Land Tour at Foggy's Place

[foggy]

I have to say Foggy, that is one sweet trail system! But if build anyone more trails, you may get an intervention!;)

Every foot of those trails had to have the wood picked up. Trees cut and stacked. Nuked with round-up. Stumps ground away. Dirt leveled. Disked. More sticks and rocks picked up. Tilled. Lime Applied. Planted, Mowed 2x / year. Repeat.

I've got lots of "secondary" trails I didnt take you guys on. Those trails get bush-hoged either every other year or every third year. The deer use em.....and they are good for stalking....but not for vehicular travel.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Every foot of those trails had to have the wood picked up. Trees cut and stacked. Nuked with round-up. Stumps ground away. Dirt leveled. Disked. More sticks and rocks picked up. Tilled. Lime Applied. Planted, Mowed 2x / year. Repeat.

As I said.....Intervention!:eek:

Just kidding Fog, wish I had your energy to do all that!

 

[Jim Timber]

What else were you gonna do with your retirement? Golf? :p

 

[Riggsgwp->]

This swamp situation has got me thinking. Would there be a possibility of getting cattails to grow there? I hate cattails but if they took off there it would be a quick way to dry out that wetland and provide cover for deer crossing. Just thinking out loud.

 

[Jim Timber]

You don't want cattails! They're protected. Once you have them, you can't get rid of them unless it's blocking your shore access to open water.

SSS if you do.

 

[Riggsgwp->]

It seems he's got a tough situation with that spot, anything growing there protected or not would be better than what it is.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

My take on your land Foggy is this, the guys said your camp was able to kill 3 nice bucks off of 120 acres in MN,.......in one year......did I mention your in MN? With that success, means you have already done a lot of things right. We could tell you to start doing this or that project, but you may not have anymore success than what you already have had!

But if you do want to do want to do a few things, expand some of the nice plots you have and try some corn and beans, and do those right with all the proper fertilizer so you get tonnage. Then inner seed some Brassicas during the summer for even more tonnage.

Move some stands off of your food plots if possible, if not, no big deal, but I think moving stands a little would help improve some of your hunts.

You have deer moving on and off your farm, and deer randomly moving about your farm, and the random movement is the same problem most of us have. For me the tornado effect of hinge cutting the piss out of some good areas you already have in and close to the center of your property would increase the holding capacity of deer and keep them away from all the deer stands your neighbors have surrounding your land. That coupled with the expansion of some Corn/Bean Plots, may bring you some hunting improvement!

Just my take on a sweet property! And once again thanks for letting us on your land!

 

[biglakeba$$]

Sure wish I could have made it today. Sounds like a lot of great discussion and a lot of fun.

I am more than happy and willing to do a tour this spring up at our place if anyone wants to see some of the hill terrain of SE OTC.

Heck, maybe I will gather up 10 chainsaws and put all you guys to work hinge butting. :)

In all seriousness, the topic I fired up on our property was great disccusion and having people see it first hand would really add to the thought process.

Changing my my sanctuary, which leads to changing up the stand placements is one topic I would love to ponder with others on site.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Sure wish I could have made it today. Sounds like a lot of great discussion and a lot of fun.

I am more than happy and willing to do a tour this spring up at our place if anyone wants to see some of the hill terrain of SE OTC.

Heck, maybe I will gather up 10 chainsaws and put all you guys to work hinge butting. :)

In all seriousness, the topic I fired up on our property was great disccusion and having people see it first hand would really add to the thought process.

Changing my my sanctuary, which leads to changing up the stand placements is one topic I would love to ponder with others on site.

We were looking for you Mark, would have been fun to see you again!

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Sounds like you guys had a great meeting. Sitting in my office all weekend....jealous as H*LL!! That pic of the sedge meadow with those two good looking fellas walking across, how wet is it? In the spring, summer, fall? Can you walk or drive an ATV on it during Aug?

Foggy said he has been able to drive a wheeler across up til about 2 years ago, then it has gotten to wet.

 

[biglakeba$$]

I was forced to smoke a turkey for a crew of people and watch the Vikes..... We have had it planned for a couple months and I would have been castrated had I changed plans.

I wasnt too disappointed in the fact that if I had gone up, I would have had to wear tights and be a part of the International League of Justice(AKA MDDI).

 

[MoBuckChaser]

I was forced to smoke a turkey for a crew of people and watch the Vikes..... We have had it planned for a couple months and I would have been castrated had I changed plans.

