Went out to my place in SW Young county and it is fairly grown up with sunflower plants (1st time to have those in the 7 years I've owned it.) grass and mesquite growth. Actually like the additional cover the added mesquite tree growth and grass provides, not sure about the 6-8 ft. shooters of sunflowers that are pretty dominant around much of the back pasture. My question is, should I just leave those sunflowers as is and take advantage of them for dove hunting and hope they drop at the first hard freeze? What say the forum?

All this growth has made it really hard to get any coyote hunting done this summer (along with the heat) but it may help or hurt during bow season. Might be somewhat easier to sneak in, but scent trails may last longer as you will rub against more brush, tracking may be easier or harder due to the dense foliage, but once first hard freeze hits the stuff will die back. For my area in clay county that usually is early November. Almanac is calling for a cooler wetter winter this year, so it may hit a little earlier.

I would hit the dove in September and then see what happens as deer season gets closer...

Mow some strips thru it and hunt it for doves.

Do you think the sunflower plants will deter deer movement into/through the place? I've always wanted additional cover, tree wise is what I was more thinking but grass is good too.

Do you think the sunflower plants will deter deer movement into/through the place? I've always wanted additional cover, tree wise is what I was more thinking but grass is good too.

You can mow some trails thru it now, as deer will always take the less resistant path.

I was shocked how thick and high it is this year on the Pitch. One of my sets was completely surrounded by 8 ft. high sunflowers. You couldn't even see the feeder.

I would mow them down right before the dove opener. Keep some sections for cover to hunt the dove from.

We will be mowing all we can up to the bow opener. If you don't when this stuff dries up it will choke off the fall and winter forbes. By simply mowing short at the end of summer you will be creating natural food plots that the deer will be more comfortable feeding and traveling in.

Pitchfork Predator speaks the truth. Been there done that! I like hunting the sunflowers, but like them gone after the opening week or so, then the first front we took then out, tilled them up, and put in winter mix to green up.

I have some of the same on my place. I noticed clear game trails through it to feed and water locations, so I don't think it is stopping game from moving around. But it may dictate exactly which route they opt to take, and reduce your visibility. May actually make game a bit more predictable, since they will use existing trails, and not just come wandering in across the field.

Mow it all down in about a week, by Sept 1st you'll be able to shoot a limit of dove with a red rider bb gun

DQ, I have a buddy that has grown SF for years, he will cut a 40' path around, then through the SF in several "lanes" as the others mentioned. He probably shreds 50%, he will also lightly disc the mowed areas, dove hunting is always outstanding at his place. Last week of Sept. he will shred the remainder and disc it all, then plant winter oats. He is outside Hico TX in N Hamilton county.

Dove will hit native 100x before the commercial versions and even milo.

The native dominant ability is crazy cool. I had a friend that hadn't seen them in 15 years. Plowed his field on early spring and bamboo covered up.

I was raised to hate sunflowers, walked many a mile pulling them by hand out of my grandfathers fields.

Im not a farmer, we own property to hunt on, if its not in the road or our food plot we pretty well leave it alone. Guess it all depends on what you want the property for.