Catscratch House and Habitat build

[T-Max]

Kansas has 2 land turtles. Our place is on the very west edge of the brown one (3 toed turtle). As far as I can tell nobody around here even knows the 3 toe exists. I take it as a compliment to habitat management that they show up here once in a while.
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That is so cool! We must not have them this far North. Looks like they are mainly in the Southern counties. Never even knew that existed!


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[T-Max]

I call it "the frog pond". It's dry a lot of the yr but when spring rains top it off it instantly fills with frogs. They croak, scream, screech, and make all sorts of cool sounds. The wife leaves the windows open in the evenings to listen to them. I love hearing them and am amazed at how quickly they find the water.
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I love hearing that in the evenings. Our neighbor has a series of terraces in a pasture that was previously farmed across the road from the house. They fill maybe twice a year and the frogs are instant! I always wonder how their lifecycle looks.


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[Catscratch]

I love hearing that in the evenings. Our neighbor has a series of terraces in a pasture that was previously farmed across the road from the house. They fill maybe twice a year and the frogs are instant! I always wonder how their lifecycle looks.


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My dad has terraces in his front pasture. 30yrs ago I made a bunch of damns across them. Frogs, Redwing blackbirds, turtles, etc all over them. The frogs get almost deafening! And the teal... if you like teal those terrace ponds are great!

 

[Turkey Creek]

I call it "the frog pond". It's dry a lot of the yr but when spring rains top it off it instantly fills with frogs. They croak, scream, screech, and make all sorts of cool sounds. The wife leaves the windows open in the evenings to listen to them. I love hearing them and am amazed at how quickly they find the water.
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It is SUPER loud at our place right now as well. Amazes me just how loud frogs can be. Science question .... why are they so loud? Seems to me that when your mating partner is probably only a few yards away that your sound carrying 100s of yards isn't really biologically necessary? Maybe frogs have poor hearing..LOL

 

[Catscratch]

It is SUPER loud at our place right now as well. Amazes me just how loud frogs can be. Science question .... why are they so loud? Seems to me that when your mating partner is probably only a few yards away that your sound carrying 100s of yards isn't really biologically necessary? Maybe frogs have poor hearing..LOL

I suspect they're the same as human teenagers. They tend to be overly loud and obnoxious around females too.

 

[Catscratch]

What a day! Got up yesterday and ran 6. Then watched one of the healthiest cats I've ever seen hunt through my orchard and yard. Then had my Track teams get 1st and 3rd at League. Then got home to see the northern lights for the first time in my life. Great day!!!

 

[Catscratch]

Did a little exploring in the orchard. Lots of crabs, apples, and che. Only a few pears. I think a late freeze got them.



And of course a couple of pics of this magnificent beast. She loves to watch me run the pasture. Sometime if she's feeling upitty she buck and kick while running next me. A little unnerving when she does that to be honest, but it's just her playful side. Come to think of it most females are a little unnerving when they're feeling playful.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Seems like a lot of people ares saying its is going to be a heavy apple production year.

 

[Catscratch]

Seems like a lot of people ares saying its is going to be a heavy apple production year.

It'd be nice. I've got one apple tree that only produces evey second yr that has more on it than it's ever had. Best tasting apple ever. Hope it does well!

I have a couple open spots in the orchard, trees that didn’t make it. Probably need to find some replacements one of these days...

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

You probably run some pretty fast times when that horned beast runs next to you. Is that some type of texas longhorn?

Do you ever have any issues with the cattle with large horns injuring other cattle?

 

[Catscratch]

She is a Watusi (African breed).

Horned cows can be bullies at the feed trough. These two haven't been a problem and I hope they stay that way, but they certainly can be an issue.

 

[Catscratch]

Another great weekend.
Turkeys down and Regional Champs for the team!

 

[Catscratch]

A couple of fun ones so far. Love to watch them develop.

 

[Turkey Creek]

A couple of fun ones so far. Love to watch them develop.
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Those are both from this spring already? If so that last one has serious potential!!

 

[Catscratch]

Those are both from this spring already? If so that last one has serious potential!!

Yes, from the last week or so. They've really been growing fast lately. Velvet pics sure make a deer look big. I hope your right about the bottom one, but it wouldn't surprise me if he just turned into a normal 10pt.

 

[T-Max]

Yes, from the last week or so. They've really been growing fast lately. Velvet pics sure make a deer look big. I hope your right about the bottom one, but it wouldn't surprise me if he just turned into a normal 10pt.

I dunno man. I haven't gotten a great pic yet, but even my best bucks are barely past the brow split by now. He is pretty far along with a lot of growing season left. Looks like he is shaping up quite nice!

 

[Turkey Creek]

I don't want to increase unwanted attention in your neighborhood, but that buck is just as big as any of my neighbor down the roads pen raised bucks currently. He may be an early bloomer and then stall out quick in terms of growth, but he rivals any big bucks I know of this Spring for as far along as he is.

 

[Catscratch]

I dunno man. I haven't gotten a great pic yet, but even my best bucks are barely past the brow split by now. He is pretty far along with a lot of growing season left. Looks like he is shaping up quite nice!

You live a couple hours north of me, everything happens later for you; mushrooms, tree blooms, green-up, etc. I'm guessing 2 weeks and you'll be posting pics of monsters! Kind of cool that you're comparing them to high fence bucks though! I'll have to see if I can get pics of the buck that won't go in front of the cameras. I see him often but never on camera. I'd say he's farther along than these two.

 

[T-Max]

You live a couple hours north of me, everything happens later for you; mushrooms, tree blooms, green-up, etc. I'm guessing 2 weeks and you'll be posting pics of monsters! Kind of cool that you're comparing them to high fence bucks though! I'll have to see if I can get pics of the buck that won't go in front of the cameras. I see him often but never on camera. I'd say he's farther along than these two.

I often wonder of the two biggest bucks I had on camera this year one shed on January 1st and the other was shed by January 21st. Do they start growing right then? I haven't seen anything close to what I would expect if that were the case. I don't know exactly how that works.

 

[Catscratch]

I often wonder of the two biggest bucks I had on camera this year one shed on January 1st and the other was shed by January 21st. Do they start growing right then? I haven't seen anything close to what I would expect if that were the case. I don't know exactly how that works.

I don't know either, but I've watched our bucks enough to think that he just doesn't have the frame to be a monster. I could see him being a 15 inch 10-11 point with 8-10 inch tines.
I think deer are a lot like people in growth patterns. I've known plenty of kids who were shaving a full beard in 8th grade, but didn't grow any after that. While their best friend didn't need to shave until 19 and had a 6 inch growth spurt their sophomore yr. I hope I'm wrong about him though!