I wasnt too disappointed in the fact that if I had gone up, I would have had to wear tights and be a part of the International League of Justice.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

 

[MoBuckChaser]

One of things I brought up was PGR's or "Plant Growth Regulators". We sell them mainly to people that do not like to mow there lawn as much as others. But can be used to retard the growth of trees and brush. One application would be to keep keep the growth of trees and brush in a designated bedding area to a minimum, enhancing, or sustaining a said area for a longer period of time. Here is a good article to read up on the use of PGR's!

http://www.lawn-care-academy.com/plant-growth-regulators.html

 

[sandbur]

Sounds like you guys had a great meeting. Sitting in my office all weekend....jealous as H*LL!! That pic of the sedge meadow with those two good looking fellas walking across, how wet is it? In the spring, summer, fall? Can you walk or drive an ATV on it during Aug?

Do you need glasses or do you have something planned after the fictitous compliment?

Cun't spill "fact tit us."

 

[sandbur]

I don't know about cat tails drying a place out, but willows and tamaracks seem to do so if you can get them started.

 

[sandbur]

You guys need to listen to old MBC. Stop talking permits, stop talking to anyone about what you want to do, and just do it!

Or you can start farming, fill out a 1026 form at the FSA office which allows you to do anything you want in life, and then build your road across that little spot!.......just sayin!:D

Tell me more about the 1026 form. I all ready have a farm and a vote on the SWCD. My wife is the farmer on our taxes.

 

[sandbur]

Sure wish I could have made it today. Sounds like a lot of great discussion and a lot of fun.

I am more than happy and willing to do a tour this spring up at our place if anyone wants to see some of the hill terrain of SE OTC.

Heck, maybe I will gather up 10 chainsaws and put all you guys to work hinge butting. :)

In all seriousness, the topic I fired up on our property was great disccusion and having people see it first hand would really add to the thought process.

Changing my my sanctuary, which leads to changing up the stand placements is one topic I would love to ponder with others on site.

I would look forward to touring your Ottertail land and some of the land from the rest of you guys up there.

 

[wiscwhip]

Looks like everyone had a good time and returned home safely. Sounds like some good discussion and some suggestions that foggy can work with. Wish I could have made it up there, but it's 3 to 3.5 hours just to get up that way. One thought on the cattails, as stated earlier, DO NOT encourage them or do anything to promote them in any way. If you think you have issues getting permits to do work in there now, if you have any cattails whatsoever, you will not likely be getting permission to do anything in that area that will harm them or retard their growth in any way. They are considered to be an environmental indicator species. They are also considered invasive in large monocultures. They could quite likely take over that whole marshland area. I have included a link to a university study on cattail dominance in wetlands for anyone interested in that scholarly type of stuff. It isn't a bad read and has some good info if you just skim it for the "high points" and don't put too much emphasis on all the "technical jargon". Thanks to everyone(especially foggy) for posting pics and sharing their input, everyone can learn from these types of discussions, even if your habitat is different, or you've been around that "block" many times before.

http://glei.nrri.umn.edu/default/documents/Pubs/Vaccaro_thesis.pdf

 

[foggy]

The tour was very worthwhile for me when we discussed this wetland. Four or five people had experience and the ideas seemed to build from each other's experience and perspective. I encourage everyone to get together with a group of 4 or 5 habitat guys and learn from each other.
View attachment 3187

^ This picture of Stu and Bob walking my marsh......likely shows one of my biggest obstacles with this property. There is a point on the right (behind stu) and another point to the left of Bob. About 100 yards across......between those points. Getting some kind of road and high vegetation to grow in this marsh could / would really make a difference in this property.

I't's always been a priority of mine, but I was beginning to think I would not be able to do this. I think this land-tour re-ignited my need to get this accomplished. Seems I also need to have some discussions with MNAaron about how to proceed. Lotsa know-how right there. :)

 

[wiscwhip]

Foggy, next time I get down to our "local" marsh(I was there yesterday morning walking the dog:mad:), I will get a couple photos of the vegetation that grows in and on the waters edge. You should be able to get some plantings to take in there if you were to just plant them as a corridor between the 2 points. You may need some hip boots to get them in. Rows of willows to start, possibly some alder, then button bush(which grows permanently submerged here during all but maybe a month out of the year, it can take an amazing amount of water and still thrive). If things work out, these initial plantings will catch sediment and debris floating through the marsh and then would start to hopefully "build up" that area on it's own. You may not be able to get a vehicle in there, but the I bet deer would start using it as a crossing area at least. While your at it, see if you could get some wild rice established in there as well, I don't have any first hand experience with it but I know guys who have put in beds of it that have told me it does help to "dry out" areas like that.