Dove and CRP styled field.

[Hedgelj]

On the edge of my property I have some plans. It was cleaned up and dozered through part of it for my house build. Since then part of it was corn this year and the rest grew up in the mishmash of plants in any overgrown former farm field.

I want to take a Harley rake and beat it all up about 30-50 yards wide by 200ish yards long.

Then i want to spread seed to grow a good food source for deer and doves as well as longer CRP style grasses for other wildlife.

This is only about 50-75 yards from my house so i have no grandiose ideas about deer hunting it (and just out of the boundary for my dog) but i want to be able to dove hunt it hopefully next fall.

Suggestions?
@at1010 would either of your blends be a good base that i could blend in corn, wheat, millet and other grains?

I know I'll need to mow parts prior to dove season.

 

[Big_Holla]

Milo and sorghum would be great to plant for just that. Maybe even sunflowers.

 

[Hedgelj]

Milo and sorghum would be great to plant for just that. Maybe even sunflowers.

sunflowers were on the list i just forgot to mention them

 

[Big_Holla]

We had sorghum around one of our food plots several years back and boy did the doves come to it. Not sure if that seed can be spread after spraying (same way I've been doing brassicas) or if it needs a tilled seed bed. Would imagine sunflowers have to be planted in a tilled bed to grow.

 

[OO2]

Your local PF chapter should have some seed blends and can put you in contact with a biologist that can make a recommendation

 

[at1010]

On the edge of my property I have some plans. It was cleaned up and dozered through part of it for my house build. Since then part of it was corn this year and the rest grew up in the mishmash of plants in any overgrown former farm field.

I want to take a Harley rake and beat it all up about 30-50 yards wide by 200ish yards long.

Then i want to spread seed to grow a good food source for deer and doves as well as longer CRP style grasses for other wildlife.

This is only about 50-75 yards from my house so i have no grandiose ideas about deer hunting it (and just out of the boundary for my dog) but i want to be able to dove hunt it hopefully next fall.

Suggestions?
@at1010 would either of your blends be a good base that i could blend in corn, wheat, millet and other grains?

I know I'll need to mow parts prior to dove season.

Yes my summer mix is loaded tall plants. Sorghum, sunflowers, sun hemp, lab lab - to climb those, etc.

However - you might also consider a native pollinator blend there. I have a nice strip behind my house and it’s beautiful!!!

 

[Hedgelj]

Would running the Harley rake back over after i seeded work to get the seeds down into the dirt a bit? raking that much area has my shoulders and back cramping at the idea.

 

[at1010]

Would running the Harley rake back over after i seeded work to get the seeds down into the dirt a bit? raking that much area has my shoulders and back cramping at the idea.

Yes I’d suspect that would work just fine. As always - If you can plant with high likelihood of rain in short term forecast, that is the best.

 

[jagermeister]

If you want to shoot doves, a “CRP style” field isn’t what you want to end up with. You want a food source… one you can mow down and manipulate prior to dove season. Seed available on bare ground.

Sunflower, proso millet, barnyard grass, or winter wheat. Grow it, kill it, mow/burn it, and then shoot doves over it.

You can have cover and forbs, or you can have a dove field. Having both, in that small of an area, simply isn’t going to optimize effectiveness.

In my own personal opinion - Go shoot doves somewhere else. Plant a robust stand of native grasses and forbs next to the house, and enjoy the beauty and productivity of it all spring/summer/fall… not just for a week or so as you shoot at doves. Check out the Pheasants Forever website. They sell custom seed blends specific for Ohio. They are not cheap, but they are everything you’ll need.

 

[giles]

If you want to shoot doves, a “CRP style” field isn’t what you want to end up with. You want a food source… one you can mow down and manipulate prior to dove season. Seed available on bare ground.

Sunflower, proso millet, barnyard grass, or winter wheat. Grow it, kill it, mow/burn it, and then shoot doves over it.

You can have cover and forbs, or you can have a dove field. Having both, in that small of an area, simply isn’t going to optimize effectiveness.

In my own personal opinion - Go shoot doves somewhere else. Plant a robust stand of native grasses and forbs next to the house, and enjoy the beauty and productivity of it all spring/summer/fall… not just for a week or so as you shoot at doves. Check out the Pheasants Forever website. They sell custom seed blends specific for Ohio. They are not cheap, but they are everything you’ll need.

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Man, that looks great for many reasons!

 

[jagermeister]

Man, that looks great for many reasons!

In the summer, it’s the shining star of the property. Without question.

 

[giles]

In the summer, it’s the shining star of the property. Without question.

Do you have any bees yet?

 

[jagermeister]

Do you have any bees yet?

Some day….lol

 

[giles]

Some day….lol

That is why I said yet, lol. I remember we talked about as your boy bounced rocks off your barn siding. I need to come by again.

 

[Hedgelj]

Do you have any bees yet?

a few