The Little Woods

[Bowsnbucks]

I don’t see near as many people hunting bunnies as I used too, when I was a kid almost all the boys in school skipped if the opener fell on a school day.

Same here in Pa. We used to see fields and hillsides with lines of guys in orange safety gear hunting small game in most parts of the state. Not so anymore. For economic reasons, farmers don't let fields go fallow into weeds like they used to, or have brushy fencerows either. Many old fencerows have been scalped and turned into production acres. The old weed fields that used to hold rabbits, pheasants, and some woodcock are productive fields now, or have been sold into "developments." My relatives and I used to flush pheasants and rabbits out of so many weed fields on a regular basis.

The never-ending push to pave over and "develop" everything that's green and natural cuts animal numbers ------- and hunter numbers as well. My wife is even disgusted with the "developing" of sooo many green spots around our home area. Where are hunters supposed to hunt when so much is being cut down, bull-dozed, and paved?? I take solace in reading of the guys on here planting all kinds of habitat for the future generations. Where will people that love to "get out into the country" go ------ when there isn't much "country" left??

You have a couple really great pieces of habitat growing already at the 2 farms, H20. Keep up the GREAT work!!!

 

[Telemark]

Around Dayton the coyotes seem to have decimated the rabbits, or possibly changed their behavior.

 

[H20fwler]

Around Dayton the coyotes seem to have decimated the rabbits, or possibly changed their behavior.

I agree.

Back when I as growing up all through the 70’s bunnies were literally everywhere. We still had quail and pheasant too. In the early 70’s they passed a law protecting birds of prey then coyotes came on the scene in the early 80’s.
We also had a crazy bad blizzard in 78 that wiped out most of the pheasants and quail.

But the absolute worst thing that happened here is what Bowsnbucks hit on…loss of habitat.

Farmers kept expanding dozing off fence rows and filling in wet spots, tiling all their ground. They went full out trying to get every bushel per acre they could. My own father said many times “the only thing prettier than a field full of crops is the smoke of bulldozer”.
The whole mentality of farming changed everyone wanted the clean look from property line to property line. It hurt the wildlife bad, nothing left to eat and no cover. Even farmers in government programs now mow a bunch and spray weeds off in CRP and WRP projects wanting them clean looking too.
I’ve got a good friend that loves to hunt, he has a few hundred acres that he farms. Comes out to our farms and really loves to see the back to nature of it. I’ve told him a few times to break off a few acres of his and let it go wild, plant habitat stuff in it. He screws up his face and acts like I slapped him, in his mind he just has to plant every inch of ground..I think he is funny, he must think I’m crazy.

All one has to do is look at ground this time of year, is there good cover, is there food. If not no wildlife or not much, thats all it takes.

To me that is why sites like this are so important to help change that mentality and to help teach others how to manage for wildlife sharing ideas. And it is just fun and addictive!

 

[Tree Spud]

I agree.

Back when I as growing up all through the 70’s bunnies were literally everywhere. We still had quail and pheasant too. In the early 70’s they passed a law protecting birds of prey then coyotes came on the scene in the early 80’s.
We also had a crazy bad blizzard in 78 that wiped out most of the pheasants and quail.

But the absolute worst thing that happened here is what Bowsnbucks hit on…loss of habitat.

Farmers kept expanding dozing off fence rows and filling in wet spots, tiling all their ground. They went full out trying to get every bushel per acre they could. My own father said many times “the only thing prettier than a field full of crops is the smoke of bulldozer”.
The whole mentality of farming changed everyone wanted the clean look from property line to property line. It hurt the wildlife bad, nothing left to eat and no cover. Even farmers in government programs now mow a bunch and spray weeds off in CRP and WRP projects wanting them clean looking too.
I’ve got a good friend that loves to hunt, he has a few hundred acres that he farms. Comes out to our farms and really loves to see the back to nature of it. I’ve told him a few times to break off a few acres of his and let it go wild, plant habitat stuff in it. He screws up his face and acts like I slapped him, in his mind he just has to plant every inch of ground..I think he is funny, he must think I’m crazy.

All one has to do is look at ground this time of year, is there good cover, is there food. If not no wildlife or not much, thats all it takes.

To me that is why sites like this are so important to help change that mentality and to help teach others how to manage for wildlife sharing ideas. And it is just fun and addictive!

