Clean sightlines minimize the risk of predators such as foxes, cats and coyotes chasing birds when pigeons come to eat. In areas where the terrain is hilly, higher fields often perform best and can be best seen by passing birds. These fields become even more attractive if there are places to sleep nearby. Grieving pigeons are not particularly picky about where to sleep, as long as it provides them with a safe place to spend their hours without feeding. Dead trees are often preferred, and some hunters choose to kill trees at the edge of their fields by surrounding themselves so that the birds have an attractive resting place close to the food source. Preparing your field is the hardest part of the planting process. Most people make the mistake of waiting too long to set the stage. You need to make it disc when the ground is soft, even if it is slightly muddy. We take a four-foot-long King Cutter disc weighing nearly 400 pounds (we can add another 125 pounds) and pull it behind an ATV.
We usually pull it through the field in March to turn the soil over. It pulls large chunks of dirt out of our property, so we have dirt to work with when it dries, which happens quickly with a day or two of sun and wind. For planting, we use a tow spreader. First, triple-13 fertilizer is issued, followed by wheat seeds. Before you begin, plan how to ride the ATV in the field to get the best coverage. If you don`t, it`s easy to put more seeds on the ground than you need. Once the seed is in the ground, we remove the weight of the harrow and let it run across the field one last time to cover the seed. After that, we don`t have to do anything until the August fire. To the northwest and next to the pond is a one-acre wheat field.
A one-hectare grove of Russian olive trees is a potential sleeping place. The remaining soil, about two hectares, is set aside and consists of ragweed, foxtail and amaranth. This fallow can be mowed before the season to provide additional food sources for the seeds. Pigeons will not come to a field out of loyalty. For the most part, they are there to collect food from agronomic crops. To ensure that seeds are available for pigeons, put the plants fully mature at least two weeks before hunting. For example, hunters planting Peredovik sunflowers (110 days maturation) for an opening hunt should plant no later than mid-April. For hunters looking to develop new food sources during the hunting season, plantings can be distributed within the recommended planting data window to provide areas with different seed ripening periods. Using a variety of crops with different ripening times can also achieve this spread of seed development over time. Dovecote fields are relatively low-maintenance management projects that can pay off if the hunter is willing to invest time and effort in preparing for the season with birds in mind.
With proper management, a pigeon field can provide plenty of wing shooting at the beginning of the season and increase the value and marketability of any hunting object. Planting a pigeon field can also increase the value of leased land, so landowners should consider dedicating a few acres to these birds to increase profits and attract hunters who want to rent a two-season property. As with any other type, good management is the key to success. Since mourning pigeons and other members of the Columbidae family store seeds in their culture, it is easy to determine the types of seeds used by pigeons. After harvesting a bird, open and examine its crop to see what seeds it is currently feeding on, as this indicates its main food source. In pigeon fields planted with several varieties of seeds, birds are likely to switch from one crop to another during the season, and evidence of this will appear when examining the crop. Sunflowers are a traditional choice for dovecote fields, and a well-managed sunflower field is likely to provide enough food for birds throughout the season. However, modern seed mixtures designed for birds are attractive and tasty for grieving pigeons, and mixed fields often give the best results. Mossy Oak BioLogic`s whistle, when planted at 10 pounds per quarter acre, produces large amounts of seeds that pigeons and other upland birds receive in summer, fall and winter. The company`s Guide`s Choice is another option, and although designed for waterfowl, Guide`s Choice will grow in dry conditions and produce billions of seeds per acre.