Scott's habitat improvements

[scott44]

This is my first try at warm season grasses, I planted this strip 4yrs ago and it is really come on this year. This strip is 15yds wide and about 150yds long and has Big Blue, Cave n rock switch and Indian grass, the switch is starting to take over so there is less of the other two.





The switch is starting to seed out.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Scott that old Honda fourtrax in you photo brought back some memories. Those old Honda's run forever! My old man had one growing up that we tore the heck out of. It still ran like a champ when we got rid of it but the rear end was toast! I just sold a Kawasaki prairie and replaced it with a Honda rancher 4x4! Back to my roots I guess haha

 

[2ndHand]

Looking good Scott!...;), What do you have growing in the wire cages (2nd photo above)?

 

[Terrific_tom]

Great looking place. Lot of hard work that you are putting into your property.

 

[scott44]

Scott that old Honda fourtrax in you photo brought back some memories. Those old Honda's run forever! My old man had one growing up that we tore the heck out of. It still ran like a champ when we got rid of it but the rear end was toast! I just sold a Kawasaki prairie and replaced it with a Honda rancher 4x4! Back to my roots I guess haha

Yea Jordan that quad still runs like a champ for it's age, we had a Kawasaki Bayou and it croacked, my son went to work for a contractor and the qaud was part of his pay. He's moved on to bigger and better things and ole dad still has a 1980's quad haha. I'll have it till it dies and then I might think about something newer.

Looking good Scott!...;), What do you have growing in the wire cages (2nd photo above)?

I have a couple rows of Highbush cranberry and Nine bark in the cages, not all are caged.

 

[scott44]

Great looking place. Lot of hard work that you are putting into your property.

Thanks! Enjoyable work, I think like alot of people on here it's a passion/obsession haha.

 

[2ndHand]

[QUOTE="scott44, I have a couple rows of Highbush cranberry and Nine bark in the cages, not all are caged.[/QUOTE]

I picked up a few more Ninebark on close out at Shopko - hoping to limit erosion in a waterway. So far, the deer haven't browsed the couple I planted a few years ago.

 

[scott44]

[QUOTE="scott44, I have a couple rows of Highbush cranberry and Nine bark in the cages, not all are caged.

I picked up a few more Ninebark on closed out at Shopko - hoping to limit erosion in a waterway. So far, the deer haven't browsed the couple I planted a few years ago.[/QUOTE]

You are lucky then because these were planted last year and this spring I didn't think I had any left but they started showing themselves and I started putting cages around the ones I found. This year I caged everyone I planted in hopes of having less failures.

 

[scott44]

Last year I took this little corner and sprayed, tilled and planted it to clover. It was grasses and goldenrod.

Before





I also planted various oaks.



This pic is from last year.



This pic is from tonight.



The Bur Gambel oaks are really taking off this year, almost 5'.

 

[scott44]

Here's a couple pics from last fall hunting over that new clover plot.



This little 5pt was around alot last year.

 

[buckvelvet]

Looks great Scott, I love the clover filling in around the tubes, I can't wait to do that here some day!

 

[outdoorstom]

Really enjoying this thread. Lots of hard work for sure....looks beautiful!

 

[scott44]

Looks great Scott, I love the clover filling in around the tubes, I can't wait to do that here some day!

Really enjoying this thread. Lots of hard work for sure....looks beautiful!

Thanks!

We were supposed to get rain on Sat. but it went all around me so I didn't get any urea down, the next 3 days it looks like the rain you guys in Minn and Wisc are getting is heading toward us in Mi. I went ahead and spread urea on some e-wheat and brassicas. I am always amazed at how deer are not really spooked by a tractor, just used to them around here I guess. I drove the tractor back tonight and got these pics.

Hard to compete with these black beans right now, hit this e-wheat with some urea tonight it's 4-5' but I would like it alittle taller.



We have a lane that goes to the back, I took the first pic looking NW and took this one looking NE. This is what I was talking about deer not being spooked, this doe and fawn picked their heads up and looked and went right back to eating.



I checked that food plot I weed whacked in the woods and it is starting to look ok, There was more clover in there than I thought.





I put a trail cam up on this plot so we'll have to see, we always seem to get good pics there.

We caught these 2 young bucks in 2012



I posted this one before in another thread but here is again, one of my favorites.

 

[huntall]

Looks like the Bur Gambel oaks are starting to jump!
Looking good!

 

[scott44]

Went back tonight and pulled my card and took a couple pics.

This is native grasses I planted 4 yrs ago ane really took off this year, I'm 6'3" and could hardly see over it.





Indian grass wasn't up last week but started showing itself this week.





The deer are in the farmers black beans now but they are starting to yellow so it won't be long till they are in my plots and the beans are off.



Here's what I was talking about the deer and tractors, Monday I knocked some clover down prepping it for cereal grain planting this weekend and an hour later the deer were there checking it out.

 

[Native Hunter]

It looks incredible, and you are going to be glad that the switch is dominating the mix.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

There's some serious tonnage of greens around your place. Gotta love those pix from up in the tree stand! Nice work on the property!

 

[scott44]

It looks incredible, and you are going to be glad that the switch is dominating the mix.

There's some serious tonnage of greens around your place. Gotta love those pix from up in the tree stand! Nice work on the property!

Cool Pictures Scott, keep them coming. Looks like you have been putting in a lot of hard work!

Thanks guys!

 

[strawhead]

Thanks for sharing all of your ideas.

 

[scott44]

Went back tonight and spread some urea on brassicas, looks like rain for the few days. Snapped a couple pics while I was back there.

This is a little area I want to plant an orchard in, the big maple in the back is the NW corner of the my property. I have planted oaks and shrubs around the outside.



This is standing on the opposite corner from previous pic looking south, you can see my barn in the background maybe 300yds away. There is a ladder stand in that maple, doesn't look like much but the deer like to travel up the fenceline from the south during the first part of bow season.



Some first year switch, not much this year but hopefully takes off next year with some timely sprayings.



Comparative pics, first one is this spring and second is tonight. Switch on the right of the second pic has really taken off this year.





This is one of the few direct seeded bur oaks that come up and survived.



Have a good and safe Labor Day weekend.