Foggy's Deertopia Proving Grounds - Happenings

[sandbur]

It was a fun day when you came to my place Art.....always enjoy your company.....and your experience. You provided some good insight into that pond placement. I think it's gonna work out pretty well. Already placed some timber to divert the deer from a current travel path and to that pond. More to do.....but I already have a start. Glad you mentioned digging that water hole in my rifle range plot. That was quick and easy. It's a natural spot for that water hole. Almost had another dug nearby....but figured that would simply give too many choices for water in the same area.

Lots to do next spring / summer at Deertopia. Getting harder to do the work myself....so gotta plan wisely and find a few good kids to help with the physical parts of this. Getting up and down is getting hard for me. My strength is a fraction of that a few years ago. A couple trips in and out of my tractor's cab....slows me down somewhat. I'm learning to pace myself. A few years back I would have thought little to planting those cuttings. Now?....not so much. Gotta keep on keeping on tho.....just picking my battles.

I am feeling the same things . I can’t plant as many, if any, apple trees. Carrying water is hard on my back if we hit a dry spell.
Hard to get off the ground when I gut a deer. Back and knees both.

At least we can tell stories, some of which are even true!

:)

 

[sandbur]

It was a fun day when you came to my place Art.....always enjoy your company.....and your experience. You provided some good insight into that pond placement. I think it's gonna work out pretty well. Already placed some timber to divert the deer from a current travel path and to that pond. More to do.....but I already have a start. Glad you mentioned digging that water hole in my rifle range plot. That was quick and easy. It's a natural spot for that water hole. Almost had another dug nearby....but figured that would simply give too many choices for water in the same area.

Lots to do next spring / summer at Deertopia. Getting harder to do the work myself....so gotta plan wisely and find a few good kids to help with the physical parts of this. Getting up and down is getting hard for me. My strength is a fraction of that a few years ago. A couple trips in and out of my tractor's cab....slows me down somewhat. I'm learning to pace myself. A few years back I would have thought little to planting those cuttings. Now?....not so much. Gotta keep on keeping on tho.....just picking my battles.

That second water hole might be a valuable option during severe drought.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Has anyone observed the stabilization of trout stream banks with bundles of willows?

Yes. I've been a member of Trout Unlimited for years, and our chapter did a lot of bank stabilization projects using various methods. Pushing willow cuttings into stream banks is fairly easy and it works. Helps hold the soil & makes places for bugs to hide - then fall into the water to feed the fish.

 

[Foggy47]

Had to get out of the house today.....and there is a good chance that if I did not get my Ranger home now....that it could become snowbound soon. I plan to be here for January.....and having the means to travel in the Ranger may provide a little variety to my stay. I drove across my new "road across the swamp" which I plan to re-name "Connie's Crossing" to honor my wife and all the effort she put into this place too. Was kinda fun actually today....just to see where the deer were traveling and check out where the deer are bedding....etc.

I do have more deer wintering on my land than ever in the past. Why?... hands-down .better food and winter cover. Gratifying.

I did see that the deer walked across the new water hole....just followed the "road" and had no less travel there than on the nearby trails. Only a few tracks using Connie's Crossing so far....and most of them are predators. Kinda what I expected.....until I add some cover. Good day for me.

 

[sandbur]

Had to get out of the house today.....and there is a good chance that if I did not get my Ranger home now....that it could become snowbound soon. I plan to be here for January.....and having the means to travel in the Ranger may provide a little variety to my stay. I drove across my new "road across the swamp" which I plan to re-name "Connies Crossing" to honor my wife. Was kinda fun actually today....just to see where the deer were traveling and check out where the deer are bedding....etc.

I do have more deer wintering on my land than ever in the past. Why?... hands-down .better food and winter cover. Gratifying.

I did see that the deer walked across the new water hole....just followed the "road" and had no less travel there than on the nearby trails. Only a few tracks using Connies Crossing so far....and most of them are predators. Kinda what I expected.....until I add some cover. Good day for me.View attachment 87049

Looks good. I hope I am around in ten years to see what it looks like.

I would pant a spruce or two on each side of the road and at the edge of the popples.

I might be able to provide a couple.

 

[Foggy47]

Looks good. I hope I am around in ten years to see what it looks like.

I would pant a spruce or two on each side of the road and at the edge of the popples.

I might be able to provide a couple.

Looks good. I hope I am around in ten years to see what it looks like.

I would pant a spruce or two on each side of the road and at the edge of the popples.

I might be able to provide a couple.

