DNR News** Archived Article - please check for current information. **

Plant your fields for dove season! June 5, 2017

by Michael Hook, SCDNR Small Game Program Leader

It's not too late to plant a dove field for opening day! Dove season opens on September 2, 2017, and you still have time to prepare a dove field. Browntop millet is a relatively cheap seed, is fairly drought tolerant, and it matures in 60 to 70 days. If you haven't already planted your field, you can generally plant browntop millet as late as the first week of June and the field will be ready to hunt for the early part of the season. You can drill the seeds at a rate of 20 to 35 pounds per acre or, if you prefer to broadcast your seeds, you can do so at 25 pounds per acre. It's only necessary to barely cover the seeds after planting as the planting depth should be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch deep.

Email your questions about dove field planting to Michael Hook at HookM@dnr.sc.gov.

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