Planting the Dove Field - Again

Some of the best memories of my childhood are of my father taking us hunting and fishing.  I remember when it was hot, I remember the long walks to that far covey, and I remember wading through countless briar patches.  But I don’t remember anything bad, just the fun we had sitting in a field or watching our dog point.  And I remember the enjoyment of being in the field with my father.  Fun despite the hard work it was sometimes.



Before the workday



Our latest trip to the dove field was filled with hard work.  It had been four weeks since we first planted the Sesame and Millet, and the first time I had been able to get to the field since planting.  I was a little worried about the lack of rain in Georgia, but Johnny had put me at ease with a picture of the growing food plot.  Still, as we drove past corn and hay fields dry from the drought, my expectations were that the field would be dry as well.  And after backing the tractor up the grade to the hill, I saw what I expected.  Yes, there was millet, and yes there was sesame growing, but not nearly as developed as it should be.  And the field was choked with other grasses and vines.



Sydnie and Dylan spraying weeds





The summer grasses would be tolerable, they can produce seeds that dove will eat, but I wanted to control some of the other weeds.  So we got straight to work and I put my children on weed detail.  I quickly showed them how to identify what we want in the field versus what to spray and gave them the hand sprayer.  In the meantime, I started plowing the remaining portion of the field for the Proso Millet.

  



Thirty minutes later, they were done spraying and two hours later I was done plowing.  Sydnie and Dylan had not done enough to control most of the weeds, but were tired of working and I was tired as well.  We had a long lunch, and then spread the seed and disced it into the plot.  Hopefully we get some rain to start the new planting and to kick the rest of the field into gear.  It was a hot, dry, and dusty day in the field, and we were dirty and tired.  The long trip back to camp about did us in, but we made it.



After the workday



Driving home, I was sure that this had not been a fun day for my children.  What 8 and 9 year old wants to spend all day sweating and working in a field?  But I asked anyway, and to my surprise they were both quick to answer about the fun they had.  Hopefully, this is the start of some good memories that they can later reflect upon…memories about when they helped grow a crop and later hunted on it.  I can’t wait for the next few years of taking my children in the field.


 



Resting in the shade