corn and doves

[eastwoods]

With all the corn around being harvested, was thinking about when to bush hog my sunflowers.

I'm thinking about letting them eat corn for awhile and start cutting sunflowers one week before the opener and then a few days before the opener.

What does everybody think about the impact the corn will have on the dove fields this year and are the corn fields changing your strategy for cutting sunflowers?

[crowder critter]

I am thinking that if you are not holding any birds now, then it will be hard to draw them in more and more every day with all of the grain being harvested. I would not wait until the last minute.

[Wingman]

I've talked to several people who have "lost" birds in the last couple of weeks. Talked to one guy yesterday who wanted to put out wheat in his sunflower field. I told him sunflowers were the best thing and I wouldn't bother with wheat, but he said he didn't have any birds. I mowed some sunflowers yesterday and will mow some more in a few days.

I don't think the birds really like the hot cereals in this weather, but will go to them when everyone starts shooting if that's their only choice.

One thing's for sure, there is plenty of feed for them right now. Between grain on the roadside to shattered grasses in the fields and the abundance of harvested grain, sunflower fields are only a fraction of what they have to choose from right now. It's gonna be a tough year for dove fields.