Habitat projects for the weekend?
- Thread starter SD51555
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Teeder
5 year old buck +
Spent the weekend cutting up some red maples that were dropped to release the northern reds. Not the best firewood but it feels good chucking it in the woodstove over winter. Also spent a little time fixing a tree tube that was inspected by a little stinker. The only issue I've had with tree tubes is bears getting after them once in a while.
Also, was checking out my new oak grove. The buckwheat is coming up nicely between the tubes since we finally got some rain.
Also, was checking out my new oak grove. The buckwheat is coming up nicely between the tubes since we finally got some rain.
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b116757
5 year old buck +
Ran crawler today for an hour pushing out more tree pockets growing in the native grass hay meadow probably about an hours more crawler work and I’m finished with that project. I have another small native grass hay meadow that has two tree pockets in it they will get removed also. Then I have to fix a low water crossing on the Mill Creek farm before moving the crawler to the Wolverine Creek farm latter this summer or fall then the real fun starts building new fence.
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
Interesting that bears are getting after your tree tubes Teeder. I have had bear and/or deer run over tubes from time to time but never really any deliberate vandalism that I can tell.
Nice oak planting you have there. What is the spacing between trees and rows? I plan to plant some oak seedlings soon in one of my destination plots to make it easier to plant. It is in alfalfa right now so I want to get out there this week and spray where the trees will be planted.
The buckwheat looks good. Do you plan to plant annuals there until the trees mature or are you thinking perennial clovers or something else?
Teeder
5 year old buck +
I think the bears are after the wasp nests that are in some of the tubes. The oaks are about 20x20. A little tight, but I'll probably not have to deal with any thinning in my lifetime. There's clover under the buckwheat. This area was planted in beans the last few years, so I didn't need to spray it first. This end of the field is down over a hill and out of sight from the road. I have 50 oaks, 35 apples and a handful of persimmons planted, along with 10 acres of beans or corn.
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
Very nice Teeder. I have planted probably close to 200 oaks scattered throughout the property now and I have another 100 I started from acorns about ready to go in the ground. I have also planted about 100 apples and crabapples over the years. I am running out of good, sunny locations to plant them. My entire 160 acres was fully wooded when we purchased it so I have had to open up 16 acres via timber sales. Need to have another timber harvest focusing on clear cuts here and there.
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
Are your tubes 5 footers? I made the mistake of buying 4 foot tubes and if I don't get them caged when they come out of the tops of the tubes the deer browse them right down. I think if I had used 5' tubes, I could have just slid them up the stake another foot and maybe avoided having to use cages?
Most of my oaks have been planted along the edges of food plots....
I have caged about 50 trees so far this year...
Most of my oaks have been planted along the edges of food plots....
I have caged about 50 trees so far this year...
b116757
5 year old buck +
You likely won’t profit from it but your kids will.
b116757
5 year old buck +
I
i understand completely I’m looking at trying to get my hands on some of the Purdue improved genetic walnuts myself for a little planting in the next couple years but I have to install some cross fences to exclude cattle from that area first so it’s a ways out. My oldest boy asked me this weekend about walnut farming intensively like row crops almost. I said it could be done but it would need to be a multi generational endeavor that the first generation likely doesn’t ever even benefit from. He wanted to plant x number walnuts every year with the intent that someday someone would harvest x number every year from the place. I said on a very good site 40 years minimum to harvest and up to 80 or more years on poor sites he started to see why it wasn’t a commonly done practice.
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
I just got another habitat project for this coming weekend. We had a decent storm come through last night, I have about 30 trees down that I can see in my yard, I cant even get to my deer stands, orchard, or food plots. So I guess I will be doing some TSI clean up after mother nature. Who knows what I will find after I get some of the trees from across my trails. I am about half way to my apple orchard now, and I am planning on fighting on until I get to that. As far as I can see Ol Mother Nature did a decent job hinging a lot of poplar trees, but the hinge on most is like 20 feet high, and I am pretty sure none will live. Oh well, a bunch more firewood.
b116757
5 year old buck +
That’s unfortunate I have had similar experiences with storm damage.
Derek Reese 29
5 year old buck +
Will be broadcasting clover and a few turnips at the farm tonight (if the rain holds off or isn't too bad). Also helping a friend get 2 fields of clover and turnips in tomorrow. Maybe some wood splitting/chunking in between the storms. Still doing the rain dances, just hoping one of the storms hits in the right spot!
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
I cut some trees then bushhogged a piece of pasture across the road from our hunting ground. Planning to get more turnips out there for the deer's winter diet. Hoping to spray and spread Sunday before the rain chance. Spread most my other plots Tues before the 70% of rain that didn't produce a drop. Works every time. Reminds me why I hate waiting til Aug to spread seed. Not thrilled about luring them across the road, but it's a slow and lightly traveled road and they tend to cross there anyway, pawing at grass and weeds in the winter. Goal is to keep them away from the gov't snipers.
Had an 8 acre area of Bermuda pasture. Burned in February, 5qts/acre Gly in April and again 3 weeks ago. Found an old chisel plow on FB Marketplace, spent 8 hrs ripping it up, then another 4 hours discing, followed by 1.5 hours of planting Stratton seed Heritage blend. This is a warm season blend, but I have warm season through October! Just got 1 inch rain 2 days later and some more today. Gonna head down this weekend, get aggressive with Triclopyr so I can set back some woody areas to burn soon and reclaim some early succession/bedding.
trampledbyturtles
5 year old buck +
^Is that a typo? 5qrt/A. At least I hope it is.
hunts_with_stick
5 year old buck +
Going to weed whack around the fruit trees, spray for poison ivy, have to cut a limb the broke on the tree my stand is in and is impeeding me from using it.
