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Someone got a wild hair up there booty Sunday afternoon and decided we were planting sunflowers on one of our dove fields. Got it field disced nicely (3.5-4 Ac.) and ready to go. So I call a buddy Sun Afternoon to get a hook up on some seed and low and behold yesterday afternoon he drops off sacks of grain sorgham, corn and sunflowers. Everything we need except the electric fence to keep the cows out. I know its late but maybe we'll get some shooting out of it. Anyway, since this is our first time doing something besides wheat, I have a few questions.

1. Can we just broadcast fert. before we seed? Also, What kind?

2. We were planning on just broadcasting the sunflowers but since I have all this, going to try rows. (Doves like that better right?) What spacing should my rows be? 24" 36"? We only have a push type planter (the kind you use for a garden) but with 5 people it may not be that bad....

3. Would you harrow and cultipack?

4. What is considered 'normal ag. practice' when it comes time to hunt. (that's why we've done the wheat in the past because of the winter grazing for cattle )

5. Which of the following 2 planting layouts do you like? Or does it really matter?










Thanks!

4dawgma wrote:4. What is considered 'normal ag. practice' when it comes time to hunt. (that's why we've done the wheat in the past because of the winter grazing for cattle )

I know it's legal to bush hog the sunflowers. And, you can only disc and top sow wheat once. Don't get caught doing it multiple times.

So its ok if I accidentally spill a whole sack of salt while trying to lead some calves up to the catch pen?

4dawgma wrote:So its ok if I accidentally spill a whole sack of salt while trying to lead some calves up to the catch pen?

I wouldn't bet on it

If you plant, you can do whatever you want the way I've heard it. Bush hog it the day before the season, burn it, tie pretty pink bows on the stalks if you want to. Where they'll get you for baiting is adding seed directly to the field to draw birds in. That has to be done in line with normal agricultural practice.

Personally, I don't know anyone who grows fields full of sunflowers and burns them as a "normal agricultural practice." Yet it is legal. Go figure.

I understand the baiting by adding seed before the hunt. I'm trying to plant this weekend and just asked for some help. I never mentioned baiting before the hunt, does everyone assume I am trying to do something illegal here? Geez.

4dawgma wrote:I understand the baiting by adding seed before the hunt. I'm trying to plant this weekend and just asked for some help. I never mentioned baiting before the hunt, does everyone assume I am trying to do something illegal here? Geez.

Several of my friends have gotten tickets for baiting when they broadcasted wheat before the season started. They weren't "trying" to bait. But they still got a ticket. IMO you'll get a better hunt by putting in the work and planting. Plus you can manage the crop to last much longer than just the opening hunt. Hope yall wear em out.

Smoke68 wrote:Personally, I don't know anyone who grows fields full of sunflowers and burns them as a "normal agricultural practice." Yet it is legal. Go figure.

It doesn't have to be a normal agricultural practice. The regulations allow you to manipulate a standing crop for doves.

Smoke68 wrote:

4dawgma wrote:I understand the baiting by adding seed before the hunt. I'm trying to plant this weekend and just asked for some help. I never mentioned baiting before the hunt, does everyone assume I am trying to do something illegal here? Geez.

Several of my friends have gotten tickets for baiting when they broadcasted wheat before the season started. They weren't "trying" to bait. But they still got a ticket. IMO you'll get a better hunt by putting in the work and planting. Plus you can manage the crop to last much longer than just the opening hunt. Hope yall wear em out.

I'm not worried about the wheat, when it comes time for that we disc and plant yada yada yada and after the hunt the cows can have it. I'm trying something different on ANOTHER field. I am attempting to 'put in the work and plant' sunflowers, corn and sorgham. We've just never done that before and looking for some solid advice. It's going in this weekend come hell or highwater and just figured there was a wealth of knowledge on this board. Not trying to get in a pissing match here, just asking some advice. We always have great stands of wheat and oats on our other plots because we don't do anything half booty. misguided maybe, but not half booty.

4dawgma wrote:Not trying to get in a pissing match here.....

mine's yellow after a weekend in new orleans....does that get me any points in the match, or is it all about distance and/or volume???

piss on you

http://www.cityofstarkville.org/sfd/hist.html

Call these guys...I hear they are branching out from grass cutting and landscaping:D

My thoughts, for what they're worth. Plant it in strips. You're going to have a different maturity date for all 3 seeds. You should have plenty of sorghum and might even have a few sunflowers ready for the opener. Go in and start cutting them about two weeks prior to the season. Continue to cut every few days. Leave your corn standing for cover in strips. Second season comes in, mow your corn and hunt it, along with some late sunflowers you hopefully left standing from the opener. Should be able to get two good seasons out of the field you have. Take it for what it's worth...which ain't much.

Finally! what do you mean by cut?

Bushog them in strips every 3-4 days to keep fresh seed on the ground. Don't cut with chance of rain in the forecast. Don't want seed sprouting. We've had luck disking them under as well without cutting. Doves like clean ground to feed on. Good luck!