Planting Sunflowers for Dove Hunting

[gmac]

Alright. I have been reading up on guidance on this and want to get the Green Screens expertise. I want to plant 3 to five acres at the ranch to improve our dove hunting. The way I read the guidance, this is legal and not considered baiting as long as we are following accepted agricultural practices. I have hunted over sunflower fields in the past and never gave too much thought to it. But now that it is on my property I want to be sure that I am not breaking the law. Other than following accepted agricultural practices what else do I need to do? Do I need to have a harvest plan? Do I need to attempt to sell any of my crop? Am I way over thinking this?

Thanks
G

[Artos]

plant...shoot (during season )...plow under.

have fun!!

[BrianL]

Nope, just plant and shoot. I would plant some milo in it as well. I buy the 50# of sunflower birdseed every year to plant. Nee to plant it early though, so it is ready for dove season.

[Playa]

way over thinking it.

i don't like the big commercial sunflower varieties. take to much water for 1, and 2 the birds don't seem to like them as much as the "wild" smaller varieties.

[texan16]

When do sunflowers/milo need to be planted to have them ready by September 1?

[BRust]

What month do y'all plant?

[bullelk]

Where are you buying the "wild" seeds i have try a few differant feed stores and the only have the black oil seeds

[Playa]

Wild sunflowers

http://www.seedsource.com/catalog/detail.asp?product_id=3143

I think my dad found a seed house in Proctor that carried them too.

I think they can be planted end of feb or march. Might be best to wait til after final frost.

[postman]

At one time there was a feed store in Kenedy, Tx that sold wild sunflower seed.

[gmac]

Thanks for all the input

[Legdog]

What month do y'all plant?

Around Mother's Day (Mid May) for South Texas.

[BrianL]

Probably depends of the seed type, but bird seed stuff needs to be planted mid April. I might check on buying real seed this year depending on cost.

[meltingfeather]

Planting Sunflowers for Dove Hunting

Deleted cuz I got corrected.

[BrianL]

Ask a warden, and I bet I know what he'll say. It's baiting pure and simple. You're not planting the seed for agricultural purposes. You're planting it to bait dove, which is illegal.
Whether or not tons of people do it and get away with it is a different question.
This isn't a judgement of the practice or saying what you should or shouldn't do, just the simple facts of baiting migratory birds.

Not only is it legal, TP&W have articles to show you how.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/dove_management/dove_management_texas.pdf

[TP3]

^b.s.l. 6.8