that dove are attracted to? Its been 18 years since cotton has been on the place and the dove are just all over, more than I have ever seen!!!!! Just hope they stay.

Shade and bugs.

cotton, its the fabric of our lives

I have had some good shoots in a cotton field, but they have usually had water in them or have been close to a grain field.

I don't think cotton attracts dove, at least not if there is a real food source anywhere close by. I hunt Lubbock every year, which is the cotton capitol of the world, and you will not find dove in the 1000s of cotton fields. All the dove are in the sunflower or milo.

+1

TTU, dam it hurts to type that. I kid, I kid. Around here they flock to cotton. . I have always seen them flying in cotton fields around, before we cotton here. No weeds, no sunflowers, just kinda wondering about, WHY?

I would suspect for the cover it provides whilst they gravel their craw.

Water, irrigation.

Ding, ding, ding.....

I also have hunted dove in cotton fields with some success and was told that the dove eat the cotton seed for their gizzards. Never questioned it or researched it further but at the time that made sense to me.

Fruit of the loom

No irrigation around here( can understand though) heck I had to haul water for 3 years. Not fun!!!!

I used to hunt cotton fields and there was some little plant that grew between the rows. It produced a little black seed. The birds loved it. Their craw would be full of 'em.

Don't know what they were but they'd attract dove like crazy.

Dove weed ( Croton setigerus ) - http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/plants/Euphorbiaceae/Croton%20setigerus.htm

I have this stuff growing in my back yard, and the dove are 'tearing it up'!!

No, this wasn't dove weed. I've hunted around lots of dove weed. This thing was a tiny little plant. Not sure what it was.

It's called Birdeye. Its a noxious weed that prevails in Louisiana and east Texas. It's naturally in the soil just like dove weed. If you find a field with it there will always be doves in it. It used to grow in all the Soybean Fields before the Bean farmers started using RUR Beans. It has little pods on it. Each pod has 3 black round seeds and that's why it's called Birdeye. They spit seeds from June until first frost. Not sure about east Texas but in South Loisiana it will be the last green plant in a field after fall weather has turned everything else brown. That was always a dead give away of its presence. I wish it would grow in south Texas. I tried to make it happen, but it has shallow roots and there isnt enough rain or moisture after June to keep it growing in south Texas.