Posted September 8, 2009

By Art Lander Jr.

OutdoorsKentucky.Com

    Early May is the time to get fields ready for planting sunflowers, for dove hunting in the fall.

    "You want ripe, mature flowers by the second or third week of August," said Rocky Pritchert, migratory bird program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. "That will give the birds plenty of time to start using the field and you can keep them coming until opening day."

    Hunting for mourning doves in Kentucky traditionally starts on Sept. 1, so landowners need to plant sunflowers no later than the third week of May. That way fields will begin attracting local birds as sunflowers seeds ripen. "We recommend opening up (mowing) about 25 percent of the field by mid-August," said Pritchert.

    As opening day approaches, Pritchert recommends mowing additional strips in the sunflower field, to spread seeds on the ground.

    Field preparation in the spring should start with plowing, then disking the soil until the plant bed is loose. Whether or not fertilizer is required depends on the results of a soil test, which Pritchert highly recommends. "Soil fertility varies so much across the state, you may not have to spend any money on fertilizer."

    If you do need to fertilize, 20-10-10 (20 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphate, and 10 percent potash) is a good choice, applied at the rate of 200 to 250 pounds per acre. A 50-pound bag sells for about $5. Fertilizer should be applied about a week before planting, and lightly disked.

    The preferred seed to plant is the black oil sunflower, which is frequently fed to wild birds in backyard feeders. The seeds are small, and a 50-pound bag is inexpensive (about $10) compared to the price of sunflower seed that has a certified germination rate.

    Sunflower seed should be planted with a corn planter or drilled into the seed bed to a depth of about 1/2 to 1-inch. Rows can be 20 to 40 inches apart. Broadcast seeding rarely gives the desired results because it is difficult to control weeds between the sunflower plants.

    Doves are very particular. "It's important to cultivate between rows, to keep weeds to a minimum," said Pritchert. This gives birds easy access to bare dirt between the rows, where they can forage for seeds that have fallen to the ground.

    Grassy areas around dove fields should be mowed clean and field edges lighted disked to create stips of bare dirt. "Doves like to dust,"said Pritchert.

    Another crop that attracts doves is millet, which is commerically grown for bird seed. Varieties such as German millet or Proso millet produce waist high plants that have thick seed heads. "It takes 120 days for millet to mature so it has to be planted earlier than sunflowers," said Pritchert.

Posted August 14, 2011

Staff Report

          2011-2012 Dove Season Opens September 1

    Kentucky’s 2011-2012 Mourning Dove season dates are: September 1 through October 24, November 24 through December 2, and December 31 through January 6, 2012.

    The daily bag limit is 15 birds (includes white-winged doves).

    The outlook is optimistic.

    “We should have a good dove season,” said Rocky Pritchert, migratory bird coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “There seems to be a lot of doves around the state.”

    But, the heavy rains this past spring brought widely variable field conditions across Kentucky. Scouting a potential field now pays dividends with better hunting in September.

“The amount and timing of the spring rain impacted field planting,” Pritchert explained. “Some fields are in excellent shape and some fields had to be planted later.”

Dove hunters must possess a valid Kentucky hunting license and either a Kentucky migratory bird permit or a Kentucky waterfowl permit. Those who plan to hunt both doves and waterfowl should buy the Kentucky waterfowl permit, which is valid for all migratory birds.

For information on dove hunting and available public fields, consult the 2011-2012 Kentucky Hunting Guide for Dove, Wood Duck, Teal, Woodcock, Snipe and Crow available wherever hunting licenses are sold.

You may request a copy by calling 1-800-858-1549 or print one from the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife homepage at fw.ky.gov.