Is this considered baiting and has to be done 10 days before hunting?

Its ok to shred them

I have native sunflowers on my place about 70ac and it is not considered baiting. Did you plant sunflowers or are they Texas native flowers?

Hey Bentman, Activescrape here. Hope you are doing well.

Activescrape .....how heck you doing? If you want to come hunt just let me know. No charge. I still tell people how many birds we missed sitting on my small pond. That afternoon was some of the worst shooting ever.LOL

What if some milo might be growing within the sunflowers?

You can shred and destroy anything you want to for DOVE. It different for waterfowl. You just can't put out seed and hunt over it.

TPWD Sez

NOTE: Hunters are responsible for knowing whether an area is baited or not.

The following baiting rules have been established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

A hunter may hunt any migratory game bird:
•over standing crops, standing flooded crops and flooded harvested crops
•at any time over natural vegetation that has been manipulated. Natural vegetation does not include planted millet. However, planted millet that grows on its own in subsequent years after the planting is considered natural vegetation
•on or over a normal soil stabilization practice
•on or over lands or areas where seeds or grains have been scattered solely as a result of a normal agricultural practice except waterfowl and cranes may not be hunted where grain or other feed has been distributed or scattered as the result of:
•pre-harvest manipulation of an agricultural crop; or
•livestock feeding;
•over crops or natural vegetation where grain has been inadvertently scattered as a result of entering or leaving a hunting area, placing decoys or retrieving downed birds;
•using natural vegetation or crops to conceal a blind, provided that if crops are used to conceal a blind, no grain or other feed is exposed, deposited, distributed or scattered in the process.
•

A hunter may not:
•hunt migratory birds with the aid of bait, or on or over any baited area
•hunt over any baited area until 10 days after all baiting materials have been removed
•hunt waterfowl or cranes over manipulated planted millet, unless the millet was planted more than one year prior to hunting
•hunt waterfowl or cranes over crops that have been manipulated, unless the manipulation is a normal agricultural post-harvesting manipulation in accordance with official recommendations of State Extension Specialists of the Cooperative Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

No person may place or direct the placement of bait on or adjacent to an area for the purpose of causing, inducing or allowing any person to take or attempt to take any migratory game bird by the aid of baiting on or over the baited area.

If you have native sunflowers you can shred anytime

I've been doing good. Retired from the traveling but started a new career local to DFW. Aaron and I have talked about hunting on your place often, so many birds, good company. I would love to get back down there sometime, love Coleman county. I'm not sure I have your number anymore. I'll pm you mine and you can answer back. Thanks, Mike .,

Wrong. If you plant it it is considered agriculture and you cannot shred it. I know many people plant sunflowers and shred them. In the strictest sense this is against the law also. If you plant a flowers for a crop you have to harvest them first. You can hunt over any agriculture crop as long as it is still standing or actually harvested. But you cannot shred it and leave it lay to hunt over.
It is ok to shred native sunflowers and other perennials that are natural occurring.

huntwest with all do respect you may want to check the rules for dove.

Not true.

If this were the case then many outfits and leases would be doomed. Lots of places are planted strictly for dove

I had a G W help me set my field up You can shred and destroy anything you want to for DOVE. It different for waterfowl. You just can't put out seed and hunt over it.

Just plant you winter wheat about the second week in august. It us usually a good time to broadcast it.

The wildlife biologist with TPWD who helps us out recommends shredding followed by discing about 3-4 weeks before the season so this gives birds some time to find your plot.

Not correct

If you shred because the crop is not economically viable to harvest, shredding is a normal agricultural practice.

Just call your G.W. !!!!!

Great info! Thanks as I believe this answers my question

Like I said earlier SHREAD or DESTROY away for doves. Waterfowl follows different rules. If anyone needs help or advice please feel free to reach out anytime. Glad to help.

So according to you guys I can plant milo with NO intention of harvesting it and shred it a couple weeks before dove season and that is OK?
I did ask our game warden today and that is BS. If you plant an agriculture crop like milo and don't use it for any reason other than to shred for doves you are baiting.
The way I phrased this post is exactly how I asked him.

You should show this to your GW

https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/dove_management/dove_management_texas.pdf

Particularly this part

Your GW fail that class or something? What county is he in? If up in Albany he must be fresh off the streets if he doesn't know these rules. I have been hunting up there for 12 years for dove on planted and shredded fields with the same outfitter who has been running 20 fields for 30+ years now. I think they know what they are doing and the GW and the Feds do stop by often.

Now the part he might not have gotten was when did you plant that milo? You can't plant milo now and hunt it since that is not normal ag planting practice. You must put your seed out in accordance to normal ag practice in your county. But whatever grows there can be manipulated in any way.

Huntwest, the GW you talked to is just ignorant of the laws. I have a prescribed management plan from TPWD department that includes exactly what you think is illegal. Last year as recommended to us by a state biologist, we planted a mixture of sunflowers/milo with no intention of harvesting and we shredded right before dove season.