Food Plots for Doves
Growing A Wild Tomorrow!®

Plot sites are best located next to woods, vacant fields, and natural habitats. Some of the crops that attract dove are millets, chufas, corn, peanuts, sesame herbage, sesbana, vetch, partridge peas, buckwheat, and tartary buckwheat.

DOVE FOOD PLOTS: Mixtures | Brown Top

Mourning Dove Characteristics

The Mourning Dove is perhaps the most abundant game bird in the United States. The population of these birds often reach well into the hundreds of millions in the late fall and early winter. The Mourning dove is also an acrobatic flyer whose unpredictable flight patterns make them difficult to shoot and are widely prized by hunters across the U.S.

The Mourning Dove is a rather small bird averaging somewhere between 11 and 12 inches in length with a symmetrically lengthened wingspan. The average weight of the Mourning Dove ranges from 4 to 6 ounces. The birds coloration consist of mottled gray feathers with white wing tips and possible a few black splotches. The dove is also aerodynamically designed for high speed turns to escape such predators as hawks and eagles.

Mourning Doves are commonly found on the edge of the forest because of the fact that the dove's food sources have become closely tied with agriculture farming sties. Therefore the large portion of the dove population will be found near farmlands especially where crops such as grasses, corn, wheats, clovers and sorghums, weed seeds are growing. The Mourning Dove is found through all of the 48 lower states and also in the regions of Mexico and Canada. Migratory birds follow the same patterns from year to year spending half the time in the northern United States and Canada and the other portion of the time in the southern United States and Mexico. States bordering the gulf are particularly favorable for dove populations.

Doves are essentially known as ground feeders and their diet consist almost entirely of  seeds. Some of these foods in a dove's diet are corn, wheats, grains, grasses and sunflowers. Plants that provide high quality oil seeds are preferred over others. Doves spend large amounts of energy in migration and need well developed feeds to maintain the energy levels for long flights. Other wild plants such as ragweeds and native plants also offer an abundant supply of food for the migrating dove.

Doves also tend to herd or gather where large fields of tilled corn, millet or wheat are found and it is almost guaranteed that you will find a large population of dove where these fields are present. Doves also need water for drinking and bathing and prefer small ponds to running streams. Doves usually drink twice a day; at least once in the morning and after feeding in the evening. Doves will also travel long distances to obtain these ideal watering holes and they can also survive without water for up to 5 days if necessary.

Ideally dove food plots should be located in areas near water sources, close to woods and nearby brush for protection from predators and nesting sites. Short rows of of corn can be sided with broadcast spots of millets, wheats, sorghums and the favorite sunflowers. Dividing the plots into several smaller areas give the dove landing and gathering areas. When the plants mature, fully develop seeds, the stalks will dry out. This is the time to chop, mow or knock the stands to the ground for easier access to seeds and better sighting conditions for the hunter. Since dove are migratory birds planting in the same general area from year to year will condition the flocks seek out the same areas each year. There are few perennials that are planted for doves. Grasses and weed seeds would be the most adapted perennials. The millets, wheats, sunflowers and grains are usually annuals and will have to be planted each season.

40 lb. PENNINGTON Dove Mix

60% - German & Brown Top Millet 20% - Japanese Millet 10% - Black Sunflower (Peredovik) 10% - Penngrain DR Sorghum Dove Mixture (right) - Actual % subject to change due to crop production.

Dove mix should be planted after danger of frost no more than 1 inch deep on a harrowed non-weedy seedbed by broadcasting.  Lightly drag with post or log to cover seeds. When seeds are mature mow or knock  the growth to the ground to shatter seeds from the dried stalks and encourage dove to land.  This mix responds well to additions of fertilizer in the planting stage and afterwards for higher productions. This dove mix matures in approximately  60 - 70 days after germination with good weather.

50 lb. BROWN TOP MILLET - Early Producer

Plant by preparing soil areas by harrowing / tilling and then broadcast seeds. Cover seeds with soil lightly and firmly but no more than 1" deep. Fertilize for best results.