My Florida Destiny
- Thread starter bigbendmarine
- Start date
bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
Interesting story involving the buck I call Split Ear.
Morning actually started with my wife yelling to me as I dressed for work that she was seeing five deer cross our yard about 150 yards from the front door. One of the deer she'd spotted was Split Ear who tempted me regularly with visits to our place last year after I gave him a year to grow on. While the other bucks in the bachelor group my wife spotted kept walking away from the house, I noticed Split Ear's attention seemed focused on the house. As he crossed the yard he twice stopped and stood statue still intently looking towards me.
Only after he moved on did I notice that in the space between us a doe was tending to a newborn fawn, and quite possibly Split Ear's own offspring.
She licked her newborn fawn for a while, allowed the fawn to stand and nurse, and only after letting it feed for several minutes did she move a few feet away, forcing the fawn to take several stiff, gawky steps towards her.
After nursing and walking a bit I noticed that the fawn was taking an increased interest in its surroundings.
The game of the fawn feeding a bit then being encouraged to walk went on for about 15 minutes until we finally had to start up our car to head into town for work. The doe, having nearly reached a tree line along our front field stood still as we drove by, willing to wait out our departure where normally she would have hopped into cover.
Between the threat posed by coyotes, bobcats, and large boars in our area, the fawn faces a number of precarious days ahead. In fact, the threat the predators pose likely played a part in the doe's willingly giving birth so close to the house -- using the proximity as a bit of a shield against more leery predators. Actually had the same exact thing happen (doe giving birth close to the house) 23 months ago within about 50 yards or so of the same spot. Hate to wish ill on another prey species, but to date this has been somewhat "The Year of the Rabbit", likely due to my pulling limbs blown down by Hurricanes Hermine, Irma, and Michael into brush piles just inside our wood line. Regardless, the herd population is high enough I know the local fawn recruitment rate will suffice... but just can't help but pull for the little boogers after you see them!
Morning actually started with my wife yelling to me as I dressed for work that she was seeing five deer cross our yard about 150 yards from the front door. One of the deer she'd spotted was Split Ear who tempted me regularly with visits to our place last year after I gave him a year to grow on. While the other bucks in the bachelor group my wife spotted kept walking away from the house, I noticed Split Ear's attention seemed focused on the house. As he crossed the yard he twice stopped and stood statue still intently looking towards me.
Only after he moved on did I notice that in the space between us a doe was tending to a newborn fawn, and quite possibly Split Ear's own offspring.
She licked her newborn fawn for a while, allowed the fawn to stand and nurse, and only after letting it feed for several minutes did she move a few feet away, forcing the fawn to take several stiff, gawky steps towards her.
After nursing and walking a bit I noticed that the fawn was taking an increased interest in its surroundings.
The game of the fawn feeding a bit then being encouraged to walk went on for about 15 minutes until we finally had to start up our car to head into town for work. The doe, having nearly reached a tree line along our front field stood still as we drove by, willing to wait out our departure where normally she would have hopped into cover.
Between the threat posed by coyotes, bobcats, and large boars in our area, the fawn faces a number of precarious days ahead. In fact, the threat the predators pose likely played a part in the doe's willingly giving birth so close to the house -- using the proximity as a bit of a shield against more leery predators. Actually had the same exact thing happen (doe giving birth close to the house) 23 months ago within about 50 yards or so of the same spot. Hate to wish ill on another prey species, but to date this has been somewhat "The Year of the Rabbit", likely due to my pulling limbs blown down by Hurricanes Hermine, Irma, and Michael into brush piles just inside our wood line. Regardless, the herd population is high enough I know the local fawn recruitment rate will suffice... but just can't help but pull for the little boogers after you see them!
Bill
Administrator
Old spilt ear is wondering if his days of getting a pass are closing....:)
bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
With thanks to two old cherry trees that sit against our "inside yard" fence, I can provide an update on Split Ear and a new buck hanging around with him. Putting cameras up on the cherry trees is really allowing me to benchmark growth for known bucks from year to year.
Here's a pic of Split Ear mid July in 2018...
And by comparison, to the VERY day a calendar year later here's his growth in 2019. Barring injury or any road mishap, he'll be sporting 6 points on his left side. Holding my breath on the right side... may stay 4, but looks like a 5th might be itching to pop up.
