My Land Tour...The Big Woods

[pinetag14]

Our weather has gotten back to somewhat normal, hadn't had much rain in a few weeks and it has been pretty hot and very muggy.
Had a good rain Saturday close to an inch and the wildflowers popped up like crazy, the pollinator areas are starting to fill in.

The hill from digging front pond

The pasture

Your habitat variety and pics are amazing!

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[H20fwler]

Your habitat variety and pics are amazing!

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Thank you!

 

[H20fwler]

Took a drive with the wife after work last night and went by the farm. We were both surprised that the wildflowers on the spoil pile had doubled in number since last week, I had to stop to take a pic and have a look. Ended up taking a quick look around and snapping a couple pics for my land tour photo journal.

Bee's were trying to stay cool in the heat bearding up on front of hives.

I tried some millet this year and noticed some has started to head, planted Jap in the run off where it stays wetter and brown top along shrub strips. It's supposed to be good for ducks/turkeys/pheasant/quail and other birds. It looks pretty thin but some is there.

Jap

Brown top

Had some trouble with jap beetles again this year but nothing as bad as last summer, it wasn't even bad enough to spray for this year.
A Chinese chestnut that the beetles bothered, they mostly hit the wife's cherry tree's, chestnuts, hazelnuts and the apples just a little.

Ran across an old goose nest in corner of pasture while walking my quick loop, it was pretty close to where they nested last year looks like all the eggs hatched.

Pears are still coming along

The bullfrogs and smaller frogs were making a racket singing it up on the front pond.

 

[H20fwler]

Worked the dog on some quail yesterday to keep her tuned up, she did great even though the grass&weeds were wet. She found everything and had some great points the wife went along to watch her work.

And she had some funny looking twisted up surprised points.

Took a little look around the pasture and saw at least four different kinds of bee's mostly working the partridge pea that is blooming like crazy right now...there was a constant buzzing everywhere I went.
What I think might have been a mason bee?

Lots of this along the woods, they look like little orchids...jewel weed or "touch-me not" I guess the leaves are a good antidote to rub on poison ivy?

Still have lots of wildflowers blooming but the big summer bloom is over with the cone flowers.

Checked the cameras and had hundreds of doe&fawn pics and a couple little baskets...the nice bucks will shift in about five weeks from now.

 

[H20fwler]

Had the day off yesterday and had a list of things I wanted to get done at the farm, spot spray cattails/put up pop up blind and brush it in/put pads on ladder stands and tighten straps back up/change out cards in cameras/fill feeder/try and fix a couple spruce tree's a local kid ran over...and first, work the dog with a few quail to keep her tuned up for next weekends grouse and woodcock first of the year hunt up north next weekend.

Even with the muggy high eighties temps and no wind the dog did really good, I think quail are like crack cocaine for GSP's. She made short work of her training session.
The cover is really thick right now so she has to keep her head almost buried to find them...they still moved off good from where I planted them making her have to track them down.
A point in thick stuff;

She had one that just wanted to run on her and flushed nice a couple feet ahead of her. I am very happy with how spooky they are and the way they can run and fly being raised in a pen.
The flush;

A couple hours later after I had checked off everything that needed done from my list and I was dripping wet from sweat ready to go to the house Darcy comes walking up to me carrying a nice shed antler! It was chewed pretty good but I think this years, the brow tine and half the G2 were gone but it is a good sized one. All the work the youngest boy put in with her over winter and shed hunting with her this spring has paid off...she can bring me as many of those as she wants!

 

[H20fwler]

So my biggest piece of habitat equipment for me is my truck and it needed some major repairs this week. The truck is pretty much just used for my farm stuff hauling this or that or hunting and a few days in winter when snow is really bad I drive it to work other than that it just sits.
It is a 2006 GMC that I bought new and has 140K miles on it now, I have only ever used synthetic oil in it from the start. Like most older trucks in my area the rocker panels are starting to rust out, it had looked pretty good up until this spring. I didn't want to buy another truck just yet my plan has been to try and make this one last five more years then right before I retire I'm going to buy a new one that should end up being about last vehicle I ever need.
This year I saved all my vacation time and am taking off from mid October to mid December to just hunt wherever my nose takes me, the boys will also and be going with me on some of the trips. North chasing grouse a couple more times, south chasing quail, west chasing pheasants and quail and up to Ontario a few times chasing ducks besides deer/duck hunting at home while I'm off so I need the truck to be pretty dependable.
Last weeks grouse hunting trip with my oldest son we both noticed the steering wheel was getting to much play and brakes were starting to sound rough so I dropped it off at my local wrench this past Tuesday morning.
It needed;
Front ball joints
Rear drums
Brake pads
Brake lines replaced (rust)
Power steer lines replaced (rust)
Transmission lines replaced (rust)
Front shocks
Rear coil over shocks
Steering column assembly
Steering gear
and a couple fuses
A few thousand in getting it fixed.

