Foggy's Deertopia Proving Grounds - Happenings
- Thread starter Foggy47
- Start date
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Wind, something with the drill I noticed yesterday.
The small seed box is really mean for real small seeds. Think white clover and switchgrass size.
With all the coated clovers, and larger seeds like subterranean clover and crimson I was planting yesterday, the seed comes out much slower from sMall box. It also gets the powder in cup where I’m sure I’m grinds up some of the larger seeds. I had to start putting those in the large seed box. Don’t know if anyone else has had this issue. The hole in the small seed cup is tiny, and the seed comes out under the gear so if too large it really gums it up.
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
I likely had just enough moisture for it to germinate and then nothing for weeks. Was never soil moisture for it to survive plus just sitting on the soil surface it was subject to weeks of possible predation from birds, mice, etc. Top that off with existing oat growth that was really humming along and tough to compete with and no killing frost kill in site..
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
I think the small seed metering is very similar to the setup on my Esch. I did notice that the radish seeds were on the large side and might have slowed the rate of all the small stuff too but it worked pretty well still.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
I put the radish sized seeds in the large seed box. Clover and brassica (for the most part) go in the small seed box. No issues that I am aware of.
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
I'd like to avoid radish in the large box if possible. I like being able to set the openers to 1-1.5" so the cereals, peas, beans, etc get covered even in the low spots where openers aren't as deep. Maybe i'll have to change that line of thought if the radish don't play nice in the small box.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
You’ll figure it out my man. I usually put brassicas in large box too, and crimson clover now. Remember green cover and others put all their stuff in same bag and it does fine. I’m gonna be more selective to only put tiny seeds in small seed box.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
For those that like ragweed. Ha. Look at one on left. It’s every bit of 12 feet tall.
And here is that “spensive” sorghum I planted. It did so well. Using the imox at planting helped it jump too. I have learned as many others have said the smaller the better in lbs/acre for sorghum and millet. I used 5 this year, will drop to 3 next year. You can see the native grasses I planted doing well with it. Switch, big and little bluestem, and indiangrass. A few of the minor grasses too.
And here is that “spensive” sorghum I planted. It did so well. Using the imox at planting helped it jump too. I have learned as many others have said the smaller the better in lbs/acre for sorghum and millet. I used 5 this year, will drop to 3 next year. You can see the native grasses I planted doing well with it. Switch, big and little bluestem, and indiangrass. A few of the minor grasses too.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Something else I did this year that really worked. Was recommended by my wildlife biologist. I have a side boomless sprayer on my large 100 gallon sprayer. I sprayed 6 of imazapic, 1 quart of triclopyr, and a splash of imazapyr on the sides of most of my roads and plots. Without planting any native grass seeds my roadsides are almost pure native grasses now. It also kills seedlings and such next to roads and trails to keep them open. This next year they will fill back in with forbs, or I’ll throw some seeds this winter of ones I want, the imazapic tolerant mixes. Obviously I didn’t spray that trail in the pic above.
The splash of imazapyr was for sweetgum. As my Forrester said, you can open a bottle of arsenal next to a sweetgum and it will die. Good riddance.
The splash of imazapyr was for sweetgum. As my Forrester said, you can open a bottle of arsenal next to a sweetgum and it will die. Good riddance.
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omicron1792
5 year old buck +
I also noticed a ton of bush lespedeza around my place. I’m gonna let it go and see how it does. It’s different than sericea and not prone to taking over.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
My deer vetch/Alyce clover fields were a 10/10. I’m gonna plant all my plots in them next year. I hope I get some reseeding. I saw a ton of flowers but few of those seed pods, but I think the deer ate them. Almost every single plant was nipped at the top. Was routinely six feet tall.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Just wanted to photo document (for my own purposes in the years to come). After waiting though some long periods without rains.....we have gotten some pretty decent rainfall in the past two weeks......and my Brassica is showing lots of promise going into fall. Looks like cooler temps and more rain in the forecast......and I'm quite certain we will have good crops to hunt around.....and feed the deer going into fall / winter. Pics below are from today. Leaving for AZ for ten days in the morning.....and I bet those now established brassica crops will be better when I return.
There is little way that I could have had success this year without the drill getting those seeds into the existing clover / root system and waiting for the moisture that finally came. Drill baby drill.
There is little way that I could have had success this year without the drill getting those seeds into the existing clover / root system and waiting for the moisture that finally came. Drill baby drill.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Atta boy Foggy. Looks great
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
LOL.....I got 3 Ladder Stands out in good locations....and we have lot's of un-used hang-on stands.....and a ground blind that go unused each year. In our rifle season we generally get temps in the teens and sometimes the single digits. Nobody wants to sit in an unheated blind anymore when it gets cold. It's so comfy in those box blinds....and the chances of getting winded are so much less too. We have 9 box blinds with heat. Yeah.....we gone soft. Grin.
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Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Yeah.....I know your right. But, I remember when we would crawl into an unprotected stand an hour before sun-rise......and would tough-out some pretty cold temps and winds......and only get down to pee.....and get back in that stand. If we had a Jon-E hand warmer......we tried to keep it working through the day. We ate lunch in the stand and would hang in there all day until o-dark-thirty.......and do it again the next day......and there were few deer in those times. We didn't have no stinking cell phones to tell each other nothing. I wore all the clothes I had....and still shook like a leaf from the cold. Man.....were we stupid and hard-headed. lol.
The deer on the wall hanging in front of me as I type this.....(a nice ten-er) was killed with my sandwich hanging out of my mouth when I made the shot at just past noon.......and I was facing with my back away from the tree because the wind had changed (OMG!) Now.......we go in at 9:30 for pancakes and sausage......so we can get out to the heated blind for the noon-rush.....and then back to the deer shack for a couple hours of football.....before heading back for the evening. lol.....times have changed! (It's all good).
SD51555
5 year old buck +
Those plots looks fantastic. For all the calibrating and setting up you do on those drills, it certainly pays off.
Do you see many deer on those midday sits? I've always wondered about it, but I've never done it.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
We started using 1 pound tanks which would last for about 3 hours with our Mr Heaters. That became a hassle.....so we added a filter and 12 foot hoses or longer and added the 25 gallon LP tanks. Those work pretty good. Lately tho....I added the Nu-way gas heaters that require an exhaust......and use an LP tank. I like those in that you can keep the windows closed if you want....and you have far less condensation on the windows. Also much safer due to the exhaust.....and most of your scent is drawn thru the stove and up and out thru the exhaust vent at about 18' high. Also the Rednecks are more bug resistant and mouse proof.....etc.....etc.
We dont think many deer scent us with these Nu-Way heaters (but we don't have much of an issue with the Mr Heaters either.). I have three of the Nu-Way stoves now.....and if I replace any of our deteriorating boxes with a Redneck.....I likely will add the Nu-way stove to that stand. I wanted to replace another older stand this year....but just didn't get a round to it. The ones we use most are in pretty good shape.
