Planting Dove Fields

[WVELK]

For those of you that plant fields for doves in the midwest (Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois), what do you plant? Perhaps I should say what works best for you? I have a good friend with whom I upland hunt a lot, we whitetail hunt some, and a few other game animals. However, he loves a good dove shoot above all else. I tried planting sunflowers a few years ago. The deer destroyed them. I don’t think I can grow those without a deer fence and that is a lot of work for doves. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thannks.

 

[Wheels]

A little outside your asking area(Missouri) but you definitely need to put an electric fence around the field if planting sunflowers. I’ve had good results with sunflowers since I started putting a fence up. Takes a couple hours after planting and when they mature but it’s worth it.
You could wait until right before season and work the ground, broadcast wheat seed and forget to cover it all if you want to kill some doves. They like bare dirt.

 

[WVELK]

A little outside your asking area(Missouri) but you definitely need to put an electric fence around the field if planting sunflowers. I’ve had good results with sunflowers since I started putting a fence up. Takes a couple hours after planting and when they mature but it’s worth it.
You could wait until right before season and work the ground, broadcast wheat seed and forget to cover it all if you want to kill some doves. They like bare dirt.

How many acres do you plant? I suppose I could put up a fence. What type do you use, and do you put up two strands all the way around? The ones I have seen have a fends say two feet in height then after you go another 3-6 feet there is an inner fence say 4 feet high.

 

[tt_johnsclist]

I am pretty familiar with dove fields in Ohio. Nearly everyone I know puts in wheat and burns the fields pre-season. I have also had good luck with buckwheat. Weed control is key in either situation.

 

[Wheels]

How many acres do you plant? I suppose I could put up a fence. What type do you use, and do you put up two strands all the way around? The ones I have seen have a fends say two feet in height then after you go another 3-6 feet there is an inner fence say 4 feet high.

I only plant about an acre, which is big enough for me and one or 2 others to hunt. I plant the sunflowers adjacent to a corn plot so we can hide in the corn when hunting. My fence is 2 strands on the inside fence( 18" and 40") and another fence about 3 feet out from the inside fence with one strand about 30' off the ground. It supposedly confuses the deer with the 2 fences as they don't have good depth perception.