier and to assist in marking downed birds.
By spraying gromoxone in early August you kill the weeds and these late season grasses that are growing full steam now. You want your field as clean as possible for the most birds.
 
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