New Hope Creek Home

[Howboutthemdawgs]

It was frustrating...and the son I talked to was the one operating the combine. Next year the farm will be in CRP, so I'll not have to worry about them.

How did they handle the news they were going to lose the farm? I’ve had a little experience with that and they didn’t love it…I didn’t care

 

[T-Max]

How did they handle the news they were going to lose the farm? I’ve had a little experience with that and they didn’t love it…I didn’t care

By harvesting his food plot...

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I’d make sure he didn’t forget to drop off a check for your 1.5 acres of beans based on average bushels per acre harvested.

A renter's son also picked my 2 acre food plot one year that should have been left for the deer. Leaving that plot was included in the contract, so he sent me a check for $500 for the error. Those things really irritate me though - I wanted the deer food more than the check.

What CRP program are you signed up for? My CRP contract allows me to put 10% of the acreage into a food plot, which works really well for me.

 

[356]

By harvesting his food plot...

That may be closer to the truth than any other explanation. They were very upset when I told them I was not renewing the lease, and wouldn’t even sign off the CRP documents until I forced their hand with legal action.

 

[Bill]

I’d broadcast some rye over the stubble even though it’s dry. Cheap enough to hope for some rain and germination.

 

[goatman]

Had a neighbor come over 100ft from the property line and mow off my Egyptian wheat onetime. Because he didn't know what it was. Fencing isn't just for live for livestock.

 

[356]

Still have some nice deer showing up. This one is Eleven, who is really showing his potential this season. He has already dropped a lot of weight in the early rut.

 

[Telemark]

I also finished some mock scrapes. I’m trying cedar branches instead of oaks this year. If it doesn’t attract movement, I’ll switch back to oaks.

Try beech if you have any. The vast majority of scrapes I find are under beech trees.

 

[356]

I don’t have any beech, as it is a species limited to the eastern portions of Missouri. The red cedar has disappointed, so I will try white oaks, which are native and the trees under where I find most natural scrapes on the farm.

 

[Catscratch]

Some great bucks showing up for ya!

 

[356]

August 12, 2024 update: Armed with a great soil test and weather forecast, on Sunday afternoon I was able to drill three of our five food plots with a Winter Wheat/Forage Rape/Clover/Winter Pea mix. After planting, 1" of rain fell, which is about as good as it can get.

With the prospect of rain the next two days and little time between now and the end of the month, I went ahead and broadcast a bag of "7 Card Stud Wildlife Mixture" (Forage Oats/Winter Wheat/Winter Peas/Turnip/Crimson Clover/Daikon Radish/Chicory) into a new 1/4 acre food plot located in a transition point. If the forecast rains come, these plots should provide some great browse and hunting action later in the season.

View attachment 67242
Drilling a Winter Wheat/Forage Rape/Clovers/Winter Peas mix with the Tar River no-til drill.


View attachment 67244
Broadcasting the "7 Card Stud" mix into a 1/4 acre transition point food plot

On the homestead property I have yet to plan the 1 acre food plot and a 1/4 acre "property line" plot (that will not be hunted) that is designed to focus movement. At the cabin I still yet to put in a 1/3 acre annual "hidey hole" plot. The seed for these projects just arrived, so now it is a matter of time and weather cooperating to complete the fall plantings.

Much to my surprise, despite the severe drought, the turnips and radishes broadcast during the summer produced some good browse for the deer. My granddaughter took this #152 doe while browsing on a turnip. I had not checked the plot for over a month, and at that time I would have said the planting was a bust.

 

[356]

The big news for Deer Season 2026-27 at our New Hope Creek Home is that I announced my retirement plans to the board on Friday. While still nine months from implementation, it will definitely free up some time-in-the-blind. Unfortunately, the timelines it will not help with preparation work that has to take place prior to the season. Some goals include:
1) Hunting our 40 acre Texas County (MO) property for the first time. This small piece is adjacent to the Mark Twain National Forest. When I purchased the property, my plans were to hunt it for the first time after I retired....this should be the year. I plan to park our small camping trailer on the property and spend several days scouting and still hunting.
2) Public land hunts--I'll hopefully draw for another managed hunt....if not, I look forward to engaging enjoying some of the great public lands here in Missouri.
3) Last season invasive control....late October and early November are the perfect times to eradicate invasive such as honeysuckle.
I know deer season will be interrupted by a New England fall foliage tour, but that will be a nice diversion.

 

[356]

The conversation from row crops to CRP begins today. 50 acres NWSG with forms, 5 acres of food plots all with equipment that is really too small, but will get the job done. I'll be pre-spraying the fields with glyphosate using a 25 gallon sprayer on the 1999 Kawasaki Prairie 400 4-wheeler, and planting the CRP with the 5' Tar River NT drill using pelletized lime as the carrier to help the seed move into the ground (hopefully). The fun starts this morning!

This project is designed to provided habitat for quail and turkey, bedding and food for deer and improved travel corridors and access.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

The conversation from row crops to CRP begins today. 50 acres NWSG with forms, 5 acres of food plots all with equipment that is really too small, but will get the job done. I'll be pre-spraying the fields with glyphosate using a 25 gallon sprayer on the 1999 Kawasaki Prairie 400 4-wheeler, and planting the CRP with the 5' Tar River NT drill using pelletized lime as the carrier to help the seed move into the ground (hopefully). The fun starts this morning!

This project is designed to provided habitat for quail and turkey, bedding and food for deer and improved travel corridors and access.

View attachment 89861

Love it! That’s a big step and one what will undoubtedly repay your effort with enjoyment. I pulled 20 out this year.
Curious how did your farmer take it?

 

[356]

Love it! That’s a big step and one what will undoubtedly repay your effort with enjoyment. I pulled 20 out this year.
Curious how did your farmer take it?

Mad as a hornet at first. Sadly, the folks at the USDA office talked to him after I had inquired about CRP, rather than letting me talk to him first. When he called me he said, "My family's been farming this for over 50 years" as if it was their property. (Also, not true, as when I bought the property it had been fallow for two years). However, I met with him in person and we ended up parting as friends once he understood my landowner/habitat objectives. I am taking a coffee break right now....5 acres sprayed....50 more to go .

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Mad as a hornet at first. Sadly, the folks at the USDA office talked to him after I had inquired about CRP, rather than letting me talk to him first. When he called me he said, "My family's been farming this for over 50 years" as if it was their property. (Also, not true, as when I bought the property it had been fallow for two years). However, I met with him in person and we ended up parting as friends once he understood my landowner/habitat objectives. I am taking a coffee break right now....5 acres sprayed....50 more to go .

25 gallons at a time is impressive!

Yeah I figured. I bought some ground and didn’t use the farmer that was previously renting it. It got awkward and at the end it made me mad that I had to defend myself on my property. I despise the feeling of ownership people have when they are only leasing something

 

[Badgers80]

Exciting stuff! I told the farmer who was renting my tillable acres that I was going to put it to CRP after he farmed it for one year. We had a one year contract. I told him several times of my plans. He farmed it for years and years before I bought it. Lo and behold, I find him putting fertilizer on after his one year’s harvest for next year. It got messy after that with him threatening me at times and trying to force me to crop it with him for at least another year or trying to get me to pitch in to recoup his cost. Luckily, the NRCS was on my side, and I got it in CRP that next year.