Badgerfowl's habitat projects

[badgerfowl]

I'm always jealous of your apple pics ;). Judging by how it looks now, in mid-July, that strip of maximum should do real well for you.

Even with late frosts, I still seem to get a few each year so far. Can't wait til all the trees start spitting apples.

As for the maximum strip, just hoping for continued rain! It's mostly rape so I wasn't too concerned planting it early. Just experimenting with stuff.

 

[badgerfowl]

Red clover for me seems to be the easiest to frost seed and get good results.

I'm happy with it so far. Will probably do some more next spring.

 

[badgerfowl]

Something keeps attacking my apple trees. I'm down to one tree with apples. Fencing is tore up, branches broken all over, leaves gone. Put a camera facing the last tree with apples to see what might be doing it. Also snapped a new crab at the graft Union. Cage and tree were laying on their side. At least the food plots are looking good. Dumped 2" out of the gauge.

 

[wiscwhip]

I wouldn't be surprised if you had a sow with cubs. I don't know if you remember or not, but a few years back there was a sow with triplets right up the street from you at Mill Bluff State Park. She hung out there with them for several weeks before being harassed out of the area by the DNR.

 

[badgerfowl]

There's more around than people realize. People saw them last year within a mile of us. I've never gotten any on camera though. Maybe just not in the right spot. The cages were pretty mangled this time. Not sure if a coon(s) could do that.

 

[wiscwhip]

There's more around than people realize. People saw them last year within a mile of us. I've never gotten any on camera though. Maybe just not in the right spot. The cages were pretty mangled this time. Not sure if a coon(s) could do that.

That's why I was thinking bear, it's really the only thing that could be doing it, if they are getting tore up that bad.

 

[badgerfowl]

I probably cut off a dozen limbs today on 3 trees. Granted these aren't very big but they are ripping down the trunk instead of breaking off cleanly. They've broke two central leaders on me also. Hopefully I get them on camera to confirm what is doing it.

 

[CrazyEd]

Something keeps attacking my apple trees. I'm down to one tree with apples. Fencing is tore up, branches broken all over, leaves gone. Put a camera facing the last tree with apples to see what might be doing it. Also snapped a new crab at the graft Union. Cage and tree were laying on their side. At least the food plots are looking good. Dumped 2" out of the gauge.

That really sucks about your trees Jon. Bummer.

Good news about the rain though. We are heading up tomorrow to check things out

 

[bueller]

Unfortunately sounds like a bear to me. Probably 10 or so years ago our neighbor filmed a bear that was hanging out by his burn barrel for the food scraps. He was there often for a couple weeks before moving on. We've never had one on camera, yet. I've talked to others who not only see them around the Mauston area but have success hunting them.

 

[badgerfowl]

That really sucks about your trees Jon. Bummer.

Good news about the rain though. We are heading up tomorrow to check things out

Yup the rain was great for the plots and apples. Haven't had to water yet this year. That little sweet 16 I got from you is over 3' now. I think it started at about 12". It's funny though, the prairie spy right next to it and a Hudson's golden gem next to that are still the same as last year. Still not sure why they aren't doing much in the way of upward growth. Pretty ticked they broke my 1st leaf Kerr crab!

 

[badgerfowl]

Unfortunately sounds like a bear to me. Probably 10 or so years ago our neighbor filmed a bear that was hanging out by his burn barrel for the food scraps. He was there often for a couple weeks before moving on. We've never had one on camera, yet. I've talked to others who not only see them around the Mauston area but have success hunting them.

The way the cages were mangled that's the way I'm leaning more and more. As long as they don't eat my camera next!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Sorry to hear about your damage. It sure sounds like bears. We have a batch of them around my camp and they seem to like playing with things. They get hold of poly tarps over our wood piles and run off thru the woods with them. I can only imagine what they think when they hear all that noise right behind them as they run !! I've found tarps as far as 100 yds. away from the piles. They push and bat plastic barrels around, mangle thin sheet metal, etc. And DESTROY apple trees !!!:mad: They are our biggest challenge as far as fruit trees go. I hope you get them on cam.

 

[badgerfowl]

Trail cam shows a couple of coons having fun with my apple trees. Thankfully no bear but coons have done enough damage.

 

[wiscwhip]

Wow! They are actually knocking over staked down cages and tearing them up?!?:eek:

 

[badgerfowl]

I'm thinking a deer was the likely culprit on running over the one cage/tree. The other one the coons were all over.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Hopefully you don't get bear damage.

 

[badgerfowl]

Welded wire, the cheap stuff.

 

[badgerfowl]

I'm just curious why they showed up this year. I've had apples for a few years now. I just hope I see one with a gun in my hand.

 

[badgerfowl]

Planted this strip of Biologic Maximum back on June 20th w/ no soil amendments. Timely rain in July has it looking ok. Hopefully its established enough now to withstand a little dry spell.



This was planted July 4th I believe. I don't remember what I put in here. Might just be DER. It's between my apple trees that I'll return to clover next year. Hoping for some weed suppression as I had some clover growing but grasses took over most of it. Will probably overseed with WR this weekend.

 

[badgerfowl]

The red clover I included in our mix last year is starting to show now.





Looks to be some browsing on the clover.