Already harassing the girls given the opportunity.
Still struggling to decide if I think Split Ear is 3.5 or 4.5, though CERTAIN he's one or the other based on pics from past years. Brisket is starting to be a bit more pronounced and neck looking pretty big to be so far ahead of our late Oct / early Nov typical rut start.
His buddy is at least for the moment acting submissive in Split Ear's presence, though he's got a wider rack. Be interesting to see how they feel about one another three months down the road (IF they can both actually manage to STAY OUT of the real road, Good Lord willing).
Here's a pic of Split Ear mid July in 2018...
And by comparison, to the VERY day a calendar year later here's his growth in 2019. Barring injury or any road mishap, he'll be sporting 6 points on his left side. Holding my breath on the right side... may stay 4, but looks like a 5th might be itching to pop up.
Already harassing the girls given the opportunity.
Still struggling to decide if I think Split Ear is 3.5 or 4.5, though CERTAIN he's one or the other based on pics from past years. Brisket is starting to be a bit more pronounced and neck looking pretty big to be so far ahead of our late Oct / early Nov typical rut start.
His buddy is at least for the moment acting submissive in Split Ear's presence, though he's got a wider rack. Be interesting to see how they feel about one another three months down the road (IF they can both actually manage to STAY OUT of the real road, Good Lord willing).
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bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
Sad news as relates to the cherry trees is that one seems to be on the decline and wasn't nearly as productive as past years and each year has more mistletoe growing in it. No shortage of other cherry trees around I can hang cameras on, but the two near the house couldn't be any more conveniently located and each year tempt the deer enough to let us make a fair number of daylight observations from the comfort of the house. Honestly might shed a few tears when I lose them.
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bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
Bill, got to looking a bit closer at the bachelor group I've got hanging around right now and low and behold... looks like "Blondie" (AKA "Toothpick") is sporting a bit more headgear this year! Granted still young and in need of a few more years to grow on... but still, what a difference the single year made! :-)
Another view of him deciding he might better wait another year or two before pushing his luck with "Wide 8."
bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
Do they EVER, H20fwler! So much so that I hang cameras on my most productive trees and get MULTIPLE thousands of video hits mid-summer right as antler growth is really kicking in. Bucks seem to have a special affinity for the tiny wild cherries and it's the only time of year they don't even seem to give second thought to coming right out in the open in broad daylight to vacuum the cherries up literally about 10 feet from a fence around the perimeter of my house. Threat of two Great Danes barking at them doesn't even make them run unless the dogs are let out and actually charge the fence.
bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
And because it's been a while since I've made actual habitat related updates / shares, this summer marked the 5th year we've lived on the property (6th since we bought it, as we had to spend a full year working to make the home on it habitable again).
Got my first few burs on one of a dozen chinese chestnuts I planted around the time we moved in. Think I would have had more but had a really dry spell right about the same time they pollinated.
Sawtooth oaks really have taken off the last year or two as well. Still haven't seen any nuts, but happy they're finally strong enough to stand up straight in the tubes thanks to being 3" to 4" in caliper now.
Got my first few burs on one of a dozen chinese chestnuts I planted around the time we moved in. Think I would have had more but had a really dry spell right about the same time they pollinated.
Sawtooth oaks really have taken off the last year or two as well. Still haven't seen any nuts, but happy they're finally strong enough to stand up straight in the tubes thanks to being 3" to 4" in caliper now.
bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
And though admittedly bit more human-habitat related than deer, fruit planted and protected inside the 4 acres our home sits on did REALLY well this year.
Few might remember I had to cut a fig tree to the ground a year and a half ago after being attacked by boring ambrosia beetles. At 10' or so, big as I want to let it get and full of tasty figs though I have to beat the crows and squirrels to ones even the least bit visible and easy for them to target.
Muscadine and scuppernong grape vines just slam loaded this year. I use a double trellis system so setup looks a bit like clothesline with two sets of wires running along each row. I train the base up then it splits to each side, where it then splits again so that it runs both directions. With each wire about 60' in length that gives me about 240' of vine growth if I'm doing my math right. So much weight on them right now I hope the wooden support arms don't give out.
Scuppernongs are almost the size of ping-pong balls and sweet as can be.
