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

 

[Foggy47]

I got back from OZ on Wed nite.....and spent Thursday around home doing my honey-do list at the house. Then spent Friday and Saturday prepping my land for the Switchgrass I will plant in about two weeks.

Basically I am planting the perimeter of many of my food plots in switch....and also some of the "headlands with switch for bedding areas. Then too I am breaking up the larger plots into smaller compartments.....to provide screening and securtiy....especially in daylight hours.

I mowed some of the grasses in the power line that runs through my place. Its got some really nice brush and cover the deer like to bed in. This should provide more compartments and security. After mowing some areas.....I sprayed a mix of 2 Qt/acre Glyphosate and 1 pint of 2-4d. Now to wait two weeks and hit it again with the Gly and drill the Chippewa Switchgrass.

My land has never been this dry or barren in previous years since owning it. Very little growth....but everything is green. Even the winter rye is slow in coming around.

Here are some pics for my future reference. The first four are of the power line that I am planting switch strips....and the balance are my food plots.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I got back from OZ on Wed nite.....and spent Thursday around home doing my honey-do list at the house. Then spent Friday and Saturday prepping my land for the Switchgrass I will plant in about two weeks.

Basically I am planting the perimeter of many of my food plots in switch....and also some of the "headlands with switch for bedding areas. Then too I am breaking up the larger plots into smaller compartments.....to provide screening and securtiy....especially in daylight hours.

I mowed some of the grasses in the power line that runs through my place. Its got some really nice brush and cover the deer like to bed in. This should provide more compartments and security. After mowing some areas.....I sprayed a mix of 2 Qt/acre Glyphosate and 1 pint of 2-4d. Now to wait two weeks and hit it again with the Gly and drill the Chippewa Switchgrass.

My land has never been this dry or barren in previous years since owning it. Very little growth....but everything is green. Even the winter rye is slow in coming around.

Here are some pics for my future reference. The first four are of the power line that I am planting switch strips....and the balance are my food plots.

View attachment 77313View attachment 77314View attachment 77315View attachment 77316View attachment 77317View attachment 77318View attachment 77319View attachment 77320

We’ve had a pretty good dry stretch.

 

[omicron1792]

Done nothing but rain here. 6 inches over our average, which is pretty wet in the spring every year.

Need to plant my crops just been too wet

 

[Catscratch]

Looks dry Foggy! That no-till drill will come in handy!

 

[SD51555]

It is painfully dry up by us. It’s odd right now. There was almost no snow to melt this year. We got one inch+ rain, and that came fast enough to fill some ponds partway, but the soil is already dry. The shallow ponds infiltrated all their water. The deeper ponds seem to be holding well at the moment.

This is the first year I will run earth moving equipment in June if it endures. The first four years (2016-2019) it was hit and miss if it would dry out enough at any point in the summer to dig.


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[Foggy47]

It is painfully dry up by us. It’s odd right now. There was almost no snow to melt this year. We got one inch+ rain, and that came fast enough to fill some ponds partway, but the soil is already dry. The shallow ponds infiltrated all their water. The deeper ponds seem to be holding well at the moment.

This is the first year I will run earth moving equipment in June if it endures. The first four years (2016-209) it was hit and miss if it would dry out enough at any point in the summer to dig.


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Yep.....had a rough fall with the drought too.....and very little rye or brassica growth going into winter. Than a petty dry winter and this spring has not provided an Inch of rainfall a few weeks ago. Man....this is brutal.....tho in the lowest areas I did see some standing water when I was mowing in the power line ROW.....and got some wet tires before getting out.

Didn't see a deer and little sign or scat about my "plots". Lots of varmint holes....and pocket gopher mounds. Kinda discouraging start of the year. With all the dry conditions....it may be a good year to dig some water holes.....and wait for the change. Also could add the long overdue fill over my corduroy tamarack logs previously laid across the swamp. <----I need to get that done before I die.....and while I have a little ambition left to finish it. lol.

Looks like a good chance of some rain by Wed / Thursday........and hopefully that gets some spring growth underway. I am concerned about a dry start of the 25 plotting season tho.....these conditions have a way of persisting. Hopefully we turn the corner soon here in Northern MN.

 

[Kooch]

The topsoil was really blowing today in some spots out here in Eastern SD.


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[Bowsnbucks]

I hope you dry guys get some rain. SE Pa. - where we live - is still in a severe drought, but we're getting some rain lately. More needed to get out of drought condition. Our camp location is doing better for rain. Oats & rye up & growing.

 

[SD51555]

I tell you what Charlie, this could be one of those years a guy doesn't dare spray or disc, because nothing may come up after it. This is where mixed biennial/perennial plots really shine. They'll carry you through when the annuals can't germinate.

 

[Catscratch]

We often get hot and dry summers. Lots of triple digit days and not much rain. Deep rooted perennials and diversity are a life saver. Dormancy will still happen but if you have the stuff there it doesn't take much to wake some of it up.

 

[Foggy47]

Looks dry Foggy! That no-till drill will come in handy!

Was just thinking about this situation. Before going "no till"......I would now be disking or tilling my land and making dry "black dirt" to plant into for summer crops such as beans or corn. I'd be as dirty as a pig at the end of the day.....and just stirring up dust.....and further drying out my "soil"......as I needed to get planted before the potential rain on the way. It would be a mad dash to get it all done. So I'd make passes with tillage, dragging, planting and often dragging some more to cover seeds...then a trip with the cultipacker. Argh! Sometimes it would rain....and sometimes not. (There were even times I'd do the whole process again as the rain never occurred....and weeds took over.)

Then I'd fight weeds all summer so they would not take over my plots. And I would spread fertilizer in a effort to get a decent crop.

I cannot beleive I would do this stuff each year. Seems I was only chasing my tail as things got progressively worse. lol.

No-till and my drill have made life much easier.....and better for my land. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?