Pheasant Acres

[Badgers80]

Took a couple pics yesterday as I was out cutting first year CRP.

The first two are of a food plot and proof that gly can clean up a clover stand well. I tried getting this established into clover last fall but didn't get a great kill last year before planting and maybe 1/3 of the plot was clover and the rest cool season grasses & hoary alyssum. I have sprayed gly on clover before and have seen others agree that it might set clover back but won't kill it. So, I sprayed with gly (proportionate to 1 qt per acre) on 8/27 to try it out again. In the 8 days since spraying, it's bounced back beautifully and the rest of the plot is dead. We've had great weather for it - good rain and have avoided summer heat. I broadcast a brassica blend and more clover into it for the fall. Will probably frost seed more clover since I think the brassicas might take away some establishment from the clover.

The next one is the first year CRP. It's lower ground but doesn't hold water. Lots of water hemp and pigweed (which I saw lots of browse on). I am hoping I timed it right where I mowed just prior to seed formation and the weeds won't have a chance to seed out. Not really too worried about it, as I believe the NWSG will outcompete the weeds in years 2 and 3, but it'll help fight some competition.

Didn't take any great pics of the second year pollinator CRP, but here's one from a low spot in the field. Lots of blue vervain, goldenrod, boneset, some Joe Pye Weed down there. Happened to see a young brood of pheasant chicks - could barely fly so probably 2 weeks old max which means maybe a third renest at this point. Tried to take a weed whipper to some of the giant ragweed down there, but it was doing a number on the string. It has me thinking about getting a metal blade for the whipper, but spinning metal feet away keeps me on edge about that. Finished up with cutting some marsetail but that seems like a never ending task. It's relatively sporadic in the field, but I'm hoping the grasses will start to come on stronger next year and start to suppress the marsetail well. Unless I had a crew, snipping the whole field would take a day's work.

 

[Brian662]

Metal blade on the weed whipper is definitely the way to go. Slices right through 7' marestail stems and 10' giant ragweed.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Metal blade on the weed whipper is definitely the way to go. Slices right through 7' marestail stems and 10' giant ragweed.

Yeah I have a metal brush cutter and a saw blade. Both are valuable. That brush cutter would take out any weed and most small trees without slowing down

 

[Brian662]

Yeah I have a metal brush cutter and a saw blade. Both are valuable. That brush cutter would take out any weed and most small trees without slowing down

I've thought about getting a DR Mower but have gotten by for now with the metal blade and a chainsaw for bigger stuff. Someday I'll pick one up though..

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Did you have any luck pheasant or deer hunting on your property? Did you enroll all of your tillable into CRP or did you keep some out for food plots?

 

[Badgers80]

You both are convincing me on the blade.

I had luck with pheasant and deer last year.

For pheasants, I usually just go by myself and dog but on any given hunt, I probably saw 5-15 birds. That'll only increase as the birds use & reproduce more successfully with the added habitat, so I'm excited to see the change. I'd see more pheasants in my deer blind than deer, they're fun to watch.

I regularly see deer, but it's pretty limiting to does/fawns. I'll get a couple bucks October-December, but I think it does limit buck #'s without having hardwoods on the prop. Got one doe archery hunting. I have been seeing more fawns this year - the does like the CRP cover for the fawns.

I had 35 acres of tillable. Put in 33.5 into CRP grasses/forbs & have 1.5 into a CRP food plot. There's lots of ag around, so didn't want to really provide much more food. Then 30 acres of a mix of another small food plot, cattails, willows, shrubby cover.