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Prairie Pit-Stop

Nice looking trees.
 
Quick update from the prairie.
Figured I'd toss up some Apple pics.

Happy with how my 6 second leaf Macintosh are shaping up. Adding good caliper with appropriate height. No rust, just a few flecks of scab.

1 leaf honeycrisp, very clean looking, growing into a monster already.

1 leaf prairie fire crabapple, for the birds an pollination. Located between 2 orchards about 120ft apart.

Finally any ideas on what Apple variety this guy might be? Know its not much to go off.
Guessing it might be fireside, not sure. Needs at least a couple more weeks to fully ripen.
 
Quick update, got the fabric down on the windbreaks on Friday an just in time. Finally caught a break an got .75in of rain last night. First measurable rain over .25 in over a month. Just seem to be missing out this spring. West river is way above average.

Also if anyone can identify an have any info on this fellow I would appreciate it. He is eating my sandbar willow plantings from last year so fast they are struggling to keep up.

Cheysochus auratus ..... aka dogbane leaf beetle
https://bugguide.net/node/view/461
I'd treat them systematically with Dominion 2L next spring if I were you ..... meanwhile, you best be spraying! Sevin would probably do it!

don't eat any of these lovely folks .... they be bad!
http://bugoftheweek.com/blog/2016/7/18/one-gorgeous-beetle-dogbane-leaf-beetle-ichrysochus-auratusi
 
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plot update

changed things up a bit this year
split my N 1 acre plot in half
west half brasica mix, planted Aug 1
east half oats, ww, wr, awp, planted Aug 15

plan to topdress urea this weekend,
also broadcast some wr into any thin or bare spots. hope I didn't get my brasicas to thick, looks like every seed must have germinated.

hope the brasicas hold up late enough in the season to pull a nice deer into range for dad.

might even have to try a late season hunt myself in the elevated blind, see what all the hoopla is about.
 

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Looks good!
 
TBT - Nice plots !!
 
Looks like a great spot. I agree, nice looking plots. Have fun.
 
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Been a long day since the alarm clock went off this morning.

Know he's not as big as a good number that will fall in the coming days. But this one means alot.

All the hours an sweat equity I've put into the farm the last 2 years. Not to mention the financial aspect. Plus completely changing up hunting straigies, mainly cause I didnt have one prior.

Have been stressed to max the last couple of outings on the farm, bumped some beautiful deer out of beds on my entrances. Always felt like I choose the wrong stand for the sit. Know it sounds dumb, but was actually losing sleep with all the crap running through my head.

I have a bunch of old friends coming out to pheasant hunt soon. So the pressure was on to get it done. An when this guy read the script, I couldn't let down the draw when he came into range at first light. Knew he wasn't a world beater, but when he walked down the trail I cut back in June with a weed whip, an stopped at my mock scrape for the shot in 1 of my 2 shooting lanes. Sitting in a new treestand location for the farm. I had to punch the trigger.

Then I almost made an unforseen fatal mistake. Knew I made a good hit, but waited the customary time before getting down to look for him. What I didnt know was he crossed a stretch of grass that we had hayed off. While waiting the sun melted the frost off the grass, thus carrying alot of the blood down an away with it. Took a bit, but was able to get back on track, he never did make it over 100 yards.

What a difference a year can make.
: )
 
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Good looking buck! Congrats!
View attachment 21284

Been a long day since the alarm clock went off this morning.

Know he's not as big as a good number that will fall in the coming days. But this one means alot.

All the hours an sweat equity I've put into the farm the last 2 years. Not to mention the financial aspect. Plus completely changing up hunting straigies, mainly cause I didnt have one prior.

Have been stressed to max the last couple of outings on the farm, bumped some beautiful deer out of beds on my entrances. Always felt like I choose the wrong stand for the sit. Know it sounds dumb, but was actually losing sleep with all the crap running through my head.

I have a bunch of old friends coming out to pheasant hunt soon. So the pressure was on to get it done. An when this guy read the script, I couldn't let down the draw when he came into range at first light. Knew he wasn't a world beater, but when he walked down the trail I cut back in June with a weed whip, an stopped at my mock scrape for the shot in 1 of my 2 shooting lanes. I had to punch the trigger.

Then I almost made an unforseen fatal mistake. Knew I made a good hit, but waited the customary time before getting down to look for him. What I didnt know was he crossed a stretch of grass that we had hayed off. While waiting the sun melted the frost off the grass, thus carrying alot of the blood down an away with it. Took a bit, but was able to get back on track, he never did make it over 100 yards.

What a difference a year can make.
: )

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 
He looks like a beauty! Nice, dark antlers. The hard work paid off.
 
