first dove season - your opinion

gwall · Postby **gwall** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 7:40 am

worst i've seen in years - the best hunt we had was this past sat. the dove came into a watering hole by the hundreds, starting at 5:30 and flew til almost dark - damnest thing i ever seen. Other than that it was lousy - people i talked to said it was too wet for dove -that you need really dry conditions for dove #'s. What is your opinion and how did everbody else fare this first break - did anybody bag dove consistently?

peewee · Postby **peewee** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 7:53 am

Plenty of doves around Valley Park. Hitting them was the problem.

magnum · Postby **magnum** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 9:17 am

We had excellent opening weekend hunts, but there weren't many sticking around for the duration of the season.

MAG

Postby **judge jb** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 9:59 am

there was no in between in my area... you either had nothing or you had them all... overall i had fair success... at least the temps co-operated... made life good on the dog...
last year water was the main attractant... ponds and ditches had water this time and spread alot of birds thin... i still love the Dec. hunt the best. a good time to fill the freezer....

judge jb

Unkljohn · Postby **Unkljohn** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 10:42 am

The birds were so thin around here that I only hunted 1 day. Only fired 11 times that day. We allways fix a huge field in Shuqualak, we put wheat out 3 different times and never did have any birds. Put out over 60 bushels of wheat and never fired a shot over any of it!!!It was the worst 1st season I can remember. Here's hoping the 2nd one is better!!!
[img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img]
JT

DuckE · Postby **DuckE** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 12:21 pm

We had some really good hunts this 1st season. I think the key was to find virgin fields as often as possible. The weather did hurt us opening weekend though. Doves did not fly too well in the weekend downpours. We had some great hunts at my hunting club, but due to the wet conditions, the wheat came up and the birds left by the second weekend. At least we will have a good stand of wheat for the deer.

gwall · Postby **gwall** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 1:03 pm

hey duckmen--do yall hunt the same field over and over or do you have several different tracts and rotate them? no doubt - if you have several fields your chances of finding birds are better- also what are some tips for a good field - i realize birds like a clean field -free of weeds and such - is this what you are talking about? any info would be appreciated

Postby **GulfCoast** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 1:27 pm

You were hunting over 60 bushels of wheat???? Man, you better be carefull! The MAN does NOT like that kind of stuff.

Unkljohn · Postby **Unkljohn** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 2:14 pm

GC,You misunderstand. We put the wheat out once, the rains came and it sprouted. We then disced the field good and put out more wheat,rain comes again and sprouts the wheat. Disc field again and put out wheat again, once again rain rain rain, wheat sprouts. We give up!!! 60 bushells and not one shot fired over any of it!!! [img]images/smiles/icon_mad.gif[/img]
By the way the field is @ 60 acres.
JT

Postby **GulfCoast** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 3:01 pm

Oh, O.K., I think. Was it not supposed to sprout anyway? Down here, "top dressing" wheat is not considered legit, so the wardens have told me. I understand in other places, they may look at it differently.

Unkljohn · Postby **Unkljohn** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 3:50 pm

It's never been a problem before, and they check us every year. [img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
JT

Postby **judge jb** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 6:14 pm

that is not legit.... you are preparing a dove field, and there is no such thing as a dove field... you can only hunt doves over agricultural fields.... always remember, before you get caught, there is no such thing as a prepared DOVE field...{that would be baiting} only hunt over ag. fields....

judge jb

Stano · Postby **Stano** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 7:47 pm

I had a Game warden in North Ms say you could broadcast wheat on top of plastic if you like not pile it broadcast it also said if it grew there you could bushhog it. Only thing you could put out for the doves was wheat always been that way around here.....

MSDuckmen · Postby **MSDuckmen** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 8:44 pm

gwall,
We have three fields more than 20 miles apart. Our fields are sunflowers, corn, millet, small head milo, and Soybeans.
We plant sections of the fields at different times to allow the seed to head at different times.
The Corn and Soybeans are taken as a crop and the rest is left for the birds. We only hunt each field one day out of the week and only in the afternoon. This allows the birds to use the field without too much pressure.
We got a group of people together and paid the farmers to plant and we hunt all three seasons. I have heard all my life that the birds like clear ground but that is simply not true. The millet looks like a pasture and we have on occasion cut strips. But have found it best to leave for the seed to head on it's own. We keep the grass out of the corn, soy and sunflowers. But don't worry about the Johnson grass in the millet since the birds love that seed as well. Below is a picture of the field and another of our bounty from these fields.
This is really the way to go if you can get a group of people to pay 150.00 to 200.00 a head you can get farmers almost anywhere to plant fields 70 acres and below without a problem. And why not they make the money up front from you and also from the corn and soy they take from the field. We have done this going on 8 years now and have wonderful hunts every year. Regardless of the weather.

JETDUCK · Postby **JETDUCK** » Mon Sep 24, 2001 11:15 pm

So how do you find the birds in the tall corn, and sunflowers? It's hard enough to find them on bare ground.

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