I got a few here too art.....I just may put together a "land tour" of Deertopia in late May or very early June.....and show what me and my Mrs got done over the past 15 years or so. This place sure has been a labor of love......and I need an event to make that tribute of "Connies Crossing" a real thing. Gonna work on this. Will do it...and invite y'all to a fun day at Deertopia.

 

[Bill]

love it. But it looks way colder than AZ. :). Also get it.

 

[Foggy47]

love it. But it looks way colder than AZ. :). Also get it.

Why the planned event will be in May or early June. grin. <----my momma din't raise no fool.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I’ll make it up if I can Foggy. May and early June is typically tree planting, food plot prep, screen planting season for me and I struggle to get things done but if o have a free day, I’m in!

 

[Foggy47]

So last year I learned allot about switch. And one thing I learned was that it is hard for a first year grower to determine what is switch and what is not. When I plant, I've always relied on putting a small amount of seed in a paper towel, placing in a plastic bag and checking for germination after a few days / weeks. This was not a great result with my switch. I kept asking people if this was switch?....this??....how about this??? Almost none was. This is my first rodeo with switch.....and I was dumfounded. Almost a non-event after 3 months????? Was very concerned and disappointed going into late summer. Figured I had done everything according to the best practices (which can be quite confusing.....mind you). Anyway....this spring I decided to go another direction and get a bit more scientific. I took some planting cells, and some small vials for seeds I found on Facebook. I put 5 seeds of each variety I may plant this spring / summer into each cell (for a total of 30 seeds) in order to see what these young sprouts look like and in order to get some germ rates on these seeds. Here is a pic of my "laboratory" and what I am doing. The little vials serve to show my family members (for some show and tell - so that they learn some things).....and the seedlings are in a warm window in my home at 72 degrees. I will water ever few days. No more "by guess and by golly" for this guy. And if you put 70% germination on your label....then you best be willing to back it up. Grin. Seriously.....this may be good advice for newbies to switch. This chit is confusing. (thank me later). That spoon, marker and some ID tags and the vials help allot.

I took the pic before covering some of the bigger seeds to show you what I got going here. Nice information to have when you're planting....especially some finicky stuff and things that are new to me. Hard to ID some of these things when they sprout.

 

[Bill]

So last year I learned allot about switch. And one thing I learned was that it is hard for a first year grower to determine what is switch and what is not. When I plant, I've always relied on putting a small amount of seed in a paper towel, placing in a plastic bag and checking for germination after a few days / weeks. This was not a great result with my switch. I kept asking people if this was switch?....this??....how about this??? Almost none was. This is my first rodeo with switch.....and I was dumfounded. Almost a non-event after 3 months????? Was very concerned and disappointed going into late summer. Figured I had done everything according to the best practices (which can be quite confusing.....mind you). Anyway....this spring I decided to go another direction and get a bit more scientific. I took some planting cells, and some small vials for seeds I found on Facebook. I put 5 seeds of each variety I may plant this spring / summer into each cell (for a total of 30 seeds) in order to see what these young sprouts look like and in order to get some germ rates on these seeds. Here is a pic of my "laboratory" and what I am doing. The little vials serve to show my family members (for some show and tell - so that they learn some things).....and the seedlings are in a warm window in my home at 72 degrees. I will water ever few days. No more "by guess and by golly" for this guy. And if you put 70% germination on your label....then you best be willing to back it up. Grin. Seriously.....this may be good advice for newbies to switch. This chit is confusing. (thank me later). That spoon, marker and some ID tags and the vials help allot.

I took the pic before covering some of the bigger seeds to show you what I got going here. Nice information to have when you're planting....especially some finicky stuff and things that are new to me. Hard to ID some of these things when they sprout.

View attachment 92006

That's a god idea!

 

[Foggy47]

That's a god idea!

Thanks bill. I suppose I got an hours time in getting these seeds into this plan. I bought a bag of garden soil for $3. and the rest on Amazon for a few bucks more. At least I can get some reasonable expectations on new crops. The old stuff is pretty apparent....but I still like to see the germination in a rag doll test on most things I plant. Keeps my expectations in check.

I cannot say I have had any negative results until last year when I planted switchgrass. That stuff is hard to figure out. Maybe this will help me sort it out?

 

[Turkey Creek]

Its a great idea. We do that a lot with prairie restoration projects, the landowners always appreciate it especially if they have youngsters at home. Can be even more challenging when you start looking at some of the diverse seed mixes that have a lot of forbs in them. I can't always get them right. Take pictures as they germinate and label them in your phone, new pictures every 1-2 weeks, some things rapidly change appearance as they grow. Always nice to be able to turn back the clock so to speak when looking at stuff the following year and you get a new flush of germination.