The Journey Begins....

[Livesintrees]

We all start somewhere. Lime is the key to nutrient absorption from the soil / fertilizer. You'll be good to go in a short time.
Your hinging ought to make some good bedding and browse / cover.

It’s ok. While it’s all technically “work” it sure doesn’t feel like it. Have a few calls in to local suppliers for some prices on everything. Apparently I need less then 100 pounds of each fertilizer. The lime is a ton however.

 

[kl9]

Are some of those red oak you're hinging?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

If you can get bulk lime, it's a lot cheaper than bagged.

 

[Livesintrees]

Are some of those red oak you're hinging?

No sir. Property dominated by white oaks. Scattered swamp and burr also. I could cut half the property and still have more oak then I could need

 

[Livesintrees]

Had a productive day today. Had 25 3-4 foot Norway’s delivered from cold stream yesterday. Got em all in the ground by the house. They’ll serve as a little extra privacy buffer from the road and the neighbor. Sometimes the less people can see the better. I plan on using my driveway to provide me with a 75 yard archery range capability.

Then went out today and spread 1 ton of lime. And. Couple hundred pounds of the necessary fertilizer on the food plot trail. Unfortunately by hand! No equipment yet. Myself and my father (who has been anxiously waiting for the day) spent the better part of 4 hours evenly spreading it all. I don’t know what I’d do without him and we enjoy every minute of habitat work we have been undertaking since I purchased the property this passed winter.

No pictures of the plot bc who wants to see fertilizer pellets lol. I don’t wanna see em again till next year! We went back after and knocked vegetation back further after we got em in their new home. Just a couple quick pics of the Norway’s when we started.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Well - they have a jump on 10" seedlings !!! They look good.

 

[H20fwler]

They do look good, Norway's seem to do the best for me here also...tough trees all the way around.

 

[Livesintrees]

So my first disclaimer of the day would be that I have no pictures. The mosquitos were so bad I wanted to get it done as fast as possible. Today was the first day in nearly 3 weeks that’s it hasn’t rained. My father knows a landscaper that had a ford 708 tractor. He said he rarely uses it and we were welcome to have at it. So we picked the ole girl up along with a woods rake he had for it. Got to the food plot trail which is an acre. Spent a few hours slowly scratching the surface and gradually getting down to about 2” depth. Got it all cleaned up and leveled up. Then spread the seed. Supposed to get a decent rain again today in a couple hours so the course for the fall should be set. I went with a mix to get some immediate fall-winter attraction, which will also build the soil, and hopefully come on strong for the spring. Fingers crossed. It’s been a long tiring road but worth every painstaking step of the way. I went with Merit seed this time around and some fusion from whitetail institute. Pics of any growth will be taken next time out. I promise!

 

[Livesintrees]

So I went in to do a little maintenance today and get up a few sets before the season. I’m extremely late and behind this year with all of the other projects going on. Anyway last week exactly one week ago we ran the tractor and rake over the food plot trail. I told you guys I didn’t take pictures because the mosquitoes were that bad. The mix I planted is posted in th so I went in to do a little maintenance today and get up a few sets before the season. I’m extremely late and behind this year with all of the other projects going on. Anyway last week exactly one week ago we ran the tractor and rake over the food plot trail. I told you guys I didn’t take pictures because the mosquitoes with that bad. The mix I planted is posted above. So needless to say one week later and a pretty good week as far as light rain on and off has done wonders. Definitely did not expect the mix to take off this fast. I’m sure in another two or three weeks or so it’s all going to fIll in beautifully. Mind you this road has probably never been touched since they did login 25 to 30 years ago. Needless to say for the first year in an attempt to start building the soil I think I’m on the right track. So here it is.

 

[Livesintrees]

Well spent the passed few days on and off this week back in the plot trail. Had to open the canopy some more. Took a bunch down and started piling tops (they’ll be added to as the actual TSI work creeps to this area). I believe I’m looking to take 12-15ish more trees down for this year. And a dozen or so more next year to keep the firewood pile manageable. Then it’ll be off to tend to the other improvements I’d like to continue on for this offseason. I figure another couple days of cutting and Itll be happy medium for this year. But this is where I’m at thus far this year. In the one picture you can see a wasp broadhead someone left in a tree at one point. I’ll also say I added a Stihl MS 150 tce top handle to the toy list for smaller clean up and hinging. So far I’m extremely pleased with it. Very light and more then enough power if you allow it to do the work. It’s a welcome addition to the 271 farm boss I currently have.

 

[Bill]

Looking good.
How are those larger Norway spruce you planted doing?

 

[Livesintrees]

Looking good.
How are those larger Norway spruce you planted doing?

I’ll have to replant a few. Good news is they are close to the house. The ones that survived are doing excellent

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Those dropped trees in the foreground of the 2nd pic of post #30 look to be hickory from the bark. Great wood to smoke meat with if you're so inclined. I cut some of our hickories into pieces about 8" long for use in my son's barrel smoker. Hickory is superior firewood for BTU output too.

You're getting some good sunlight onto the ground there. Things are looking good.

As for the Wasp broadhead in the tree ………………. come on - you can 'fess up to your buddies here. If that was your miss …………… we'll keep it a secret !!

 

[Livesintrees]

Those dropped trees in the foreground of the 2nd pic of post #30 look to be hickory from the bark. Great wood to smoke meat with if you're so inclined. I cut some of our hickories into pieces about 8" long for use in my son's barrel smoker. Hickory is superior firewood for BTU output too.

You're getting some good sunlight onto the ground there. Things are looking good.

As for the Wasp broadhead in the tree ………………. come on - you can 'fess up to your buddies here. If that was your miss …………… we'll keep it a secret !!

The trees in that pic were in rough shape so although they weren’t doing anything canopy wise I dropped them. And that’s not my broadhead! I knew what it was immediately bc i shot wasp sst 100’s for ten years! The area is a work in progress but as slow as it seems to go I know each day I put in its getting better. Cut and cleaned up some more today. It doesn’t feel like work, but the winds today beat the crap outta me