I have used this method to keep the deer at bay. I learned this from Dr James Kroll, "Doctor Deer" and it worked for a while until the deer were determined to breach the wires. I ultimately abandoned the project as it was not effective from keeping the critters out.
Thanks Retrieverman. Mildly confusing but it looks like if I plant sunflowers and let them naturally grow and die there is not a problem with hunting over said crop. Someone else smarter than I read it that way?
If I read that correctly, this document was created in 1999?
When I worked for MO's dept of conservation (05-07) we planted sunflowers and started mowing them the days leading up to season opening. They said it was considered a "common ag practice". The above document mentions mowing sunflower as being so. I'm not a farmer so I honestly don't know, how or why would you (farmer) plant sunflower and then mow them after they matured? I ask this because in the Fed Law regarding baiting (and maybe in this document) it states that if you do anything for the sole purpose of attracting the birds to hunt it will be considered baiting regardless of if it's a common ag practice or not. The doc above also states that the mowing of standing crops can be hunted for dove but not waterfowl.
Years and I mean 50 or so years ago we would plant sunflowers and mow them to help break up hard pan and let them rot in field. Maybe that's the ag practice they're alluding to. I do think they Enrich the soil as I recall. I haven't planted them in years though.
We plant a 20 acre field every year for dove, but we plant the big head millett (don't remember the name of it).
The millett seeds are fully dry 4 weeks before opening day of dove season.
4 weeks before season, we bush hog 10% of the millett starting in the middle of the field. We do the same at 3 weeks, 2 weeks and 1 week.
By the time dove season opens on September 1st., there are anywhere from 500-1,000 birds using this field!
Birds are only shot in the afternoon/evening time, and NEVER in the morning! This assures that the birds will always come back to this field to feed.
I have talked to several guys over the years that plant sunflowers and once dried on the plant, bush hog them the same as what we do, with great success.
Game Wardens WILL keep an eye on these fields, and as long as you do NOT bring any type of grain to these fields, it is not considered as baiting. Throw just a handful of seeds on the ground, and you will see just how fast you will get busted!
Addendum:
During the season split, you can burn the millett to clear the field and make it easier for the dove to get to the seeds, and a lot of times, the second season can be better than the first!
The millett seeds are fully dry 4 weeks before opening day of dove season.
4 weeks before season, we bush hog 10% of the millett starting in the middle of the field. We do the same at 3 weeks, 2 weeks and 1 week.
By the time dove season opens on September 1st., there are anywhere from 500-1,000 birds using this field!
Birds are only shot in the afternoon/evening time, and NEVER in the morning! This assures that the birds will always come back to this field to feed.
I have talked to several guys over the years that plant sunflowers and once dried on the plant, bush hog them the same as what we do, with great success.
Game Wardens WILL keep an eye on these fields, and as long as you do NOT bring any type of grain to these fields, it is not considered as baiting. Throw just a handful of seeds on the ground, and you will see just how fast you will get busted!
Addendum:
During the season split, you can burn the millett to clear the field and make it easier for the dove to get to the seeds, and a lot of times, the second season can be better than the first!
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Damn near looks like one wildlife officer might arrest you, and a second one might pat you on the back if your hunting in the sunflower patch! Risky!
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We have natural sunflowers in Ok. Disking a field in the early spring and leaving it alone all summer will usually produce the sunflowers if they have been there before and left latent seeds.
Sometimes more than you want. I've posted pics on here of moving through the sunflowers with a big international tractor using a brush hog to mow before putting a deer food plot into the middle of the sunflower patch with the sunflowers over my head.
Everything loves sunflowers. Deer, dove, quail, pheasant, and turkey.
Sometimes more than you want. I've posted pics on here of moving through the sunflowers with a big international tractor using a brush hog to mow before putting a deer food plot into the middle of the sunflower patch with the sunflowers over my head.
Everything loves sunflowers. Deer, dove, quail, pheasant, and turkey.
