The Sandbox

[Bowsnbucks]

Bur - I did some research and found that for my area w/ heavier, clayish soil, it's best to put some lime down now for planting next spring. The reason is - it takes longer for lime or other nutrients to get down into the root zone in heavier soil. In thinner soil, lime & nutrients leach out of the soil quicker - so the info says. I wasn't aware of the timing factor for various soils. I know you guys are sandier up there from your posts. I take from the reading that the more organic material and silt/loam in a given soil profile, the longer the nutrients stick around.

I try to learn & pick up as much good info as possible. That's why I'm on these forums all the time - learning from all of you guys - and sharing what I can. Thanks, Bur, for your info on crabs. I'm a big crab fan too, same as you.

 

[sandbur]

I work that lime into about a 2 foot area in Sept. You should probably work it into a bigger area if planting larger trees. I am anticipating trying my hand at grafting again and putting the trees directly into their final resting place.

Working the soil a bit now will get it black and it will thaw quicker in the spring if you want to get your apples in early. I feel getting them in place early is important on some lighter soils.

 

[sandbur]

And leads to the other rye patch.
View attachment 1884

I walked my trails for the last time before rifle season. We had some high winds and I took the chainsaw to cut up down trees.

The rye is green, but not many tracks in the tiny patches.

 

[sandbur]

Two crabs were put to bed for the winter.

 

[sandbur]

and these three crabs decided to stay put.

 

[sandbur]

Up in the north country, I broadcasted the fertilizer, a bit of chicken manure, and some rye on the wooded trail.

The dead grass raked off better on the ground sprayed months ago, as compared to the recently sprayed ground in the foreground.View attachment 1833

Best success was where it was sprayed earlier in the year. I just raked this rye in.

 

[sandbur]

I ran across some family photos while at deer camp. 1945

 

[leexrayshady]

awesome pics art

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Nice pix from the 40's, Bur! Those are some BIG deer.

I just planted a seedling apple / crab? that I started from a seed this past winter. I planted it at my camp and screened/fenced it for the winter. It was about 4 ft. tall at planting. We'll see how it does this winter. Judging from the leaves, I think it'll be a crab of some sort.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

i love those vintage deer camp pics! that is just awesome! After my grandfather passed away back in August my dad and i have been keeping an eye out for pictures as we are going through his house. Somewhere he has pics of buck that he shot when he was 16 or 17 that had "44 countable" points...could hang a ring on. It supposedly had 12 tines over 6". He killed it in 1933 or 1934 and it was a BIG deal locally. The Game Commission gave him a citation and paid for it to be mounted. The mount was stolen from the family hunting cabin some time in the 1960's.

 

[sandbur]

Art that is some very cool pic's!!!!! I'm betting those guys were some darn tough sons of b*tches.

My Dad and uncle are the two guys in the middle.

 

[sandbur]

I have the old head mount of my Dad's with the 6 point with his license tag from 1945. my cuz has the twelve pointer that my uncle shot.
About their two biggest deer and both shot the same day. Dad's weighed 225. Many big deer were shot right after WWII.
I heard the stories so many times and can still show you where they were killed.

 

[wiscwhip]

Awesome photos and story bur! Thanks again for sharing. Guys that hunted back in those days had some real woodsmanship skills, no trail cams, no gps, just themselves against the wily whitetails of the northwoods!

 

[chummer]

I love those old pics. I have to find the ones I used to look at as a kid. No idea who has them.

 

[foggy]

Pretty neat Art. Good story of your dad and uncle. :)

 

[Greta&Gus]

They were bagging some nice bucks back then.

I am seriously impressed with all of the habitat improvements, you should be tripping over deer.

 

[sandbur]

Pretty neat Art. Good story of your dad and uncle. :)

Tom-I know you used to hunt the Old Grade. These were shot a few miles west of there. Wasn't there an article in Sports Afield or one of the big 3 magazines back then on the '60's about hunting the Old Grade?

 

[foggy]

Tom-I know you used to hunt the Old Grade. These were shot a few miles west of there. Wasn't there an article in Sports Afield or one of the big 3 magazines back then on the '60's about hunting the Old Grade?

I have not seen that article. The "old grade" is mostly a public area of about 40 miles wide and 20 miles "deep" of wilderness area - mostly in Cass County. Lots of bears and wolves, and holds a moose every now and again. Guys that hunt there now say that the wolves have taken over the area. I know folks that go up the grade road and howl for wolves at night. Most always hear them howl back I'm told. I need to do that sometime.

In the past I hunted coyotes, bear, and deer up the grade. Called coyotes in the light of the moon years ago.....and after no success....we crossed wolf tracks (big pack too) on our way out. They came to within about 100 yards of us.....and musta made us. Kinda livens your step in the dark. ;)

The huge white pine logs that came off the RR "Grade" were used to build many cities in America. Like our deer herd today.....folks thought the supply was endless. (threw that in there for you Art. ;) )

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Pix of our ancestors, be they immediate or further back, are always neat to look at. It gives us a sense of the " pioneer " they had in them and of the hardships they faced. My Pop used to tell me of hunts they had and where they took place. I have a few pix of Pop and my uncles and the deer and rows of rabbits they shot when running dogs. Nothing like some hunting history to see where you came from and how you caught " the bug ".

Bur - My crabapple planting comments in post #182 above were in response to your Oct. posts about putting your crabs " to bed " for the winter. Looking back on MY post, it seems like my crab comments came from out of the blue !!! I hadn't read your " Sandbox " thread in a few weeks. I was getting caught up. Are your crabapples holding up with the recent arctic blast?

 

[sandbur]

I have not really looked at them for about three weeks. I need to check and see if the deer are using them. During rifle season, there were a few fawn tracks under the chestnut and Colombia crabs at the edge of my yard.

This snow will not hurt the crabs in the root trappers that are sunk in the garden. Those crabs are tough.