Hell yes! CONGRATS!
 
A good buck taken with a bow = 5 stars. Congrats !!
 
Busted out the snow shoes, had to make a trip to the farm to see if anything was still hanging on.

Not an all out disaster but things are getting serious. Ended up seeing 30 deer an around 100 pheasants. They have cleaned up every kernal of a 6 acre corn food plot.

Snow is deep, coyotes are having an easy time festing on birds an bunnies.
- the treestand takes 4 sticks to get in, head was above the platform standing on the snow.
- some trees are completely buried

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Lost one poor soldier so far, girdled completely around, dolgo on b118.

20190311_131646.jpg

Snowline is way above the protective trunk screens on most trees.

Praying the storms on the way dont turn out as predicted. Already pulling dead deer out of farmers yards.

Warm weather & sunshine is in the forcast, just hope its not to late.
 
That's quite a bit of snow, not that much here in MI but what's there has a real nice crust on it.
 
Scott, I should say, while yes it is alot of snow for us, set records in Feb. Our primary issues are light snow an blowing winds that never stop. Paired with the fact we got above freezing 1 since dec, makes for a long winter.

With little to no cover for miles (open ag fields), the snow just keeps drifting till it consumes an buries whatever is in its path.

Guess I feel fortunate we dont receive the totals some places do, be really screwed then. Trying to look at the glass half full.
 
Sorry to see that Dolgo girdled like that. You guys have been getting pounded with snow & wind this winter. The news said some of the wind gusts in the Midwest states have been above hurricane strength. I hope you guys get a break soon.

The Weather Channel said the center of that low pressure dropped 33+ millibars in 24 hours. They called that "bombo-genesis" (sp?) - or bomb-cyclone in laymen's terms. Very rare occurrence, especially in that region of the world, they said.
 
Picked up my plot seed today. Little more $$ than I thought it was gunna be, but look forward to experimenting a bit.

Still a long ways out tho.
Think spring
Think spring
Think spring

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Picked up my plot seed today. Little more $$ than I thought it was gunna be, but look forward to experimenting a bit.

Still a long ways out tho.
Think spring
Think spring
Think spring

View attachment 23296

Give us a clue what is in the bags?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Give us a clue what is in the bags?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pretty basic mostly - for spring an fall
1 & 1/2 acres worth
3 bags rye
1 bag AWP
1 bag is a blend for fall, ww, wr, oats, awp
Small bag brasica mix for fall
1 small bag Red clover
" white clover
" berseem clover
" aslike clover
" barley
" sunflowers
" buckwheat
" iron clay cow peas
" DwarfER
" Forage Radish


Then I'm experimenting with snow frost seeding amongst the differnt orchards to try an get some flowering perennials established with the hopes of increasing native pollinator action.
1/2# chickory puna II
1/2# cicer milkvetch
1/2# medium red clover
In each 7 tree orchard.
Seeding a smallish area heavy cause Im not sure how much seed will make it to the ground. Might not work at all.

Still have to pick up a bag of oats, 2 bags of cheap soybeans and plant the 6 acres of corn.

Heading out this afternoon to give the snow-frost seeding a go, snow is disapearing fast an today looks like my best shot.

Edit: forgot a bag of birdsfoot trefoil
 
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Quick update on yesterday's adventure.
Beautifull day out an about in gods creation.
Except for the darn rabbits.
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Know he is probably a gonner, but this one hurts. Any of the apple experts think he might make it?? Maybe the bastered didnt strip the bark deep enough?? Know its just wishfull thinking. This was my sole prairie magic. On 3rd leaf. He had potiental, was throwing crazy #s of apples from the start.
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Pruned him anyway just in case. Current plan is to replace with a liberty this spring unless anyone thinks I should give him a chance. The trunk looks like that all the way around.

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Only good part about the snow pack, was able to prune the tops of my largest apple trees without a ladder, ha.

Was able to get 56 done, will have to come back for 2. This is the other one.
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Cheked out the brassica plot and was pleasantly surprised. They have been digging like mad, still finding some green matter under there.

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Frost seeded all the orchards.
Hope it works out, but dont have high expectations.

An finally, for all the work, the rewards.
Didnt go out of my way to look.
Stumbled on most of them moving from orchard to orchard.

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Two match sets an some odd balls.
Not to bad considering the amount of snow left on the ground.

Will end with a landscape shot.
Wish you could of seen it. Felt like I was in the remote wild.
Pic dosnt do justice, trees in the background are over 25ft tall.
Didnt feel like hoffing it over there with the snowshoes. Was already exhausted. Ha
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