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Build it and they will come.
#7278037
09/06/18 01:22 AM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,876
brazosboyt
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Everybody in my family loves dove hunting so this year I decided to do major improvements to my properties for dove habitat. 4 properties- 100 acres of sunflowers. The outcome truly exceeded my expectations. Saturday morning 3 of us hit the smallest field. 45 birds and eating breakfast in a hurry. Saturday eve we had 30 shooters hunting in pairs on 60 acres of mixed sunflowers and water holes. Great mix of friends, family, bidness folk. Even got couple of friends on their first dove hunt. Ended up with 325 birds and a lotta empty hulls. Sunday eve 8 of us set up on a water hole that always produces for a quick 120 birds. My youngest and ole lady always take these pics when they hunt. Usually shoot my affinity 20 but that eve I broke my sxs 28. Mon 3 of us tested the 3rd farm. Despite the rain we 45 in a hurry. Went back Tuesday eve with my dad, sister, boys, wife, and friend. Smoked em. First 4 days- 630 birds. Resting it all through Saturday and doing a big youth hunt sat. Looking forward to having one of our local “Lonestar law” wardens out to talk to the kids before the hunt. Is it all worth it??? I figured up roughly 4 hours/acre for mowing, plowing, spraying , mowing and $30/acre in costs. Yep!!!
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278087
09/06/18 01:46 AM
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,811
nak
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Wow, that sounds like a great weekend and a huge return on your investment
We all need to practice Whoa more.
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278097
09/06/18 01:54 AM
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 4,146
Dalee7892
Extreme Tracker
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That is some fine dove shooting. That's a lot of birds.
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278305
09/06/18 11:24 AM
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 8,329
bobcat1
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
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Posts: 8,329 |
Well done! Too bad I'm not in your group.
Bobby Barnett
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278319
09/06/18 11:39 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 15,618
reeltexan
THF Celebrity
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brazosboyt, I've been thinking about doing the same thing at our farm so I have a couple of questions:
How was the hunting before you planted sunflowers? Are there normally crops in the area? Do you have a constant water supply there, tanks, ponds? What was the seed cost per acre?
Great job there and thanks for any help.
"If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Ronald Reagan
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278344
09/06/18 12:18 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788
wal1809
THF Celebrity
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Dang, thats a smack down.
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278368
09/06/18 12:48 PM
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 17,721
Txduckman
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Posts: 17,721 |
That is impressive and awesome. Buddy planted 5 acres and not a single one came up due to no rain.
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: reeltexan]
#7278398
09/06/18 01:12 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,876
brazosboyt
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brazosboyt, I've been thinking about doing the same thing at our farm so I have a couple of questions:
How was the hunting before you planted sunflowers? Are there normally crops in the area? Do you have a constant water supply there, tanks, ponds? What was the seed cost per acre?
Great job there and thanks for any help.
Last year I had no sunflowers on these properties and we shot maybe 150 birds the whole season and that was at the two properties that have permanent water. So 2 have water and 2 don’t. 1/4 is in a bag crop area. The other 3 are inside the city limits which is why we have so many white wings. Options on seed: rates are based on drilling seed. 1. Giant sunflower- 5 lbs/acre at $5/lb. 2. Peredovik sunflower(mid size hybrid)- 8 lbs per at $1/lb ish. This is what I plant. 3. Native sunflowers- free once you establish. At each farm my goal is to have the fields 80% native sunflower with adjacent peredovik plots. This year over drilled all of my field with peredivik. It’s the second year of working on the negatives and I’m probably 50% established. Next year I’m not planning on over Drilling Fields because I feel like they will be 80 to 100% coverage with natives and I’m going to do for the 5 acre adjacent plots of the peredivik. Had an earlier post a month or so ago talking about application rates, spray rights, and timing.
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278399
09/06/18 01:12 PM
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 163
Bissett
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 163 |
Doesn't get much better than that!
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278417
09/06/18 01:25 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,178
HoldPoint
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Well done as usual sir; the efforts you put into habitat pay off each year
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278593
09/06/18 03:37 PM
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,480
ndhunter
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,480 |
Well done. You earned those limits.
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278927
09/06/18 09:08 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 44,222
Stub
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“I never forget a face—but in your case, I’ll be glad to make an exception.†—Groucho Marx
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7278980
09/06/18 09:50 PM
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Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,545
rickym
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Well done sir. Congratulations on your work paying off
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: rickym]
#7279496
09/07/18 12:00 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 65,604
SnakeWrangler
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Dang, thats a smack down. Well done sir. Congratulations on your work paying off
I believe in science and I’m an insufferable [censored] Actually, BBC is pretty damn good "You Cannot Simultaneously Be Politically Correct And Intellectually Honest!"
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7279793
09/07/18 04:27 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,830
beaversnipe
THF Celebrity
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Thf outing
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7280006
09/07/18 07:24 PM
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,177
sallysue
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What kind of sunflowers do you plant and when ?
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7280213
09/07/18 10:41 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,876
brazosboyt
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Peredovik drilled in late March /early April. Spray grasses 2x over next few months
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7280325
09/08/18 12:27 AM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 961
TTUGrad08
Tracker
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Tracker
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Posts: 961 |
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7280991
09/08/18 07:41 PM
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,177
sallysue
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Peredovik drilled in late March /early April. Spray grasses 2x over next few months Is it round up ready ??
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: sallysue]
#7285242
09/13/18 02:50 AM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,876
brazosboyt
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Peredovik drilled in late March /early April. Spray grasses 2x over next few months Is it round up ready ?? No. I’m not aware of any round up ready SF.
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7285251
09/13/18 02:57 AM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,876
brazosboyt
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Rain really slowed down the second weekend. We had a great time with our youth hunt and greatly appreciate our Bell county Warden Brandt coming out and talking with the kids. It’s easy to get lost in “limits”. We had several kids shoot their first dove and it brings back the true excitement of the hunt.
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7289596
09/18/18 12:39 AM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,876
brazosboyt
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: brazosboyt]
#7289752
09/18/18 02:17 AM
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 8,329
bobcat1
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 8,329 |
Awesome! Getting the kids hunting is what it's all about!
Bobby Barnett
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: sallysue]
#7290205
09/18/18 03:43 PM
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Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 97
16ga
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 97 |
Peredovik drilled in late March /early April. Spray grasses 2x over next few months Is it round up ready ?? There are Clearfield Hybrid Sunflowers that you use Beyond Herbicide on. Works really well, but get your wallet out for the Beyond.
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Re: Build it and they will come.
[Re: 16ga]
#7290847
09/19/18 02:19 AM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,876
brazosboyt
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Peredovik drilled in late March /early April. Spray grasses 2x over next few months Is it round up ready ?? There are Clearfield Hybrid Sunflowers that you use Beyond Herbicide on. Works really well, but get your wallet out for the Beyond. Yessir. With almost 100 acres planted- it’s a little rich for me. 50 more this eve with the family. I know guys that do this and if you do it right, it’s $200/acre +.
Last edited by brazosboyt; 09/19/18 02:20 AM.
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