doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Dove hunts in North Alabama

Anyone know any good dove hunts in North Alabama this Saturday, Besides Hereferod farms. Need to break out a couple of s/s!

For once I do not. I haven't seen any flyers or anything. Was talking with a fella yesterday about the same. I guess the lack thereof is related to the failed corn crop. Some did survive with the aide of pivots. Most of the corn is rife with coffee weed, morning glories, corn sprouts, etc. setting up a difficult recovery even with a dog.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Bushhogs make it much easier to recover the birds-if the crop did fail.
Mike

Ford:
That my friend would be a mechanized crop manipulation if the ear isn't harvested. It doesn't closely/fully "mimic" a farm related practice although, a bushog is used after mechanical harvesting in a clearing/cleaning effort in order to plant the next crop. The Feds have been on our case about mechanized crop manipulation, via a 4-wheeler, in a attempt(covert OP) to box us in a corner, establish a "guide" related service which would make it commercial and then apply the hefty penalty. But if you have an approved plan by the U.S.D.A, Cooperative State Research, Cooperative Extension Service, etc., then you have something similar to a best management or practice that would fit the pigeon hole of paralleling a farming practice. Bunch of junk & hoops just to hunt in the U.S. of A.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Pursell Farms in one place.
http://www.farmlinks.org/hunting/dove/

You might want to try Doublehead Resort. They also hold shoots.
http://www.doublehead.com/hunting-recreation/dove_hunts.php

Chattokee Lodge is another option.
http://www.chattokeelodge.com/Pages/GenPage.asp?WGPID=108



We still have a couple weeks for the season to open in my part of the state... but I am already seeing birds. The un-harvest peanut field next the skeet range already has enough birds to shoot. And I passed a recently-harvested corn field yesterday that was loaded! Wonder if they'll be there come the 22nd.

Adam

Raimey, I'm not sure I understand your post. My understanding is that all is fair for dove as long as the crop remains in the field. We are manipulating "roundup ready" corn/sunflower fields by using a silage cutter to cut the corn and blow the kernals over into the bare ground under the unharvested sunflowers, a few rows at a time through the season. Certainly the duck rules are different, but I believe the dove baiting rules have been completely changed...Geo

I don't know the farming practice on sunflowers, but corn for silage has to go in a hopper. Some will be spilt, but in Alabama if wheat is going to be your Winter cash crop in rotation, you are looking a ticket.

True it was waterfowl where there was the issue, but they were applying it to migratory. Take blind construction for instance:

"A blind or other place of concealment camouflaged with vegetation from agricultural crops, provided your use of such vegetation does not expose, deposit, distribute or scatter grain or other feed. You should be aware that seeds or grains from such vegetation could create a baited area."

Other than over planting, top-sowing, etc. for crop rotation and in an effort to mimic farming practice, I don't see where you can just broadcast seed("scattered solely as the result of manipulation of of an agricultural crop or other feed on the land where grown"-legal). The reoccurring issue was knocking down corn with a 4-wheeler in an impoundment.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Raimey, what I've copied and pasted below is from the State of Ga DNR website. I'd be surprised if the rule were different in Alabama...Geo

"Legal Practices
Fields Planted in Early Spring or Early Summer
Hunting doves over manipulated fields that were planted in the early spring or in the early summer is a legal activity and by far the most common situation in Georgia.

Manipulation means the alteration of natural vegetation or agricultural crops by activities that inlcude, but are not limited to, mowing, shredding, discing, rolling, chopping, trampling, flattening, burning, "hogging" or herbiciding. This method of dove field management and hunting requires advanced planting of crops two to four months prior to dove season."

Can't say as I've been reading the Alabama Hunting & Fishing publication and it probably comes down to regional interpretation. And I am very aware of what the interpretation is here. All but myself received a commendation for having a few kernels of corn in a field that was top sown with wheat. Something wasn't cleaned and some corn seed got out and it may have been planted by a neighbour. The only reason I wasn't in the mix as I did not have a foot in the field seeing I was in a goat pen. But all that aside, if you have to get a legal opinion of every action, even if you are barrister, is that not too much with which to deal just for a traditional outing?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Yup, same rule in Alabama:

http://www.outdooralabama.com/oaonline/doveplanting11.cfm

I was not trying to be a smart-xxx, just thought the correct information on this might be important to someone...Geo