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.
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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."

 

[Foggy47]

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

Yeah!......don't piss me off.....I ain't pretty when I'm mad. (grin)

 

[matinc]

Foggy when your mad it's time to duck. Always wish you the very best.

 

[Bill]

I had a decoy blind out in a field to deter road hunters. A man would feel stupid hunting it. My brother sat in it just for an observation stand. Turned out it was actually in a good spot.

 

[Foggy47]

I've not had such poor food plots as I am facing this spring.....despite the incredible weather we had in June. Fantastic rainfalls. So far, I got nothing to show for my efforts to establish the R.C. switchgrass. Still holding out hope for something to appear....but so far it seems like a bust.

Today I mowed all of my rye / clover plots to get the weeds under control.....and terminate the rye. The clover that is there is pretty sparse to non-existent in many places. Not sure what I will do with these plots.....hoping some of the clover will flourish again. May spray some areas......and may nuke other areas to try to get brassica plots ready.

Seems I am snake bit this year. Got my trail camera set up on Sunday.....and getting pics of multiple bears and coons......as well as a fair inventory of deer. The cover is great this year......and natural food is abundant....but my plots really suck.

Figured I better post some flail mower porn pics for SD. The flail worked nicely to take down the weeds and rye. Mowing seemed a better choice than roller crimping this year due to the excessive weeds. With all the deer flies and ticks....that cab and AC were sure great.

.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Could you drill some other type of food plot seed into all of your areas, including the switchgrass areas? My switchgrass from my CRP blend was planted with a mix of other grasses, clovers and an oat nurse crop. Eventually the switchgrass and a couple other grass types took over, but in the meantime the clover and oats fed the critters. I don't think the temporary competition from brassicas would hurt your switchgrass

Maybe you could drill in some brassicas or something similar so at least you have some food growing there this year and maybe you could frost seed some switchgrass in March in those same areas. I don't know the answer for the switchgrass issue, but you still have a lot of time left in the growing season to have an attractive food plot at least.

 

[matinc]

Foggy you have some awesome equipment for sure. I guess my plan to leave the rye standing till mid August seems best and broadcast SD's custom blend with tritacle, crimp and hope for rain seems like the best bet now.

 

[PatinPA]

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."

That's a good idea. I might try that this year.

 

[Foggy47]

Could you drill some other type of food plot seed into all of your areas, including the switchgrass areas? My switchgrass from my CRP blend was planted with a mix of other grasses, clovers and an oat nurse crop. Eventually the switchgrass and a couple other grass types took over, but in the meantime the clover and oats fed the critters. I don't think the temporary competition from brassicas would hurt your switchgrass

Maybe you could drill in some brassicas or something similar so at least you have some food growing there this year and maybe you could frost seed some switchgrass in March in those same areas. I don't know the answer for the switchgrass issue, but you still have a lot of time left in the growing season to have an attractive food plot at least.

I dunno Ben. But I do not think that the Switch competes very well when new.....and I got too much time and effort....and really have depended on this switch to help my situation. I have considered what you say....and may try a small area just to learn......but I think I will refrain from planting any other crops with the switch. Kinda holding out hope for some success yet. Everyone tells me to not worry.......but I see so many success stories......just not me. (whine).

I did buy a 50 lb bag of a "bit buck brassica mix" from Welters today. Pretty good price on this blend of four brassica seeds (PTT / DER/ GHR / Peja Forage Brassica). $140. including the shipping. I figure it's a two year supply of brassica. I gotta get rid of the weeds and get some food in my plots. Likely allot of clover again in fall.....when I plant rye. If I do not see switch by late July....then I may seed the brassica into these acres.

 

[Foggy47]

Foggy you have some awesome equipment for sure. I guess my plan to leave the rye standing till mid August seems best and broadcast SD's custom blend with tritacle, crimp and hope for rain seems like the best bet now.

Yeah....I do have some good 'chinery.....and not sure I could do this work without the right tools anymore.

In other years I did not have such a heavy "outbreak" of weeds that I have this year.....and I had better clover under my rye. I think the dry spring got the weeds growing instead of my rye and clover.....as it has done in other years. I needed to get those weeds under control...thus the early flail mowing instead of crimping in late July / August as I have done in other years. I do not want those weeds to get seeds to establish. Now I am considering herbicides to pull these plots through. Gotta wait just a bit and then see.

I think you gotta remain a bit flexible and go with what is dealt to you. I am considering some Imox on some the the clover that looks fairly good yet.....but much of last years clover is toast this year. Never had my clover fail me in the past to the extent it did this year......still I did pull some clover back from a similar situation last season by doing just what I am doing here (tho this is gonna be a larger scale): Mow to control the broadleaves and spray Imox to kill weeds and allow the clover to come back. That is my current hope. Plus....I am going to drill more brassica into former clover ground.

Clover has liked to flourish on my ground in the past......but we had a drought in fall....and in spring.....and the clover I planted last fall just failed entirely this Spring. Even my rye was very weak in fall (drought)....and this year it took until June to get a fair crop of cereal Rye to establish itself....unlike any other year. I'm a bit baffled by the results from last years efforts. Chit happens. Bob and weave....and past experience may get you somewhere? .....or not.

Not sure I would make a good farmer. I suppose I am more of a machinery junkie than an agronomist.....but I am learning.

 

[SD51555]

Love me some flailing pics.

What kind of weeds came up this year?

 

[Foggy47]

Love me some flailing pics.

What kind of weeds came up this year?

You name it. I got 'em. From thistles to mouse ear ....and everything in between. Seriously weedy spring for me......and I do not fully understand it. I suppose the drought is the culprit....both last fall and this spring. But I have a hard time understanding why my Rye and clover did not pull me through to "crowd out" the weeds I have this year.....as they always have in the past.

I put allot of seed in the ground last fall....and it really failed me big time this spring. Baffled.


Edit: I am not only baffled by my clover and rye plots....but the extreme effort I put into establishing switchgrass this year is baffling too. Seems everything I do is counter to normal results this year. Snake bit...is all I can think of. Every year is different.....and maybe this will turn around too. I am not a very patient guy. lol.

 

[Brian662]

No shame in doing an early July reset with gly and 2 4D Foggy. Two weeks later drill the brassicas in and you'll be golden.

I know you're stressing about the switchgrass but I think you need to give it another few weeks. The first time I planted switchgrass I frost seeded into ag beans and panicked when I didn't see anything by June, so I drilled another 8 lbs/acre in the ground. About a week after drilling the frost seeded stuff came on and flourished so I had about 18#/acre down at this point. Lesson learned and money wasted. That was Cave in Rock variety, fwiw.

 

[SD51555]

If I remember right, I think by me it rained twice between August and winter, once the day I planted, and one more time in mid October.

Those spots you had forestry mulched a number of years back, did they have a good period since? I gotta think there was a year or two when them chips did some good?


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[Foggy47]

If I remember right, I think by me it rained twice between August and winter, once the day I planted, and one more time in mid October.

Those spots you had forestry mulched a number of years back, did they have a good period since? I gotta think there was a year or two when them chips did some good?


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Yeah....I had some pretty good years out of those areas. Seems not as good now as then. I have not done a soil test in a few years now.....and I suspect the tests would not be quite what they were. Hard to keep a handle on some of these issues. Some of it becomes more "feel" than science. I feel somewhat in tune with what is happening....but cannot control Mother Nature....and she throws plenty of curve-balls. Still....weeds confound me.