And all this habitat destruction is being funded by the Gov't, yet they are also paying for habitat creation. What a waste of money.

 

[Telemark]

And all this habitat destruction is being funded by the Gov't, yet they are also paying for habitat creation. What a waste of money.

The goal of a bureaucracy is not to find solutions, but to preserve and expand the bureaucracy itself.

 

[H20fwler]

Been awhile since I updated this thread with everything that has gone on in the past year at this farm.
For anyone that doesn’t know, we built a barn house and moved out to this farm in early summer.

So with that said….my boys were absolutely positive with us putting the pond in and building/ moving out here the hunting was compromised.

Didn’t end up being the case at all. Our yard with pond is around four acres and the woods is eight, we have literally had deer in our yard every week since we moved in. Mostly mornings and evenings but some during the day. Also see bunnies squirrels coon and all kinds of cool birds. The wife and I love to nature watch and having our dog Darcy running around doesn’t seem to bother, the coming and going mowing fishing swimming family events and very loud talking wife have not seemed to effect the wildlife one bit.

So on with the update;
All through the summer we had a doe with twins around, see them almost every evening, we put those off limits to the boys because they are almost like pets. I was seeing a lot of rubs around the outside of woods (I don’t go in it in summer) and a nice scrape line down the west side this fall.


The doe with twins last night


Coming home one evening right before dark in October I was just about 100 yards from my driveway when a really nice buck trotted across road in front of me going towards the river to the north. He was REALLY nice, I’ve shot a 159 7/8” and he was easily bigger. I watched him go north for at least a minute..he was way past his ears wide with sweet mass.
That got my attention, I saw him again a couple weeks earlier one morning for ten seconds back by the bee hives. Saw lots of huge tracks around yard along woods and around pond that I assumed were his. I’m not hung up on horns like a lot of guys but that one was pretty cool. I started calling him Big Boy.

To the south of me about a mile I found out a couple groups of guys were hunting along a small creek and one of them showed me pics of the buck and asked if I’d seen him. Honestly I didn’t like any of that even though I know none of the deer are “mine”. I am snobbish being a landowner while they are all townies and I admit it.

Soooo…early November

I go out early it was just starting to get light. I only had a couple hundred yard walk to my bucket in the weeds on SE corner of little woods. Only spot I had to hunt with south west wind.

I looped way out in bean stubble to east about half way there this big bodied deer comes angling out to me in the half dark and stops maybe 40 yards in front of me. Still just to dark to see good but legal, couldn’t really tell buck or big doe…I was loaded and aiming with red dots on but couldn’t make it out good enough.
This Mexican stand off goes on for like two minutes and xbow is gaining weight.
Finally it trots off to south.
Still not sure exactly what it was because of poor light.

Then after I’m on corner sitting for twenty minutes this big button we have been seeing comes out next to me maybe ten feet away. Couple minutes after that all hell broke loose with deer chasing all over in the bean stubble.

Obviously a doe that was in heat was stirring everybody up, deer started chasing out of the south side of our woods. A few fawns a big doe a forky and one decent buck that was good enough for me. The bigger buck just kept chasing everyone and grunting, it went on for 15-20 minutes. One time he got within 50-60 yards of me but was moving. Every one of the others came right over by me off course but not the one I wanted.
Then whichever one was close to being in heat ran into the woods and the seven other deer followed her in. They ran around grunting like pigs breaking branches and making all kinds of noise. After ten minutes or so they settled down and it got quiet. I sat for another hour nothing. The bucket was getting very uncomfortable to say the least. I sat it out as long as my back could take then looped way out around back to the house.

A couple pics from the rodeo off vids I sent to my boys.


All literally in my back yard.

I poked my head out a few times during the day and every time I heard them in there. I waited for the wind shift I knew was happening in the afternoon switching NE so I could get up in the locust tree and hopefully get a shot. I knew this was one of those days we wait all year for.

Went back out at 4:00 looped way west to sw corner stand in locust tree like a ghost ninja. Started seeing does and fawns almost immediately. A few does came in from woods to south and it started getting noisy with chasing and grunting in the woods.

I had three does behind me ten yards feeding in corn stubble to west and a few out along s edge of woods sixty yards in bean stubble feeding towards me. And a button right under me.
Deer were chasing around in woods I saw the nice buck from that morning through brush, I was totally fine with him. I got ready with the new Tenpoint xbow I had switched to this year.
They chased and grunted in woods awhile then this big doe comes out west side of woods cutting behind me…with a huge buck..Big Boy twice her body size right on her ass. I ranged him at forty yards bleated at him he was still moving and I shot.