So I had to weigh repair cost vs replace truck...it's been a great truck that I've never really had any trouble with until now. I got it fixed.
I also needed a truck topper for the hunting trips we are going to be taking this fall, that way the dogs can be in back for a long time/cooler/luggage/guns/supplies safe clean and dry. Also sleeping bag and pillows for us to take turns sacking out back there while on long road trips in between taking turns driving.
I called all around locally and couldn't find a used topper that fit and was black, it's a bastard size 5.5' that GM only made for three years and no way did I want to buy a new one. I found a few on craigslist but they were wrong color and to have them repainted was as much as the cost of a used topper so I expanded my search out of state and found one just outside of Bowling Green KY. Called and talked to the guy he sent me a few more pics negotiated the price and the wife and I took a mini road trip down and bought it yesterday. It was a good chance to test out the new repairs on the truck too.
The place ended up being a truck cap/topper business and the guy who I had talked with on the phone who was the owner was as nice a guy as I have ever met..people down south have great manners. Whole experience turned out pretty good, truck runs and handles fine but the total out of pocket this week did sting a bit though!

 

[ksgobbler]

I am too picky about how a topper is equipped to buy a used one.

 

[swat1018]

If you need a place to lay your head in NE MO, it isn't fancy but you're welcome to it!

 

[Telemark]

Bummer about the money but a pretty sweet upgrade.

Not sure how far you want to roam, but DIY pronghorn in Wyoming is on my bucket list, and Arizona public land quail hunting is pretty cool. I got a pair of Gambels quail stuffed by a guy near Phoenix. They also have Scaled and Mearns quail in AZ.

 

[H20fwler]

I am too picky about how a topper is equipped to buy a used one.

I agree, but with the age of the truck and with the need I had soon it checked off enough boxes to go with it. I had been looking for one for a few months. In the past my toppers have all been same height as the cab of truck, this is the first taller one I've had... I guess I can fit more goose decoys in it anyway.
When I buy my new truck I'll put a brand new topper on it and have exactly what I want.

 

[H20fwler]

If you need a place to lay your head in NE MO, it isn't fancy but you're welcome to it!

Very kind offer, I appreciate it! I just might take you up on that one day.

 

[H20fwler]

Bummer about the money but a pretty sweet upgrade.

Not sure how far you want to roam, but DIY pronghorn in Wyoming is on my bucket list, and Arizona public land quail hunting is pretty cool. I got a pair of Gambels quail stuffed by a guy near Phoenix. They also have Scaled and Mearns quail in AZ.

I've only ever shot bobwhites but it is on my bucket list to chase the other varieties some day, and to go on a good old fashioned Georgia plantation hunt for quail . Another bird that we have hunted a lot is Hungarian partridge up in Alberta and Saskatchewan...they flush good and are very good eating.

9/30/19 added pic of Huns

 

[H20fwler]

Got out to spend a little time in a tree Monday night, saw plenty of deer and a couple young bucks. On the way in I cut through the orchard and snapped a few pics.

DropTine crab

30-06 crab

Golden Hornet crab

Keiffer pears are just about ripe, I picked a bunch off early last month because the fruit load was so heavy.

Ground cover in the orchard full of mix clover and chicory

The hunting was very relaxing, heard a quail whistle a couple series before dark and had deer under me constantly....looking forward to the next couple months!

 

[H20fwler]

The leaves are just starting to get pretty, another week and it should look full on fall here.

The native grasses really shot up end of last month in the pasture, still a little thin but the deer are using the pasture for bedding now and it should give the bunnies some cover .

Had a few one and a half year old baskets on camera this pull. The bigger bucks should start cruising through soon.

I bow hunted the other night and think I had all three of the baskets walk right under me...and a bunch of does and fawns. Ended up being a really good evening, cool out lots of deer going by and ducks talking on the front pond. Even had a lone wood cock just fly by me low as I was walking out at dark.

