New Hope Creek Home

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I see you and I are representing the vintage class of 4 wheelers. What year? Mines a 2005

 

[356]

I see you and I are representing the vintage class of 4 wheelers. What year? Mines a 2005

1999 Kawasaki Prairie 400 4x4 automatic. I've had it about 20 years and it has been 100% care free, despite being used hard and put away wet on too many occasions. Just turned 8980 miles.

 

[356]

March 13: I took the day off to try and get the CRP in this weekend. We've had lots of rain the past two weeks, and the fields are still too wet to plant, but should be good tomorrow. I borrowed a 120 gallon sprayer to pre-treat with glyphosate, per the contract. It is going much faster than using the four wheeler, which took 5 hours for 15 acres. So far I've done about 20 acres in three hours this morning, and have about 20 left. After lunch I am renting a 12' Truax Native Grass drill to put in the CRP tomorrow. That will take several hours, so I am hoping to get the drill home, then finish spraying so I can plant tomorrow and Sunday after church, if needed.

 

[356]

Afternoon Update: Well, I went to pick up the Caldwell County NRCS Truax Drill with NWSG box, signed the paperwork and paid the deposit only to find that the only drill that was "working" was a 7' Haybuster without a NWSG auger. The Truax was broken (and has been for a month, which they forgot to mention when I reserved the drill), and the county has no money to fix it. Well, that was three hours I'll never get back!

So, the CRP Project Plan A was to use my Tar River drill, which did not work. Plan B was to rent the Truax NWSG drill, which did not work. Plan C involved calling every area NRSC office, only to hear repeatedly that they do not rent out of the county (or only within x number of miles). So, Plan D is hiring the job done. The son of the seed company owner does custom NWSG work, and will be coming over in the next month or two. Of course, that means I will have to reapply herbicide, but at least the job will get done.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

That really stinks. What is currently in your fields now?

 

[Badgers80]

Ah I feel for you! I am thinking you could have saved yourself time if you hired it out from the get go. Assuming cost share fully covers your expenses, that could’ve been the way to go initially? I applaud your commitment though! I know these native grass mixes can be finicky to get in.

 

[356]

That really stinks. What is currently in your fields now?

The fields are fallow. It had been on a corn/soy rotation, with soy the past two years. I pulled it primarily due to the farmer, who 1) planted soy two years in a row and 2) refused to use cover crops, despite that being in our verbal agreement. Once the CRP is established, I know I will be glad of the change, as it will be great for wildlife in the area.

Ah I feel for you! I am thinking you could have saved yourself time if you hired it out from the get go. Assuming cost share fully covers your expenses, that could’ve been the way to go initially? I applaud your commitment though! I know these native grass mixes can be finicky to get in.

I agree (using hindsight). The cost share is 50/50, which will help, but not with out of pocket. Given the cost of the seed, plus planting and pre-treatment, getting the CRP in the ground is running $288/acre plus a three days off days off work (so far).

When I planted the EQIP, I had a very challenging time getting the seeds in the ground. It eventually got in, but I should have learned from that experience :-)

 

[Turkey Creek]

Well that does suck, but I have heard that most of the NRCS drills are abused to the point they rarely work as they should so maybe that prevented a long terms headache for you.

 

[356]

While checking the trap line I noticed the cereal rye I broadcast a few weeks ago is starting to take root. This area of erosion has been a problem since we moved on the property in early 2017. I am hoping to help control the erosion with cereal rye, followed by some NWSG for long term control. I am using a cereal rye/red clover mix for the cover, and will be adding the NWSG later this spring (mid-April).



Here is a view of the area of erosion that I am trying to control.

 

[356]

The contractor who agreed to drill the CRP2 seeding called and said he might start tomorrow. I'll be out of town, but provided the maps and information needed. The plan is for approx. 50 acres of CRP2 (NWSG w/forbs) and 4 acres for food plots.

 

[Badgers80]

Sooner than expected, that’s good to hear. Do you plan on quail/pheasant hunting it at all? Not sure if you have pheasants in MO. It’ll be great cover for lots of species.

 

[356]

Sooner than expected, that’s good to hear. Do you plan on quail/pheasant hunting it at all? Not sure if you have pheasants in MO. It’ll be great cover for lots of species.

There are breeding populations on pheasants in the county and we have seen covey of quail on the property. The CP2 mix of CRP should be good for deer bedding and quail.

Since pheasants are a non-native species that were introduced to the US, the CRP focus is upon native birds, such as the bobwhite quail. Once we start seeing established coveys, I plan to hunt them. I am also putting in a one acre strip of sunflowers for dove.

 

[Telemark]

There are breeding populations on pheasants in the county and we have seen covey of quail on the property. The CP2 mix of CRP should be good for deer bedding and quail.

Since pheasants are a non-native species that were introduced to the US, the CRP focus is upon native birds, such as the bobwhite quail. Once we start seeing established coveys, I plan to hunt them. I am also putting in a one acre strip of sunflowers for dove.

Add some millet. The last time I hunted a dove field, they were full of millet.

 

[356]

The CRP is going into the ground. I like the idea of the sunflower/millet. My plan is to drill the sunflowers around the first of May. I understand the millet should be broadcast about a month later. This will be my first dove plot, which will also promote appropriate deer movement.

 

[Telemark]

I like the idea of the sunflower/millet. My plan is to drill the sunflowers around the first of May. I understand the millet should be broadcast about a month later. This will be my first dove plot, which will also promote appropriate deer movement.

The one I was talking about had a row of millet on each side of the sunflowers, and then they tilled a row between the millet rows.

So it would be tilled, millet, sunflower, millet, tilled. The tilled rows gave them a place to land, then they would walk around eating seeds.

 

[356]

The one I was talking about had a row of millet on each side of the sunflowers, and then they tilled a row between the millet rows.

So it would be tilled, millet, sunflower, millet, tilled. The tilled rows gave them a place to land, then they would walk around eating seeds.

My dove hunting friends here in Missouri recommend giving the sunflowers more time to mature to ensure readiness for the September 1 opener. Most of the millet seed in this area is Japanese Millet, which grows faster than Sunflower by about a month or two. I might consider planting 5' rows of sunflowers in May, followed by a 5' rows of millet in June before a good rain. The acre dove strip will be approx 300 yards x 18 yards, which would allow two (or three) hunters (assuming the crops work).

 

[BC Buck]

My dove hunting friends here in Missouri recommend giving the sunflowers more time to mature to ensure readiness for the September 1 opener. Most of the millet seed in this area is Japanese Millet, which grows faster than Sunflower by about a month or two. I might consider planting 5' rows of sunflowers in May, followed by a 5' rows of millet in June before a good rain. The acre dove strip will be approx 300 yards x 18 yards, which would allow two (or three) hunters (assuming the crops work).
View attachment 90929

Deer might wipe out sunflowers before season opens.