Page 39 - Outdoor Oklahoma - May/June 2021 Issue

sive methods for providing a food plot suitable
for dove. The simplest method is disking.
Disking at the appropriate time of year can
stimulate desired plant growth. Disking conduct-
ed during winter months, December through
early March, will encourage
forb growth. Forbs are best
described as “weeds,” the JEFF TIbbITs/ODWC
flowering plants that wild-
life desire as food, both for
browse and for seeds.
Among these winter-stim-
ulated forbs are native sun-
flower species. Sunflowers
are annual plants that must
grow from a seed each year.
As a result, they have adapted
to produce numerous seeds
from a single plant. These
seeds are relatively large and
are a quality food source
for various wildlife species,
including migrating dove.
To encourage germina-
tion of sunflower seeds,
simply run a disk between
December and March. No
other step is needed to pro-
duce native sunflowers. This
disking can be in strips or in
a traditional food plot layout.
Wildlife Department biologists and technicians Migrating mourning dove will flock to fields that offer seeds and grain as
at various Wildlife Management Areas spend a they migrate through Oklahoma in September.
great deal of time planning, planting, and pre-
paring dove fields across Oklahoma. As outlined
above, some plots can be easy to install and
maintain, while others take a little more effort WILDLIFEDEPARTMENT.COM
and planning.
Many WMAs plant wheat fields in fall. Though
these fields can provide food resources for
white-tailed deer during winter when other
resources might be scarce, another reason some
of these fields are planted is for the upcoming
dove season. Yes, the dove season that is still 11
months, or more, away. These wheat fields are
planted and fertilized to provide a healthy wheat
stand through the winter, then fertilized again in
late winter to stimulate grain production. After
all, the primary attractant for dove is the grain
that will be scattered across the ground just
before season opens. After this, the fields are
left alone until mid-late August, just before dove
season opens Sept 1.
In August, area managers plan their dove field
manipulation process. This process can be sim-
ple or involved. There are techniques that can be
used to obtain the desired result: lots of seed on

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