 

[H20fwler]

Have been hunting the place a few days a week, haven't see anything that big yet in person or on trailcam...but I've been busy and have about one trailcam even working right so I guess big bucks could have rolled through and I wouldn’t have known it. I have seen lots of deer from the stand or the same deer over and over! Have also had quite a few ducks hit the ponds but I haven't bothered them.

couple more bucks from the stands

First week of Nov I had eight different bucks through in front of the one camera that is working right all day pics..this was the nicest.

Not sure if I would have shot him or not. (I probably would have)!
A few weeks ago our local Jiffy Lube type place had a bunch of pumpkins left over that they had been selling for fall decorations. I was getting my oil changed and asked what they did with ones that didn’t sell and they said they gave them away, so I ended up hauling three truckloads out to farm and put them along edge of woods for winter food. I broke them up with a hatchet while putting them out...everything must eat them because they are all gone! In less than 24 hours I had deer eating them. Hopefully I’ll get some volunteer from seeds in spring, I sure thought they would last longer. I’ve always heard they were good wildlife food I guess it’s true.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Looks/sounds like all is well at your place. It's good to see a variety of bucks hanging around. Those baskets next year might be a good bit bigger. Your birdlife sounds healthy too. Crabs looking good in the pix. It's only gonna get better as time goes on!!

 

[H20fwler]

Our deer gun season was last week.
Monday ended up seeing eight does&fawns heard a lot of shooting.
Tuesday had a couple does and fawns walk by early heard a few shots it was pretty windy.
Then a little before 9:00 deer just started pouring in from the SW. Seven or eight at a time running along the south side of woods and of course I was in wrong stand, I was sixty yards through the woods close to north side. When it finally slowed down forty plus deer had gone by! At least one was a buck but that’s all I could tell, after about a half hour four ran by going the other way. That afternoon I saw two different does with twin fawns.
Wednesday was windy again and started slow, around eight a big doe with fawn trotted by to north along pasture edge. Then at nine a big doe with a fawn in tow went by slow fifty sixty yards right out in front of me in woods...a minute later here comes this fat buck trailing her. On that day he was “just right”! He ran right through my shooting lanes and then stopped for a couple minutes in cover. The doe and fawn walked out towards pasture to north, the buck started zig zagging around and broke out to the left about sixty yards away and I shot. He mule kicked ran about thirty yards and piled up. .. he’s not the biggest I’ve ever shot and I’m pretty sure I passed him during bow season but I’m tickled with him. A decent eight with a couple inches broke off tip of his right main beam. He was shot through both lungs and creased on top of heart.
I texted my buddy and he brought the Ranger over to help retrieve him and that was hilarious in its own right. We have a few old logging trails in the woods left from around ten years ago the last time it was logged with some pretty thick saplings grown up in them. The deer was in the SW corner, my buddy drove over and through some stuff that made me laugh out loud he drove right up to the buck, we tossed him in and went for another ride.
Definitely not my biggest buck by far but I couldn't be more pleased with him.

My view this time of year from the stand of the back pond, deer will come from the river and skirt the far edge coming into the woods. Some days I see deer drinking from pond and a few times this fall had ducks&geese come in to give me something to watch while waiting on deer.

I also walk the shrub strips on the way to stands..the ROD really blew up this year it has really changed from the little pencils we planted three years ago and the deer seem to like it browsing the tips constantly.

 

[H20fwler]

My oldest son lives about forty five miles south of me and bought a new house last year and is still working on his "man cave" kind of sticking with a hunting and fishing theme. He was looking at a little of the artwork that Cabelas and BassPro offer and ran across this painting and thought it looked very similar to our place, I agreed.

This almost looks like a before and after pic!

Had Darcy out last week for a quick loop in the pasture and used the old planter as a prop again

We had a fresh snow last night so I took the dog out for a quick hunt at the farm this morning to see if we could put anything up.
She pointed one up in the front of the orchard that had Boone&Crocket spurs and tail on it.

She pointed hard again about ten minutes later in some thick switchgrass, I was expecting another bird to flush but was pleasantly surprised when a fat bunny burst out and tried to make a fast getaway. A quick snap shot and a nice retrieve by Darcy and we had our first rabbit of the year. I didn't want to get to crazy shooting the place up without the boys and with second gun season this coming weekend so I was happy with the little mixed bag. We will get more serious on the bunnies next month after late muzzle loader season.

 

[Telemark]

That painting is a dead ringer!

Do you stock the pheasants, or are they wild?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Dead ringer! And Darcy looks to be in hog-heaven with the birds and bunny. You probably have to COAX her to go hunting ………… right???