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5 year old buck +
I have checked 5 or 6 road killed Canada geese and found a band on one of them.
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I have checked 5 or 6 road killed Canada geese and found a band on one of them.
j-bird
Moderator
I work in an industrial park where the geese are pretty fearless. I have checked a few and I think 2 have been banded. Both where banded locally.... Many of the geese out there have bands...roughly 25% or so. Bad thing is they know they are safe and getting them to fly outside there "safe zone" is nearly impossible!
j-bird
Moderator
So...with the long weekend I tried to make the most of the opportunity. With scattered rain in the forecast all 3 days....it was get while the getting was good!
Priority #1 was my annual food plots planting. I ran down to the local coop and got a bag of year old RR seed for $15. I was pretty pleased about that. I had 3 plots to plant and was struggling with a means of how I was going to split the seed up evenly. I used a funnel and some 2 liter pop bottles....and to my surprise 1 2 liter bottle filled my hand broadcaster up nicely. It was real easy to even split up the seed and was easy to work with, but took a little up front work.
From a planting perspective the ground was still a little wet with some areas still having standing water. But I had to get this done because the next 2 weekends where not a reality.
I had mowed the weeds off and tilled everything under. Broadcast the seed and then simply pack with the tractor tires.... This ensures good seed to soil contact and should limit what the birds take off with.
I was also dressed for comfort....I know in another thread someone asked about what sort of boot we all use for habitat work. Flips flops!
I was eventually chased back home by a rain cell....but we took the opportunity and went and visited the folks!
Priority #1 was my annual food plots planting. I ran down to the local coop and got a bag of year old RR seed for $15. I was pretty pleased about that. I had 3 plots to plant and was struggling with a means of how I was going to split the seed up evenly. I used a funnel and some 2 liter pop bottles....and to my surprise 1 2 liter bottle filled my hand broadcaster up nicely. It was real easy to even split up the seed and was easy to work with, but took a little up front work.
From a planting perspective the ground was still a little wet with some areas still having standing water. But I had to get this done because the next 2 weekends where not a reality.
I had mowed the weeds off and tilled everything under. Broadcast the seed and then simply pack with the tractor tires.... This ensures good seed to soil contact and should limit what the birds take off with.
I was also dressed for comfort....I know in another thread someone asked about what sort of boot we all use for habitat work. Flips flops!
I was eventually chased back home by a rain cell....but we took the opportunity and went and visited the folks!
j-bird
Moderator
So other things that I got done/noticed over the weekend.... Some good, some not so good...
The not so good.... This WAS my best chestnut tree (got nuts last year). As you can tell it looks D-E-A-D....I cut it back and there was some green to it still, but it looks pretty bleak. The other 2 right next to it are fine. I have no idea what caused this.
Same thing for one of my 2 grafted female persimmons. One is fine....the other ....well, it's another salvage project. Once again I cut it back until I found signs of life....which was nearly all the way back to the grafted joint.
We will see what comes of this glimmer of hope....but again, it doesn't look good.
Crab apples look good.... These are my TC trees from just a year or two ago....all alive and thriving....the best ones are as tall as their 5 foot cages and some have apples starting.
My other apples are going to be spotty again this year. I have one or two that will produce out of the 5 total....
The not so good.... This WAS my best chestnut tree (got nuts last year). As you can tell it looks D-E-A-D....I cut it back and there was some green to it still, but it looks pretty bleak. The other 2 right next to it are fine. I have no idea what caused this.
Same thing for one of my 2 grafted female persimmons. One is fine....the other ....well, it's another salvage project. Once again I cut it back until I found signs of life....which was nearly all the way back to the grafted joint.
We will see what comes of this glimmer of hope....but again, it doesn't look good.
Crab apples look good.... These are my TC trees from just a year or two ago....all alive and thriving....the best ones are as tall as their 5 foot cages and some have apples starting.
My other apples are going to be spotty again this year. I have one or two that will produce out of the 5 total....
j-bird
Moderator
Some other good news....found another turkey nest.
Got some more shrubs and trees planted as well....we will see what happens. The flags mark the shrubs and I seem to have roughly 80% success thus far. I mowed the rows to help give them some light. Had some left over acorns so I tossed them out as well....not sure they will do anything, but who knows.
Also got some cams out - set one up on this little plot up in the woods - there is a water hole just left of the image.
Got some more shrubs and trees planted as well....we will see what happens. The flags mark the shrubs and I seem to have roughly 80% success thus far. I mowed the rows to help give them some light. Had some left over acorns so I tossed them out as well....not sure they will do anything, but who knows.
Also got some cams out - set one up on this little plot up in the woods - there is a water hole just left of the image.
j-bird
Moderator
I'm typically a big fan of corn, but I have/had a rapidly closing window and went with the beans. They just tolerate more adversity vs corn. We got more rain moving in right now (I hear the thunder outside)....I saw a farmer with a planter chasing another tractor with a soil conditioner.....trying to get as much done and in the ground before the rain hits!
Bill
Administrator
You might end up liking beans better. I’d rather have brown beans in December over standing corn. Just a personal preference.
ghilliehunter
5 year old buck +
Looks great Jbird, love the turkey nest.
Rit
5 year old buck +
I am a sandals guy myself. I had high hopes of planting spring cover crops but it’s been so wet I’m not sure I’ll be planting anything until Fall.
j-bird
Moderator
Corn is king here because of the cover aspect...it's just a lot of $$ and work for corn and it's a lot less forgiving. I had a bean plot shine last year...after season closed. I have some pics of I think 11 different deer in the night time pic taken in a 1/4 acre plot. The beans will do fine...corn is just better for my hunting season.
j-bird
Moderator
I have never planted spring cover crops. I figure if I'm gonna plant something it's gonna feed the critters. The beans or corn I plant are not to feed them in the summer. I have 100's of acres of those crops around me. My plots are for feeding the deer once those other fields have been harvested... I'll add a splash of green into them when the time comes as well.
j-bird
Moderator
Needed a break....
nope..... the palmetto state! Scheduling a fishing outing tomorrow!!!
Bill
Administrator
Good luck!
j-bird
Moderator
I was walking the beach last night and ran into a fellow habitat nut... Fella's name was Buddy, he was from Georgia (I had to focus on what he was saying as his accent was a bit heavy). He was telling me that he manages some large properties in Georgia and mostly restores trout streams there. 2 of the places he manages had produced state record Rainbow and Brook trout. He was fishing the surf and we talked for at least an hour about all sort of different critter hunting and fishing....
Also talked to a guy at the marina who had come in with 2 fish (a king mackerel and a flounder) - we talked while he cleaned his fish. Learned a few things then as well. Got a lesson on the difference between a king and a spanish mackerel and why they cut the eyes out of the fish heads when they discard them into the water (makes the heads sink).
Glad to see folks who appreciate the outdoors and treat others with the same passion like a lost pal.
Also talked to a guy at the marina who had come in with 2 fish (a king mackerel and a flounder) - we talked while he cleaned his fish. Learned a few things then as well. Got a lesson on the difference between a king and a spanish mackerel and why they cut the eyes out of the fish heads when they discard them into the water (makes the heads sink).
Glad to see folks who appreciate the outdoors and treat others with the same passion like a lost pal.
j-bird
Moderator
No Buddy didn't catch anything...and our charter isn't until tomorrow afternoon.