Arrow spun in like a crashing fighter plane and hit ground ten yards before it got to him! I’ve got lighted nocks.

I was like WTF?
Doe and big buck went to woods to south west 300 yards away.
Then buck from this morning squirts out s end and trots off to creek to south.
Then deer start pouring out of our woods to neighbors woods behind ours to south w. A seven point I hadn’t seen came out right under me.

I look at xbow and string is off the cams? Fk Fk Fk. Of all the times for that to happen.
it didn’t really blow up but sounded very weird when I shot.

I had no idea that the big buck was in there.

Craziest day I’ve ever had bow hunting. Saw over twenty deer I think. A lot of them were no doubt repeat sightings that day. Maybe the best day ever in a stand and I didn’t shoot a deer….but what a show!




Took xbow to cabelas next day, they took it all apart inspected it good put it back together and it is tip top again. I must have gotten a twig or weed between cam and cable somehow. It could have been worse I guess.

Talked with the farmer next door neighbor who does not hunt last week. He said he had just seen the big buck earlier in the week right behind our woods…so he made it through gun and is still around!
So that was my big excitement hunting this fall.

I’ll drop a few landscape pics I’ve taken this fall.

Sunrise





The sunsets here are spectacular






Edit 1/5/24 added todays sunrise

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

That pond looks awesome. Are those reeds or wild rice starting to grow around the edges or is that something else? I'm sure you mentioned it before, but is there an outlet that prevents the pond from overflowing? The water level looks about perfect.

 

[H20fwler]

That pond looks awesome. Are those reeds or wild rice starting to grow around the edges or is that something else? I'm sure you mentioned it before, but is there an outlet that prevents the pond from overflowing? The water level looks about perfect.

Thanks
The stuff sticking up is just some dead weed tops that were growing when we topped the pond off with the hydrant, bringing it up 5’ this summer.
Yes, we have a 4” overflow pipe in the SW corner that goes to drain tile.



Thinking of adding a key way this summer in the lowest edge also this summer when I get a load of stone.
I’ve got a waterway that runs between pond and woods that would work good to run off excess water if we ever get a few days of really heavy rain when pond is full if drain gets overwhelmed or plugged.

Edit for pics 1/5/24

 

[H20fwler]

Checked out the orchard on the south side of woods and hit the trees with a little triple 12. This was the first wildlife orchard I put in and it definitely does not get the attention it deserves, I need to rent a skid loader with a bush hog attachment and clean it up to help the trees out. I have 25-30ish apple and pear planted in this one.









The koi pond has refilled after last years dry summer, still amazes me how the wildlife enjoy the pea green water in it.


Mushroom season is just kicking off good here, have had a couple decent picking days.
Grandsons just like getting out but don’t seem to care much about shrooms yet.




This is where the leech bed ended up having to go on our barn build and how it turned out I hated having to put it into the edge of the woods but that is where the over reaching zealots at the county board of health decided it would be best.
I made it into a food plot and planted it to Durana and Ladino last summer. The deer sure seem to like it and we spot them over there often.




Was putting mulch down on a few new fruit trees in the north side orchard and spotted this guy, I thought it was just a weird colored baby garter but after looking it up found out it was a northern brown snake. It was full grown, I guess they only get about 12” and eat slugs and snails.

 

[H20fwler]

Cont;

The new orchard on the north side of woods, I think we are up to 63-64 apple and pear in it now.






Splitting a couple of the hives, the girls have been really busy with the warm weather.


The Black Hill spruce are growing well, had to straighten a few up this spring that had a little lean from wind.


I see lots of birds nesting in and around the spruce getting use out of them.


Had a bunny nest about five feet from the door of our barn house this spring, grandkids enjoyed checking on them the few weeks they were there.


The deer are enjoying the pond and beach, we see new tracks around the yard every morning.


Grandkids have sure enjoyed the pond this spring too, we are looking forward to swimming and fishing this summer.


A couple weeks ago I did a hunting lease on the 70 acres butting up to this farm. That will give us a few more options and I can run off the road hunters next fall and winter that are getting to close.

Really enjoying living back in country.

 

[H20fwler]

It’s been really busy around here. Will do a quick update.

