Took a break yesterday and today from the workshop and helped Thomas and crew get the dove fields ready. The picture tells the story of a productive weekend.
Dove Season Preparation
- Thread starter Eric Patterson
- Start date
Thanks Carl. The heat has been unbearable, so the AC cab John Deere did most of the bush hogging and all the discing. At 100 hp it can pull a 14' disc like it wasn't there. The old Oliver took care of some bush hogging and all the seed spreading. With two tractors running we were able to knock out three dove fields. I'm looking forward to the opener. Last year Thomas and friends crushed them. We are hoping for a repeat.
Eric
Eric
Kevin Layne
Active member
When did baiting doves become legal? Being a migratory bird I thought baiting was illegal?
Vince Pagliaroli
Well-known member
Kevin Layne said:
As a longtime dove hunter this will be a interesting conversation.
Vince
What a day for me to sit down and open the computer. 1999.
https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/OLE Hunting - Dove Hunting and Baiting.pdf
What a day for me to sit down and open the computer. 1999.
https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/OLE Hunting - Dove Hunting and Baiting.pdf
Disced and prepared field with top-sewn wheat. Normal agricultural procedure here in Alabama. Legal endorsed by the state. The fields we prepared are wildlife food plots, namely deer.
Dove Field Planting Guidelines | Outdoor Alabama
Eric
Dove Field Planting Guidelines | Outdoor Alabama
Eric
Kevin Layne
Active member
Good job, looks like you are within the guidelines! That's a lot earlier than anyone around here plants wheat.
Just a follow up question, it looks like the field had grain drilled into it last year based on the little ridges in the soil. Do you drill grain in later too?
Just a follow up question, it looks like the field had grain drilled into it last year based on the little ridges in the soil. Do you drill grain in later too?
Kevin Layne
Active member
Our planting guidelines call for Oct 1 as a start date.
Kevin
Those little ridges were from the weekend's discing. This field hasn't been in row crops for years. It was enrolled in the USDA WRE program and has been managed for waterfowl, mostly jap millet planting. However, since it holds water so poorly the owners have moved it out of waterfowl management to dove, deer, and turkey. The duck blind build I chronicled here about 4 or so years ago is now a deer stand.
Eric
Those little ridges were from the weekend's discing. This field hasn't been in row crops for years. It was enrolled in the USDA WRE program and has been managed for waterfowl, mostly jap millet planting. However, since it holds water so poorly the owners have moved it out of waterfowl management to dove, deer, and turkey. The duck blind build I chronicled here about 4 or so years ago is now a deer stand.
Eric
Kevin Layne
Active member
Got it, makes sense now.
It's amazing how different things are in different parts of the country. I've never seen a disced field out here where there wasn't exposed dirt.
Speaking of different worlds, I was in Illinois in college and walking out on a farm. I was amazed out how hard the ground was and asked the farmer how in the heck they were able to til the soil and plant a crop in that hard ground. He just looked at me and said "we wait until it thaws in the spring". Being from central CA I had never thought that the ground could freeze solid, LOL.
It's amazing how different things are in different parts of the country. I've never seen a disced field out here where there wasn't exposed dirt.
Speaking of different worlds, I was in Illinois in college and walking out on a farm. I was amazed out how hard the ground was and asked the farmer how in the heck they were able to til the soil and plant a crop in that hard ground. He just looked at me and said "we wait until it thaws in the spring". Being from central CA I had never thought that the ground could freeze solid, LOL.
Kevin
Thomas ran over the field six times with the disc and we still had some dead grass blades on the surface, as you noticed. Normally it is a one or two pass exercise to get the top turned under, but we've had a real dry spell, with high heat, so our clay soil is baked and stubborn to disc. Further, the vegetation was really thick to start with, so burying it all was going to be a tough task. But overall, the field is a dirt top. I think the tractor in the picture was parked in the "grassiest" area. We do have a 6' disc that is much more aggressive and does a better job getting deep, but the time it takes doesn't mesh well with a weekend-only crew. That and wheat is forgiving to plant. The heavy rains we get today will probably negate the need to cultipack. We simply ran out of time to do it all in one weekend. Hopefully the seed doesn't wash away.
I'm always amazed at the differences in agriculture practices. Certainly, things are significantly different across the country. But even a few counties away I see more turned fields and less no-till farming. No-till has been the method of choice for years, but from what I gather its changing. Some farmers are going back to burning and plowing.
Eric
Thomas ran over the field six times with the disc and we still had some dead grass blades on the surface, as you noticed. Normally it is a one or two pass exercise to get the top turned under, but we've had a real dry spell, with high heat, so our clay soil is baked and stubborn to disc. Further, the vegetation was really thick to start with, so burying it all was going to be a tough task. But overall, the field is a dirt top. I think the tractor in the picture was parked in the "grassiest" area. We do have a 6' disc that is much more aggressive and does a better job getting deep, but the time it takes doesn't mesh well with a weekend-only crew. That and wheat is forgiving to plant. The heavy rains we get today will probably negate the need to cultipack. We simply ran out of time to do it all in one weekend. Hopefully the seed doesn't wash away.
I'm always amazed at the differences in agriculture practices. Certainly, things are significantly different across the country. But even a few counties away I see more turned fields and less no-till farming. No-till has been the method of choice for years, but from what I gather its changing. Some farmers are going back to burning and plowing.
Eric
Vince Pagliaroli
Well-known member
Brad Bortner said:
Brad,
I hear thee and thanks for the info, and lots of it. We are never to old to learn.
I know that in some places "spreading seeds" close to the season can be red flag and that state and federal officers can make a call one way or the other. I've always tried my best to not place myself in what I thought were questionable situations. So far so good.
Best regards
Vince
Kevin Layne
Active member
6' disc on dry hard clay is rough! Lots of discs out here can be 5 times that. And burning is a thing of the past out here. Heck we are doing so much to clean up the air here that our Air Board is giving away millions and millions of dollars get older gas engines destroyed and replaced. I gave them a 1996 Yamaha 400 ATV worth $500 and they punched a hole in the engine block and gave me a $13,000 voucher to go get a new electric Polaris Ranger UTV. Lots of tractors getting traded in too for 80% off of new cleaner burning tractors (and big rig trucks)
Vince Pagliaroli said:
This topic generated controversy because practices differ greatly by region and because of the differences between waterfowl and doves and generationally because it's a big change from rules that had been in place since the 1950s.
Eric and Thomas, good luck. May your hard work pay off.
Eric Patterson said:
Have a great hunt!