My Central Ky Habitat Addiction

My " Weed Plot" is getting a little attention. Was originally for small game but loaded with good deer food & bedding .







Few Young Black Oaks:

 
Lastly for my quick afternoon tour was to check on the blackberries . This year was the best bloom I had ever seen. Berries are the same, very thick. These are the smaller " wild ones" . The larger " tame hybrids" are just as thick but a few weeks behind:



 
Spent some time today cleaning up and checking on some tree plantation sites.
Was pretty happy to jump a good group of half grown quail !!



Few young Black Oaks looking good . It's been a great year so far for my young trees. Had lots of rain at good times!!





Picked up some steel tubing and built me a flag pole. Been wanting to do this for a while and figured it was a good time!!

 
Deer activity continues to get better year after year.

A few years ago when we bought the old cattle farm decent young bucks like this were harder to find. But now seeing quality young deer @ every check. Can't wait to continue growing on this trend.





And this has become a welcomed familiar thing every time I'm coming & going no matter what the weather conditions . Usually always see Atleast a single doe and often some small bachelor groups of yearling bucks.





I have no doubt the things I have learned here are paying off and will continue to do so.
 
Decided to gravel all my tree rows today, it looks great!!



That's actually a joke. Creeks got up this week and pushed a bunch of gravel into the field so I'm trying to smooth it out. Does look good though.

Little snack between projects





These guys are coming up good in some of my " weed " patches, who knows what they are??? ( I don't )

 
And that bring me up to date !!!!!!!
 
CKH...Your thread looks better over here than it did on the QDMA site! Didn't realize just how much work you've done on your place until I went back thru your thread here. Thanks for getting it going on our new home forum site and thanks to the HT folks that got this site going and have kept it going. Hope we can all contribute and continue the habitat learning curve!
 
Great idea you had with the old house trailer. Pretty country there too.
 
Really impressive what all you have accomplished. Places looks awesome!!
 
Nice tour. We are looking at the best blackberry crop in a long time up here if all goes well the next couple weeks. Keep the updates coming.
 
Thanks for the gracious welcome guys. Having a little trouble getting in the groove over here but I will settle in soon and catch up on all your threads.

Have seen a few discussions on topo maps here so thought I would dig mine out and post. I know nothing about interpreting these maps at this point but will learn eventually.

Topo Map:


Soil Map:




And this has been a little bit of my work the last two years. Have implemented or completed three out of the four plans I have started. First was my High Tunnel , 2nd my TSI & invasive species eradication , 3rd was planting 5000 trees across 8 acres, and the 4th will be a post harvest TSI on a Seperate property I own.



I am currently working with the forestry , USDA, & NRCS to possibly convert 10-15 acres of crop ground into tree.
 
Worked with my buddy Mike Friday on a good plot with very poor soil conditions from a previous owners pond build. I dumped about 5000+ lbs of poultry manure on a 1/4 acre and got it sprayed down with Gly. Gonna disk it in a couple of times before we try a fall planting. Not sure how it will do this year but know it will improve later!!


Found this persimmon struggling for light amidst a bunch of water maples next to this plot. Had some fruit but wasn't getting a good chance. I released him out for a better future!!






 
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Do your deer there eat persimmon? Used to hunt a fair amount up are Paducah and the deer didn't touch em there. Weirdest thing I have ever seen.
 
Great looking place, thanks for sharing! Looking forward to more posts.
 
Dude! I'm impressed. That hut is a tosh mahal

Btaylor I have had a similar experience with our deer herd an persimmons. They eat them but doesn't seem to be a big draw
 
Thanks again guys.

I can't say for sure on the persimmons. My main reason for encouraging them is that I no multi species use them and most of mine will hold up through November!!!
My habitat has always been to maximize benefits for as many species as possible !!

Jordan,
The " cabin" is definetly special . I had a vision in my head and it is everything I could have imagined.
My ultimate goal is for my children, family, and friends to have a place where we can grow relationships in a way that is unique. I feel like I am on the right path and have developed new relationships in the last few years that are important to me. My sons are 5 & 7 and nephews are 6 & 1. Ultimately they should have something that can't be bought.
I try to be very open with my possessions . I host youth hunts, invite people to hunt, and have as many " get togethers" as I can down there. I simply love people and love to see them happy.
 
Hosted our 2nd Annual Taking Kids Outdoors Youth Conservation , Outdoor Safety, and Orange Card Cettification Class.

Hosted over 50 kids from 6 counties.

Featured:
-Orange Card Certification
- Tree Stand & Harness Demonstrations
- Water & Boater Safety from The Corp of Engineers
- Archery Class
- Bow Fishing
- Trapping Class
- Fishing
- and other fun events!!

Orange card class



Practicing now fishing


Trapping techniques


Made kids fall out of a low hung stand and get back in alone.



Few of us local guys started this a couple years ago.

We also host a large youth turkey hunt and are doing our first youth deer hunt this fall!!
 
Would you explain the orange card certification? Is that a state program? I am not familiar with it.

Great program you are providing. :)
 
Would you explain the orange card certification? Is that a state program? I am not familiar with it.

Great program you are providing. :)

State law requires everyone born after 1975 to have a Hunter Safety Certification or " Orange Card Certification " teaches them mainly about safety but also ethics, laws, and they have to complete a range section.
 
We have the same program in Tennessee I just have not heard it called by that term. Do the kids pay any fee to attend your program?

Do they have to shoot a gun safely to pass the Orange Card Certification? Guess that is the range section.
I like your farm thread. :)
 
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