Some of the apples and pears fruited some this spring I picked most off, left a couple Yates on and a few Asian pears.
A hand full of the BlueHill trees plant d spring of 23 are fruiting pretty good even after thinning hard…Road Kill and Lock Down are these two I think? Tags have blown off and I didn’t look at the orchard map.





Planted three chestnuts behind the pond in the old easement last week. Also have a few persimmons and pecans back there with a bunch of hybrid willow and ROD cuttings. Want it the grow into a nice thick thirty foot wide strip to the woods.



Have been babysitting on my days off…middle grandson loves to fish all the time. So a couple dozen minnows and it’s on. He is so funny to watch as excited as he gets.
The bigger perch are around a foot long and the smallies have really grown thick, they put up a nice fight for him.



Seeing bunnies all over the yard in the evenings, and the deer don’t seem to mind us living here at all.
It’s still a bachelor pad all summer with mostly bucks hanging out.
Three are pretty interesting, a decent ten, a heavy one with a couple kickers and one basket with double main beams and some crazy non typical stuff going on.






They have a month yet of growing to do but I like what they are doing so far.

 

[Bill]

I like when they get that crazy junk going on. My trees must be in the wrong spots. Haven't grown much and no signs of fruit. But I can't water them so there is that..

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Great fun to be had with grandkids. Your little guy seems tuned-in to fishing already!!

Nice bucks. Good chow at your places. Young trees look good too. Our camp has a Roadkill crab planted last spring. Hoping it kicks butt like Blue Hill's pics of it.

 

[H20fwler]

I like when they get that crazy junk going on. My trees must be in the wrong spots. Haven't grown much and no signs of fruit. But I can't water them so there is that..

I like the junk too, one of us will prolly not be able to pass it given the chance.
I only water the newly planted trees first year, after that they better have some roots going.

Great fun to be had with grandkids. Your little guy seems tuned-in to fishing already!!

Nice bucks. Good chow at your places. Young trees look good too. Our camp has a Roadkill crab planted last spring. Hoping it kicks butt like Blue Hill's pics of it.

Thank Bows! You are right he is all about fishing all the time..he found an old broken beat up 1950’s pump cork shooter tucked in the corner that about three generations of us have played with as kids and drags it everywhere now. Pretend shoots all kind of mounts on the walls and drags it outside just in case he sees a coyote!
I’ve been very happy with the growth and stamina on the BlueHill trees.

The two year old Asian pears I let keep a little fruit this year just to get a taste this fall. They are very precocious all on OHXF97

Hosui


Shinko


Chojuro


I’ve got a couple Korean Giant/Olympic planted in the new orchard but no fruit set yet, along with one other Asian pear and a dozen other varieties of pears.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

They are very precocious all on OHXF97

This is reported to be a super rootstock for pears. Bigger tree too, if I remember correctly.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

he found an old broken beat up 1950’s pump cork shooter tucked in the corner that about three generations of us have played with as kids and drags it everywhere now. Pretend shoots all kind of mounts on the walls and drags it outside just in case he sees a coyote!

That's just too cool !! Those cork guns were lots of fun when I was a kid. Don't hear of them anymore - times change. Happy to hear your little guy is having a blast with it. Future hunter, maybe .......

 

[H20fwler]

That's just too cool !! Those cork guns were lots of fun when I was a kid. Don't hear of them anymore - times change. Happy to hear your little guy is having a blast with it. Future hunter, maybe .......

I look for that one to shoot his first deer by five years old. Should be able to out of the shooting house, no deer is off limits for the grandkids.
He is a natural, all about the outdoors. Had him plant some fruit trees with me this spring, when I marked them on the orchard map I side noted him helping.
I’ve got him peeing in the yard and drinking out of the hydrant, he is all boy. My daughter just laughs when he talks about his adventures with grandpaw.

 

[H20fwler]

 

[H20fwler]

This was killed last week about two miles from this property.
I never had it on camera but a neighbor did.
Seems about every 3-4 years a booner gets killed in our neighborhood. And I live in one of the lowest deer harvest counties in the state.

Gets me stoked for rut!
Should start next week around here and I’m off most of the next three weeks.

 

[H20fwler]

Few more pics of the big buck killed close to me;




One of him on the hoof a neighbor got




And a sunset pic from tonight…simply amazing this time of year.
And our yard is finally looking like something.