Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2B
^Reporter
June 29, 2016
Monroe Outdoors
It s time to plant millet for fall Dove Season
BY TERRY W.
JOHNSON
tjwoodduck@bellsouth.
net
N owadays it
seems that
most folks
have simply
forgotten that
millet fields can
provide Monroe
County hunters
with the best
dove hunting
over the entire
length of the
dove season.
If you have a
hankering to
return to the
classic way of
preparing a
Middle Georgia dove field,
now is the time to break
ground.
The main reason that
there is no better time to
plant a dove field is that
it takes browntop mil
let roughly 60-70 days
to mature. As such, if
you plant one now, the
millet will ripen around
the time that the first
phase of the 2016-17
Dove Hunting Season
commences in early
Terry W. Johnson
September.
It goes without saying
that our current dry spell
will make cultivating a
field for doves difficult.
However, since browntop
doesn’t require as much
cultivation as many grain
crops, even if
you are not
able prepare
as clean a seed
bed as you
would like, if
we get a little
rain, you can
still produce
enough mil
let to attract
flocks of doves.
As one vet
eran wildlife
manager put
it, “I believe that brown
top would geminate
even if I simply spread
the seeds on top of the
ground and never tried to
cover them up.”
When choosing a place
to plant a dove field,
there are a couple of
things to consider. First,
select a field that will be
large enough to safely
accommodate the num
bers of hunters that will
hunt the field on each
hunt. With that in mind,
try to provide at least
an acre of field for each
hunter.
By the same token, a
dove field should be no
less than three to five
acres in size. Remember,
as a general rule, the big
ger the field, the better
the hunting.
Browntop millet can
be either broadcast or
drilled. If it is broadcast,
the seeding rate should
be 15-20 pounds of seed
per acre. When it is
drilled, the seeding rate
drops to only 5-10 pounds
of seed per acre.
Fertilize with 40-60
pounds of ammonium
nitrate per acre when
the crop is planted. The
ammonium nitrate can
be supplemented with a
fertilizer such as 5-10-15.
If you want to be certain
that you are using the
correct amount of fertil
izer, contact the Monroe
County Extension Office
and see about having
your soil tested.
Keep in mind that that
you want to apply just
enough fertilizer to pro
duce seed and not lush
The 2016-17 Dove Hunting Season be
gins in early September. Most of the birds
bagged in the early season are locally
raised. (Photo/Terry Johnson)
stems and
leaves. If
the veg
etation is
too rank,
short
legged
mourn
ing doves
have a
tough time
getting
around
trying
to feed.
These
game birds
prefer to
feed in
fields that
feature
lots of bare
ground
and/or low
vegetation.
If you
plant a
large field,
consider planting the
field in strips over several
weeks. When strips are
sown about two weeks
apart, browntop millet
seed will mature through
out the late summer and
early fall. The advantage
of this planting scheme is
that you are ensuring a
continuous supply of food
throughout much of the
dove season. Conversely,
if the entire field is
planted at one time, most
of the seed will mature in
early September and will
probably deteriorate or be
eaten long before the bulk
of the mourning doves
that winter here arrive.
I also recommend
that you stagger mow
ing your millet crop.
Mowing times should
be dictated by the avail
ability of the seed in the
mowed strips. Once the
browntop seed becomes
difficult to find in the
mowed areas, it is time
to mow additional strips.
Do not become dis
couraged if you don’t
attract as many doves
as you think you should
early in the season.
Practically all of the
birds bagged during
our first dove season
are locally raised.
Consequently, a field
that does not attract a
lot of doves early in the
season can often become
a hot spot once the fall
migrants arrive later.
Terry Johnson is the
retired Program Manager
of the Georgia Nongame-
Endangered Wildlife
Program. Pie has written
an informative column
for the Reporter for many
years.
Tournament director Carter donates $1,500 to charities
On Tuesday, Out of the
Park’s Scott Carter, a USSSA
Tournament Director, donat
ed two checks of $750 each
to two local organizations:
Leadership Monroe and Re
lay for Life. The Leadership
Monroe funds will be used
to assist with building an all
abilities playground, which is
the 2016 Leadership project.
Carter, who raised the money
through his travel baseball
tournaments, said he assists
the Monroe County commu
nity in a different way each
year. “It’s just our way of giv
ing back,” Carter said. Pic
tured from left to right: 2016
Leadership class member
Valerie Mercer, Leadership
director Lindsey Childs, 2016
Leadership president Daniel
Stickler, Monroe rec direc
tor Keith Edge, Carter, 2016
Leadership class member
Amy Knight and Relay for Life
representative Clay Grant.
Carter is a Juliette resident.
(Photo/Richard Dumas)
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Mary Persons youth soccer camp once again a big success
Mary Persons soccer held its annual youth camp from June 13-16. Pictured above are campers and counselors: Adam Hamm, Nate Lawson, Grey Trevitt, Scout Jones,
Lucy Jones, Eli Jones, Adam Rhodes, Tristian Johnson, Zorah Bigham, Niah Bigham, Austin Starr, Hunter Kennett, Banks McCoy, Anna Murdock, Hunt Walker, Garrison
Walker, Chip Crawford, Katelyn Adams, Michael Necastro, Kennedy Gantt, Kassidy Gantt, Jayden McDaniel, Joshua McDaniel, Evan Bertram, Braden Sumner, Park Da
vis, Abby Williamson, Trace Gunn, William Atkins, Mason Baker, Julian Rivera, Shane King, Dawson Baker, Chacce Barfield, Abbie Davis, Maiah Wiley, Dawson Daniel,
Brock Hulsey and Alex Rivera. Coaches: Allen Luton, Robby Jones and Chuck Simmons. (Photo/Cassie Davis)
Monroe recreation to host British soccer camp
For the third consecutive year,
the Monroe County Recreation
Department will host the
Challenger Sports British
Soccer Camp from Monday,
July 11 through Friday, July
15.
The 4U First Kicks camp
will be held daily from 9 a.m.
to 10 a.m. and will cost $88.
The 6U Mini Soccer camp will
be held daily from 10:15 a.m.
to 11:45 a.m. and will cost
$104. The Half-Day camp for
any kids under 18 will be held
daily from 9 a.m. to noon and
will cost $142. Also, a special
Goalkeeper/Goal Scorer bonus
camp fro kids under 18 will be
held daily from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
and will cost $45. Lastly, the
Full Day Camp for kids ages
8-18 will be held daily from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will cost
$201.
Please note that there will be
a $10 late fee for campers reg
istering within 10 days of the
camp start date. Many camps
will fill up and be closed prior to
this date - please register early
to avoid disappointment.
Challenger Sports’ British
Soccer Camp is the most popu
lar soccer camp in the country
based upon one of the most
innovative approaches to coach
ing youth soccer in the U.S. and
Canada.
Challenger’s experienced staff
study the game at all levels and
will help players improve their
core techniques and become
more confident on the ball.
With programs for each age,
the curriculums includes a vari
ety of foot skills, technical drills,
tactical practices, freestyle
soccer, small-sided games and
coached scrimmages.
World Cup style games are
held each day where campers
compete for their adopted coun
try and are encouraged to learn
about different customs and
cultures, and our core values of
respect, responsibility, integrity,
sportsmanship and leadership.
Most camps will include a free
soccer ball, t-shirt, poster and
certificate.
Register online at https://
challenger.mycustomevent.com/
shoppingcart.aspx?com=produc
tlist&m=0&cid=321 &zip=31029
&zipdis=30.
For more information, contact
the Monroe County Recreation
Department at 478-994-7795 or
visit www.mocorec.org.