The Front 12

[PatinPA]

My annual and I increasily think futile fight against invasives, in particular mile-a-minute. I usually spray about this time then go back when I spray for fall plots and try to get what was missed. Seems like a losing battle as there is more and more of it every year. I already gave up with stilt grass but it's mainly confined to my roads.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Wow - that's tough stuff, Pat. I guess m-a-m is an accurate name. I've read stilt grass is easier to control if you spray or mow it before it goes to seed - which keeps it spreading. We're battling it at camp too - mainly by spraying. It may take several years to get it hammered the way we want it though. Good luck with your place. How's that "Road Kill" crab doing?

 

[PatinPA]

Wow - that's tough stuff, Pat. I guess m-a-m is an accurate name. I've read stilt grass is easier to control if you spray or mow it before it goes to seed - which keeps it spreading. We're battling it at camp too - mainly by spraying. It may take several years to get it hammered the way we want it though. Good luck with your place. How's that "Road Kill" crab doing?

It's doing well other than leaning a bit. I keep forgetting to take my Big hammer to pound stakes in through the rocks. I have a wild crab apple I need to stake up as well. I had a regular small hammer that didn't even get it in an inch. haha. Might end up just tying that one to nearby trees.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

If the rocks in our Pa. mountains were money - we'd own the world! Our camp is lucky to have some OLD, long-established fields to plant things - but our property is sitting on a pile of rocks too. I hope your crabs keep growing for you. They'll make a nice, late-season draw, I suspect.

 

[PatinPA]

Wow it's a miracle! For the first time ever, I've gotten clover to establish. Helps that it's rained every other day all spring an summer so far, with blazing sun in between.

 

[Newbie]

Wow it's a miracle! For the first time ever, I've gotten clover to establish. Helps that it's rained every other day all spring an summer so far, with blazing sun in between.

View attachment 79608View attachment 79609

Looking good!

 

[PatinPA]

Looking good!

Thanks! Pretty excited.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

That looks really good - do the deer like that new food yet?

 

[PatinPA]

That looks really good - do the deer like that new food yet?

More groundhogs and trash pandas than anything. lol. I don't typically have a lot of deer in the summer. I'm not sure why. Just a few home does and fawns and a couple 1 1/2 year old bucks.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

More groundhogs and trash pandas than anything. lol. I don't typically have a lot of deer in the summer. I'm not sure why. Just a few home does and fawns and a couple 1 1/2 year old bucks.

If those does & fawns like your green plot, they might stick around come fall = bucks sniffing around looking for love .....

 

[PatinPA]

If those does & fawns like your green plot, they might stick around come fall = bucks sniffing around looking for love .....

Does are one thing I have no shortage of. Nobody must shoot them around me. I've had 20+ in a group run past a camera in the winter. I feel bad for the farmers this year with all the rain they've had trouble getting crops in but it should be good for the fall food plots.

 

[PatinPA]

That looks really good - do the deer like that new food yet?

Now that we're well into the season, this plot and my water tubs are the most consistent draw on my property. I overseeded this with rye and wheat but not much of it grew. It was last years seed, but it grew in my main plot. Not sure if the clover was too thick for it to grow or what.

 

[PatinPA]

My 2025 Buck. Saw him walk out in the woods behind my cabin. Grunted a few times and he kept looking. He started walking back up behind the cabin and I snort wheezed and grunted a couple more times. I saw a flash of antler and sure enough here he came on a string. I thought he was going to walk right the base of my tree but he veered at the last second to give a perfect broadside shot. Ran about 50 yards and piled up. He was heavy. Typical PA buck I can grab an antler and walk along. This one I had to grab with both hands and pull a few feet at a time. I might just be getting old though too! This is my first PA archery buck in a LONG time and first archery kill at my property.

 

[BenA]

Awesome! Congratulations!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Congrats on a dandy buck, Pat!! That's what it's all about. Happy you got him on your own place. Fun times!

 

[omicron1792]

Congrats Pat! Way to go.

 

[cbw]

Nicely done! Congrats!


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