The Sandbox

[sandbur]

I found one more seedling crab that is holding some fruit.

 

[SmallChunk]

Dang Bur, that must've been a good buck that made that rub! I need to get more pines planted on my spot, on the to do list!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Nice looking spruce, fir, and seedling crab. From the looks of that rub, there must be at least ONE good buck around your place, Bur.

The seedling crabs - do you start 'em from seed yourself or buy them as a whip? Local seed source?

 

[sandbur]

For about 5 years, I started crabs from seed. I used wild crabs for all but one year when I used dolgo seed. On the dark side, there is a link on how I grew them from seed-Crazy Ed put it together with all of his apple information.

 

[sandbur]

Dang Bur, that must've been a good buck that made that rub! I need to get more pines planted on my spot, on the to do list!

I favor spruce/fir over pines.

A non-typical was killed about 1.5 miles north from my place on opening day. My neighbor had pictures of him from last summer when he was staying one mile west of me. Evidently he had broken some points off by the time he was killed. (I almost hit him with the car in June.) I guess no one weighed/aged him, but he was a nice deer.

 

[sandbur]

A before picture.

And about 1.5 tanks of gas later.

 

[sandbur]

I carried these spruce back into the tag alders years ago in buckets.

I have another patch of these spruce in the tags that need releasing, but there are a few rubs in there,also.

Drop the tags this year, or leave them for another year???

 

[sandbur]

Somehow double posted one picture and missed the other.... I'm tempted to leave most of this group to release next year since it is getting some use. One or two small spruce need some help for now.

 

[foggy]

Great pics Art!

 

[Satchmo]

I think you would be right to just cut enough to release those spruce and let the rest stand. That first spot you cut in looks great Art.

 

[*Hawaii5joe*]

Nice pics Art! That place must have more deer then you think??? That was a very nice rub on that tree.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Great pix Bur!! Rubs look like good ones. If the bucks are using the tags in and around the spruce, I'd let them for another year. Then maybe just thin enough to release the spruce you need to open up. If bucks are travelling thru there, it must look good to THEM.

 

[sandbur]

Today, I finished up releasing just a few more spruce.

This is a quarter mile long strip between a restored wetland and rental ag land. I leave this area is part of one sanctuary.

The outside edge is screened by spruce and I added some spruce at a couple of locations inside the tags. These clumps of spruce are at crossings of the swamp. Here are a couple of views from the field side.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Great looking cover, Bur !! I'd like to have that row of spruce along one of our mountain roads. Too many road - shooting low-life in northern Pa.

What kind of spruce? How far apart were they planted to fill in so well?

 

[sandbur]

The outside row is black hills spruce planted at about 15 foot intervals.
Inside are just white spruce that were scattered about. Maybe a few are in rows.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Note to self......... not going to visit Becker Minn. ^^^^^^^^:eek::eek::D

Do Black Hills spruce establish fairly easy Bur?? I see a couple nurseries here in Pa. grow them to sell. In your pix, they look like dandies. Good shape - good branching - thick. Maybe I ought to give a few B.H. spruce a try.

 

[sandbur]

Note to self......... not going to visit Becker Minn. ^^^^^^^^:eek::eek::D

Do Black Hills spruce establish fairly easy Bur?? I see a couple nurseries here in Pa. grow them to sell. In your pix, they look like dandies. Good shape - good branching - thick. Maybe I ought to give a few B.H. spruce a try.

Black hills spruce are a good choice for lighter soils as compared to white spruce. They do grow a bit slower,but tend to be denser.

 

[sandbur]

Love that thermal cover you got there Art! Plus its perrrrrrrty to look at (just like you big fella ;)) :D

Remind me to line up a chaperone and maybe the sheriff for the next time Jeff gets out!

 

[sandbur]

I still have crab apples (and scion) on the sandbox as of Feb. 1. Several seedling crabs are also holding one inch apples.

 

[sandbur]

I have been working on a Cedar Wall to keep deer from getting downwind of a stand.

Here is the outside view.




And here is the inside view.