CONSERVATION CORNER
Get An Early Start On Your Dove Field
by James L. Cummins

Landowners take pride in preparing dove fields for their own enjoyment and that of their friends hunting on their property. In order to have a successful dove field, one must properly prepare the field(s). A successful dove field may be relatively small. A 10- to 40-acre field is very common. Several small fields scattered throughout an area will provide better hunting than one large field. The first consideration in planning a dove field is soil type. It can vary from sand to clay, but it must be well-drained. Location is another concern. Doves like to feed and drink as close to their roost as possible. By locating a dove field adjacent to or close to roost trees, a source of water, or near other grain fields, one can establish a field that is attractive to a large population of doves.

Field preparation is a must. Once a field has been located, one must disk the field. It is most important that the field is kept clean, if not, doves will not be able to find seeds and one will not have successful hunts. Next, one must control weeds. For the proper herbicides, one should contact their county agent.

The type of seed to use is a small, black sunflower called Peredovik. It can be obtained at most seed supply houses or through Wildlife Mississippi’s Wildlife Habitat Seed Program. It is important that this type of seed is used because what one normally thinks of as sunflower seed is too large for doves. Planting should occur between March 15 and June 15.

A good, firm seedbed must be prepared as for cotton or corn. Plant 3 to 4 pounds of seed per acre on 40" rows using cotton plates, with 7" of spacing in the row. Cover the seed with 1 to 2 inches of soil. A thick stand will produce small heads and weak stalks and a thin stand will produce large heads that fall over and are slow to dry. Cultivation is optional, but post-directed chemicals are a must. After the plant is 6 inches in height, cultivation may be needed to bury small weeds; however, do not cultivate after the plant is 12" in height. It takes between 100 and 130 days for sunflowers to mature. They will yield about 1,200 pounds of seed per acre.

The next step is preparing the field for the hunt. About 2 weeks before the season opens, cut several trails through the field. Leave the majority of the sunflowers standing to extend the life of the crop and provide cover for hunters. Normally, blackbirds feeding on mature seed heads will scatter seed to attract doves.

Assuming that one has a good population of doves using the field, the next step is managing the hunt. Restrictions must be made to hold birds on the field. For most of the day, the field should be a refuge. Ideally, shooting should be done only 2 days per week and in the afternoons between 2:30 and sunset. This is as important as raising the crop. Once a hunter has obtained a limit of doves, he or she should leave the field so other birds can feed. Get a young person involved in preparing the dove field and the hunting.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.