Scott's habitat improvements

[scott44]

Finished up planting this orchard, 13 apple trees and 2 pears, I think I can fit another 4-5 trees in there if I wanted too.



Started another orchard.



Finished up my plug planting and had to modify a broom handle for my smaller plugs, I have a plug planting tool for the larger plugs but I ordered some 6's this year it didn't quite work, broom handle with a 6" carriage bolt, not sure how long this will last but it made it through my 150 plugs so it lasted long enough.



Had to make a trip and get some tube stakes.



Planted some red cedars in this switch grass field and dogwoods and ninebark in and around these oaks.

 

[bueller]

You've been busy. Looks good!

 

[scott44]

Finished up my tree planting and MG planting on Sat.

I tried planting MG rhizome clusters along with single rhizomes this year. I continued the existing MG screen in the second pic along with hybrid willows for screening all the way to the quad in the 3rd pic.











Fertilized the MG.



Planted 25 swamp/bur oaks and hazelnuts that were 3-4'



Some of the orchard is waking up.

Kieffer pear



Liberty





Took a walk in where all the ash trees are and it looks like a tornado went through there with all the downed trees

 

[scott44]

Last weekend I planted a sunn hemp plot and a sorghum plot, both were planted in last years sorghum plot. I hit it with one pass with the disk and then cultipcked it in, stuck a camera up and it didn't take them long to find it, date and time are off on the camera it was last Sat. night.







They seem to be liking the throw and mow cereal grain mix from last year, clover has came up pretty good.





I planted 100 hybrid willows and they most all have taken off.



Some of our older apple trees are loaded.





First fawn and antler pics, not real good fawn pics just a little dark dot behind the doe.

 

[John-W-WI]

I'm sure I've said this before... but it always amazes me how half of us habitat guys have open ground we want to fill up, and the other half had timber we wish was open.

I'm not going to lie, I wish I had a blank slate to start with rather than mature forest to convert to deer habitat. Although I'm sure the guys with pasture wish they had trees.

Great land tour, keep it up!

-John

 

[scott44]

I planted some MG in and around some hinge cuts this spring, the hinges have a bunch of new growth and the MG seems to have taken off good.







MG screens are doing ok, I fertilizes with some triple 19 earlier this spring and went back and hit some of the shorter spots with urea, second pic. and it's almost as tall as it was last year already.





I might see some acorns in my life time if these trees keep up the growth.







A few antler pics

 

[Bill]

I've been waiting ten years to see some acorns.
It will happen in my lifetime but come on already !

Your MG is always behind mine quite a bit, but it catches up by fall.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

Love those growing antler pics! Keep it up Scott, they obviously like what you're doing.

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[Spiider]

Looking really nice.

 

[scott44]

We've had enough rain here for awhile, 6+ inches here in the last week, major flooding.



Took a quad ride today to check things out, pretty soggy but not too bad. MG planted in a switch screen 3 yrs ago, I just planted them with no prep not doing too bad.





Hinge cut Ash trees are lasting a lot longer than I thought they would and sprouting new. I cut some trees off at about 18" hoping they would bush out, they still might but for now they are food.

 

[Bill]

Hinge cut Ash trees are lasting a lot longer than I thought they would and sprouting new. I cut some trees off at about 18" hoping they w

Any bedding under the overhead cover?
I'm always amazed when MG is just planted with no prep and it makes it.

 

[Spiider]

Looking really good! We (I) always want what we (I) don't have. I don't have any woods, so we've been planting everything. I wish I had enough to be able to hinge cut, looks like fun. Good cover thankfully, I just like to complain I guess :) It has been satisfying to see things progress each year though.

 

[scott44]

Any bedding under the overhead cover?
I'm always amazed when MG is just planted with no prep and it makes it.

I didn't really get in there and check for beds but there are a few trails heading in there so I would says there is some bedding in there. The MG with no prep will definitely take longer to establish but it's quick and easy, this spring I put some in and around hinge cuts and some more in another switch field so we'll see.

 

[scott44]

Thought I'd post some pics so there would be some in this thread because I think 100% of my pics are on Photobucket.
Mowed a couple cover plots and did a throw and mow with buckwheat, rye and sunflowers. Some before and after pics.

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[scott44]

A couple buck pics from the last little bit. The first and third are one of the throw and mow plots from above.

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[Native Hunter]

Great pictures. Looks like they are finding a lot to eat.

 

[scott44]

Getting ready to plant a couple brassica plots today, throw and roll method. We are supposed to be getting rain on thurs/fri so I hope this might jump start them.

 

[scott44]

Took a quad ride today and took some pics.

Not much for cover after the fall rains but I like big blue.

Southlow switch grass

Cave in Rock switch.

Switch grass screen with some MG on the left back.

Big ole apple tree out in the middle of our hay field that is loaded again this year.

Some trail cam pics.

 

[Native Hunter]

Great pictures Scott. Looks like your grasses are coming on good.

I can't get over that old apple tree. Do you have any idea of the variety?

 

[scott44]

Great pictures Scott. Looks like your grasses are coming on good.

I can't get over that old apple tree. Do you have any idea of the variety?

Sorry no idea on the variety of the ole tree, the deer know it's there and make the trek out to the middle to clean up the apples.