"Southern Home" muscadine has a much stronger typical "grape" flavor than the other varieties I have planted.
Also have one or two varities that are a tad less sweet and grown more for juice and / or wine.
This year also marks the first year that four oriental persimmons I planted are bearing fruit. Dropped most earlier in the summer, but should have handful to eat from each tree around October.
Few might remember I had to cut a fig tree to the ground a year and a half ago after being attacked by boring ambrosia beetles. At 10' or so, big as I want to let it get and full of tasty figs though I have to beat the crows and squirrels to ones even the least bit visible and easy for them to target.
Muscadine and scuppernong grape vines just slam loaded this year. I use a double trellis system so setup looks a bit like clothesline with two sets of wires running along each row. I train the base up then it splits to each side, where it then splits again so that it runs both directions. With each wire about 60' in length that gives me about 240' of vine growth if I'm doing my math right. So much weight on them right now I hope the wooden support arms don't give out.
Scuppernongs are almost the size of ping-pong balls and sweet as can be.
"Southern Home" muscadine has a much stronger typical "grape" flavor than the other varieties I have planted.
Also have one or two varities that are a tad less sweet and grown more for juice and / or wine.
This year also marks the first year that four oriental persimmons I planted are bearing fruit. Dropped most earlier in the summer, but should have handful to eat from each tree around October.
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bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
And on a funny note, visited a local park this year that had a mature loquat tree dropping delicious fruit. Looked high and low for a tree to buy but all the local nurseries were already sold out for the spring season.
Was doing lawn work at an office we own and shockers of all shockers, noticed a loquat about 6' in height growing ATOP a brick wall along our property border. Cut a mat of roots about 3' long that ran across the top of the wall and threw the tree in my truck.
Wasn't very optimistic the tree would survive since I planted it just as temps were approaching hell-hot, and with the roots basically a sliced up mat. Made sure to keep it occasionally watered and at least for now it's actually not only surviving but after three or so months is putting out new leaf growth. Even if it lives it will likely be years before it fruits (generally 7 for seed grown, 3 if grafted) but being free I'll just be happy if it continues to live.
Was doing lawn work at an office we own and shockers of all shockers, noticed a loquat about 6' in height growing ATOP a brick wall along our property border. Cut a mat of roots about 3' long that ran across the top of the wall and threw the tree in my truck.
Wasn't very optimistic the tree would survive since I planted it just as temps were approaching hell-hot, and with the roots basically a sliced up mat. Made sure to keep it occasionally watered and at least for now it's actually not only surviving but after three or so months is putting out new leaf growth. Even if it lives it will likely be years before it fruits (generally 7 for seed grown, 3 if grafted) but being free I'll just be happy if it continues to live.
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bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
In addition to planting the loquat cut from atop the brick wall, I also saved six seeds from fruit I gathered from the tree in the park. Planted the seeds in small pots and 5 of the 6 seeds germinated and are doing well. They're the small pots at the bottom of the photo below. Also in the picture are some persimmon seedlings growing from possum scat saves, swamp chestnut white oak saplings grown from acorns off our place, extra sawtooth oak saplings I grew from acorns but didn't get around to planting this year, and a few rose cuttings that have rooted, though let one dry out a bit and thus the yellow leaves -- still alive but will have to baby a bit more for a while now.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
Awesome update! Everything is growing great, you have a lot of stuff going down there that wouldn't take the cold up here.
We have a bunch of wild black cherry trees here in the woods they don't fruit alot but everything eats the cherries up. I need to put out a few more Ranier's my wife and daughter in law also want them for home use.
We have a bunch of wild black cherry trees here in the woods they don't fruit alot but everything eats the cherries up. I need to put out a few more Ranier's my wife and daughter in law also want them for home use.
bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
Thought I was about to see a battle break out yesterday but got settled (at least for the moment) with a Mexican standoff. Can't swear it but have a strong suspicion that the buck Split Ear confronted might be one I named Lucky a year or two back because he damaged one of his pedicles that left him with a big spike on one side. Regardless, fun seeing them threatening to square off against one another. And believe it or not, the squeaking noise in the video... that's my daughter swinging from a swing-set just out of view from the camera (and just out of view from the deer). With us having had the swing set out for 5 years or so, they pay little mind to the noise, sometimes even walking within view of her while she's swinging.
