Foggy's Deertopia Proving Grounds - Happenings

[Foggy47]

Foggy have you and your grandson developed or implemented a plan yet. After rereading the post I get and think it's a great plan.

Not really. After talking to him, I don't know how far I want to go with this idea. This year I got enough on my plate, so I doubt I would go after this idea this year. If I had a trenching machine.....that may be a different story. I'm getting too old to do some of the heavy lifting.....and not too interested in getting more irons in my fire.

I do like the concept. I gave my transit away.....so now it would be hard to develop a plan for the needed excavation without one of those. I suppose they rent cheap enough. I've pondered the thought about a tile or an open ditch. May inquire at the rental yard on a transit and a trencher.....but I have cooled on the idea since last fall.

 

[Newbie]

Just spent the better half of my morning reading this thread from start to finish - every post in all 24 pages. Thanks for sharing all this Foggy, it was an enjoyable read & I feel like I learned quite a bit along the way. I'm just starting some larger habitat projects at my new place & plan to attempt to replicate some of your practices here in PA. I'd imagine you're about to get busy with the spring projects soon.

 

[Catscratch]

Bummer, I was kind of interested in how you were going to drain the swamp.

 

[Foggy47]

Just spent the better half of my morning reading this thread from start to finish - every post in all 24 pages. Thanks for sharing all this Foggy, it was an enjoyable read & I feel like I learned quite a bit along the way. I'm just starting some larger habitat projects at my new place & plan to attempt to replicate some of your practices here in PA. I'd imagine you're about to get busy with the spring projects soon.

Glad you found this content to be of help Newbie. Kinda fun cataloging the developments from time to time. Seems I keep adapting to new ways of doing things. I'm usually a few years behind the current art....lol.

Yeah.....I spend the winter in AZ (I call it OZ) and don't get back to MN until early/mid May. At that time I plan to ready about 5 acres for planting switchgrass in June. Not a tremendous amount of work there.....but I will first mow the current plots to establish the area to burn down with two applications of herbicides. Then I will drill the Switchgrass in early June......and hope for rain. Also bought 32 potted Norway spruce trees that I need to plant as a screen from my building site to the swamp and deer bedding areas.

We need to get more stealthy.....and provide better security for the deer. I'm hoping the switchgrass will help the deer to move more in daylight hours. Seems to me the days are gone where you can rely on deer to go into a food plot at dawn or dusk. They just do not want to break cover until after dark these days.....unless they feel secure. <-----that takes cover. Enter the switchgrass maze.

 

[Skeeter]

I think this would be a great, inexpensive option if you could get one of your kids or grandkids to move the wood chips when the swamp is frozen. Make it wide enough to stick in cuttings on the neighbor side of the trail whatever dogwoods or willows grow in your swamps.

 

[Foggy47]

I think this would be a great, inexpensive option if you could get one of your kids or grandkids to move the wood chips when the swamp is frozen. Make it wide enough to stick in cuttings on the neighbor side of the trail whatever dogwoods or willows grow in your swamps.

Thanks for posting this video. That is very similar to the situation I have (almost looks like my swamp). Jake Blow is located about 75 miles west of my place. I have considered having him come to my place to access my land.

When I had my property logged about six years ago.....the logger chipped nearly all the slash that came from his work. I believe there was nearly 100 loads of chips that were sold to the city of Duluth for burning in their power plant. That would have been the opportunity to do what this video shows.

I may develop a plan such as this.......hmmmm....

 

[SD51555]

Thanks for posting this video. That is very similar to the situation I have (almost looks like my swamp). Jake Blow is located about 75 miles west of my place. I have considered having him come to my place to access my land.

When I had my property logged about six years ago.....the logger chipped nearly all the slash that came from his work. I believe there was nearly 100 loads of chips that were sold to the city of Duluth for burning in their power plant. That would have been the opportunity to do what this video shows.

I may develop a plan such as this.......hmmmm....

We can dig a fish pond right outside your wetland, and use the spoils from the fish pond to finish the corduroy road. I will form a logging company and bid a mulching project on the other side of the swamp so we've got a reason to build a road to go over there.

 

[Foggy47]

We can dig a fish pond right outside your wetland, and use the spoils from the fish pond to finish the corduroy road. I will form a logging company and bid a mulching project on the other side of the swamp so we've got a reason to build a road to go over there.

Yep....think big. Maybe develop a sawmill too? ....or what about a paper mill. We'd really strike it rich if their is another tp shortage. Is aspen tp soft?

 

[matinc]

My aspen are 8 years old and super soft. Cut all you want foggy