Foggy's Deertopia Proving Grounds - Happenings

[Foggy47]

My wife would be asking a lot of questions if a $2500 charge at Pleasureland shows up on my credit card.

I read that some varieties of switchgrass need cold stratification, which may be why the first year tends to suck and the second year looks much better. I'm not sure if that applies to your specific variety, but I know the switchgrass I planted in my CRP blend showed up strong in year 2.

Did you plant anything else with the switchgrass?

Nope, only the switch. Thought about some other things....but figured I did not want it to compete with a second crop.

 

[Foggy47]

Have to disagree with you on the improved varieties Omi. After planting both cave in rock and RC Bigrock, I'd pay triple for the RC (glad they don't charge triple).

You echo what I have read Brian. The price for this seed is not "cheap" by any stretch. Plus the chemical burn down is not cheap either. I dunno.....kinda disgusted right now.

 

[omicron1792]

Planted into an old corn field, stubble was burned off.
View attachment 79456
View attachment 79457

You’re gonna send him over the edge!!!

 

[omicron1792]

Have to disagree with you on the improved varieties Omi. After planting both cave in rock and RC Bigrock, I'd pay triple for the RC (glad they don't charge triple).

Good to know. I haven’t planted those. I did do an improved variety but one developed at Miss state tolerant of imazapic.

 

[goatman]

Foggy I wouldn't get to worried yet. I would give it the month of July yet. And was mentioned even next year. And as it was mentioned even the thatch could be keeping the ground from warming enough yet. Relax you deserve it. The seed is there and will wait unlike other seed we plant.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Your right about being relatively flat ground for me here. But some guys will build these stands on some fairly steep ground. When doing so....it's better to construct on site. I have a pretty level spot where this one will go....and it will sit atop a fairly large hill and look over a few acres of bedding cover and travel corridors. I prepped the land this spring and can transport the stand though a series of trails and food plots to it's final spot over 1/2 mile away. May do that in the next week or two.....as time permits.

I was thinking about placing this stand in a different location for a bear hunt this fall.....and then moving it again after the bear hunt. But, I have another portable box blind I will use for that set-up and just may leave it located at the bait site for future deer and bear hunting. Dunno....still thinking on that situation. I normally move one or two stands each year with my tractor / loader forks....as we learn better locations or the set up changes somewhat. Other blinds seem more permanent.

I now have 8 box blinds we hunt out of .....and two old ones that are kinda portable like this....but are too run down to hunt from. I place these on my property lines in order to deter the neighbors from hunting on their side of the fence in that same location. We call them our "decoy" blinds". I have not even entered them in a few years.....but my neighbors don't know that.

Funny you mentioned "decoy" blinds. We built one after a thorough logging that bordered a mountain road. We even put an orange-clad dummy "hunter" in it so road-hunters would think a guy was right there - deterring any thoughts of taking a shot from vehicles. It worked too!!! A member of a neighboring camp further across our mountain stopped in after the season and said, "Boy, that guy who was always in that tree stand near the road is a patient, hard-ass hunter. He was always in it when we drove by."