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Sunflower plots!


markstanco

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We want to plant some plots at the lease. Way north Texas, half mile from the red. Mainly a duck lease with some planted brown and jap and beans for the ducks.

 

We have a few 50ish hp Kubotas with a disc and drag setup, but are rookies on doves and how to properly plant.

 

All advise is welcome.

 

Hoping we could broadcast and disc it 2-3 inches and hope for the best.

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38 minutes ago, markstanco said:

New to the planting game so not sure.  Not worried about the cost of the seed, just want whatever thrives better along the Red River. 

Mississippi State has some good "how to" stuff on planting sunflower.  I like black oil sunflower the most as they are planted in windrows and don't leave a lot of drop trash between the windrows thus making it easier to find downed birds.

You're planting time is getting close.

A word to the wise:  Don't allow hunters to sit in the BOS field and shoot birds while in the BOS.  Line up no closer than 20 - 30 yards outside of the crop and shoot the birds entering and exiting the crop.  Birds need a place to land and eat.  Being in the BOS with them will make them more likely to avoid the field.

https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/publications/p2725.pdf

SEC SEC SEC 

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I’ve crushed them over the black oil, Ulvalde area fwiw.  I’ll try and dig up an article field and stream did, of all places, that was very comprehensive. Talks about building areas for them to land as well, such as dummy elec lines etc.   Was pretty well done article for attracting and trying to hold dove. 

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Lease?  First and foremost, get the green light from the land owner.  Sunflowers are a perennial and can/will spread.  Assuming it's kosher, you'll need to clear the area for weeds (roundup spray packs work well.  Clear the soil of rocks and debris, till the rows, and plant the seeds and try to correspond with rain soon after.  They take about 3-4 months to come up.  

Then the fun part - they have to die for the seeds to drop and allow the doves to eat.  So once they bloom, you then have to kill them.  Round up again works, but then you have to bust up the heads, so running your harrow back over the fields helps.  Then till under to get ready for the next season, etc.  

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1 minute ago, fattyflattie said:

Great point.   To add to that, unless your lease is tiny, I can’t see any reason they would balk at it.  Especially if sold as a “year round” lease. 

You'd be surprised how averse many LO's are to certain types of vegetation, especially a perennial that can/will spread.  Leases are hard to find, so just to be safe, I'd get the green light first.  

You have to use prior tilled soil for the most part.  Prior pastureland.  LO might be thinking they want to play hay/sorghum, etc?  Who knows.   

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26 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

You'd be surprised how averse many LO's are to certain types of vegetation, especially a perennial that can/will spread.  Leases are hard to find, so just to be safe, I'd get the green light first.  

You have to use prior tilled soil for the most part.  Prior pastureland.  LO might be thinking they want to play hay/sorghum, etc?  Who knows.   

I wouldn’t be surprised.  Especially LOs that undervalue a quality group of hunters. 

FWIW op, we made it clear during one of the contract re-ups that the birds were as important to us as the deer, and our LO spent big money and time on it.  He could  re-lease it tomorrow, but he knows what he’s got with this group (longest tenure is 12-15 yr iirc) 

I think I’m going to pick up a few dove leases closer to the house this year  While I love those S Tex birds, it’s easy to make several hunts a week when it’s 45 mins from the house. Dove leases around here are usually 300-500 

Good luck.  Nothing like hunting over a well thought out field.  Id heavily consider sesame too; it’s like crack to them.   

 

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Well, it's a test season for us. It's an area near a large tank and dove are typically there anyhow.

Going to lightly spray some clear pasture and erasure Saturday and then go back in 14 days to disc then broadcast and roll.

Instructions from an old timer in Graham Texas that I used to hunt at.

We will see.

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I would go with Sesame. Just ordered 25lbs from Hancock seed for myself. Sesame is nice because the deer and hogs won’t touch it nor will cows or horses. Planted last few years and it has done great and brought in lots of birds.

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