Is Recently Cut Corn Field Good Place To Find Doves?
By JIM DEAN
A recently cut cornfield is
supposed to be the best spot
to find doves. There is
increasing evidence, however,
that corn may be a
second or third rate dove
food
Under certain circumstances,
cotton, cucumbers,
melons, squash, and other
similar crops may attract
more doves than corn.
Mike Gaddis and I have
had some excellent dove
Some Change
Is Awaiting
Deer Hunters
Deer hunters will find
some changes in the
mandatory big game tagging
procedure this season
"The main change for the
1977-78 deer season will
involve the use of the tag
and the big game kill
report," said a spokesman
for the N. C. Wildlife
Resources Commission's
Division of Game.
This year, the tag must
not be removed from the
carcass of the animal until it
is finally skinned and
dressed for consumption.
Last year, the tag was
removed and attached to the
Big Game Kill Report. The
Big Game Kill Report must
be obtained and completed
prior to the final skinning
for consumption.
Hunters will also note
other differences in the
tagging procedure when
they purchase their big
game licenses this year.
This is the first year that the
"Hunter's Choice" tags will
be in effect for either-sex
deer hunting in certain parts
of the State Sportsmen are
urged to pay particular
attention to the instructions
which accompany their tags
and big game license.
Those who have questions
should contact their local
wildlife enforcement officer
or contact the N. C. Wildlife
Resources Commission, 512
N. Salisbury Street, Archdale
Building, Raleigh,
North Carolina 27611. The
toll-free telephone number
is 1-800-662-7137.
Lisa Bobbitt Is
Commended
William E. Terry, principal
at John Graham Senior
High School, announced this
week that one senior
achieved Commended student
status in the 23rd
annual National Merit
Scholarship Program.
Letters of Commendation
were presented to Lisa
Louise Bobbitt. Lisa is
among 35,000 Commended
students throughout the
United States to be honored.
Commended students score
slightly below the level
required for Merit Program
participants who will continue
in the competition for
Merit Scholarships.
Terry reported that the
NMSC stated that the
corporation "believes the
high standing of Merit
Program Commended students
is an attainment that
deserves their public recognition,
because the nation as
well as these students will
be benefited by continued
educational and personal
development of their talents."
hunts during the past three
or four years, but as I look
back, I can remember only
a few that occurred over
recently cut corn.
We've had several good
shoots over cucumber
patches, but by far the best
and most consistent dove
hunting we've had has been
in cotton fields. It's not the
cotton which attracts the
birds. Instead, it's a weed
seed that frequently grows
in cotton fields. The weed is
called c rot on. and apparently
doves would rather have
it than anything else.
This past week, Mike and
[ took my 12-year-old son
Scott to an area in eastern
North Carolina where Mike
had collected a limit on two
previous days. We scouted
out a lot of fields, but finally
had to settle for a big cotton
field.
• This field has been shot
more heavily than any other
field in this area," said
Mike, "and yet it is still
attracting more doves than
anything we've found."
We hunted for a couple of
hours with fair success, but
the field was getting
crowded so we decided to
see if we could find another
good field somewhere nearby.
We drove around looking
at dozens of fields including
some where corn had
recently been cut. Even the
most likely looking fields
had only a few doves feeding
in them.
"I don't undersand why
doves seem to pass up corn
these days," said Mike. "It
seems that it wasn't that
way a few years ago. If you
found a good cornfield, you
often found doves, especially
this early in the season.
There are still plenty of
birds, but they seem to
prefer other foods."
Finally, Mike spotted
what he'd been looking for.
"There are quite a few
doves in that field off to the
right," he said as he pulled
off the road and squinted
through his binoculars.
"Let's find the owner and
see if he'll let us hunt them."
After we'd talked to the
landowner and gotten permission
to hunt, we drove
down a narrow dirt road
until we were near the field.
"Well that's a surprise,"
said Mike. "It's a cornfield."
"Yeah, after all we've
said about corn, it seems
strange to find them in it
today."
We fanned out and took up
stands. After about an hour
of shooting, Mike had filled
out his limit; I had enhanced
the financial status of the
arms' companies, and Scott
had shot his first dove. It
was a fine hunt.
As we walked through the
field to the truck, I
happened to notice some
thing unusual.
"Look at this," I said,
pointing to some low weeds
growing between the rows.
"It's croton."
"Yeah, that explains why
the doves were here," said
Mike. "I believe it's the first
time I've seen it growing so
thick in corn."
One thing seems certain.
Doves like croton, cucumbers
and similar seedsmaybe
more than they like
corn.