Stone Branch, build it, they will come.

DSC01768 (1200 x 900).jpg

A bunch of maples

DSC01829 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC01830 (1200 x 900).jpg
up in the white zone

sb_LI (3) (1300 x 639) (1250 x 613).jpg
got hurt. I hinged some, girdled some, dropped some big ones, cut off a lot of little ones.

DSC01834 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC01971 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC01978 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC02000 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC02005 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC02007 (1200 x 900).jpg

G
 
Last edited:
I hacked and squirt the maples on the ridge top

DSC02013 (1200 x 900).jpg
and tossed out some seed which germinated very well in the leaf duff that I couldn't get to burn, they need the leaves to die quicker so that they can get some sun.

DSC02050 (1200 x 900).jpg
I bumped some deer out of the area that I worked that I refer to as the kill zone, purple area. I dumped out seed, fert, and lime in this area also before I left.

DSC01873 (1200 x 900).jpg
My two acre hinge cut looks pretty awesome

DSC01820 (1200 x 900).jpg
with lots of browse all around the edges

DSC01855 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC01856 (1200 x 900).jpg
I planted a couple of high price chestnuts next to my clear cut food plot. I had someone help themselves to my cages that I had down in the little shed.

DSC01776 (1200 x 900).jpg
The clear cut plot exploded before my eyes.

DSC01965 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC01966 (1200 x 900).jpg

G
 
My first food plot attempt in the green area that I burned and planted pretty much went to weeds

DSC01905 (1200 x 900).jpg
I have to look in the shade to find any plants that I sowed.

DSC01908 (1200 x 900).jpg
I went down and met the guy who lived on the property, his cousin came over too, I let them know that I was concerned about my stuff walking off and they are on camera. The fella mentioned that I should be a good guy and let 4 wheelers and horse riders through. Well some 4 wheelers came through and this is the garbage that they discarded in about the first 100 yards that they traveled on my property. I later picked up several more beer cans.

DSC01836 (1200 x 900).jpg
I share my outhouse with a tarantula.

DSC01999 (1200 x 900).jpg
A neat water snake up in the road wetlands

DSC02017 (1200 x 900).jpg
and another one of these that I found down about 10 yards up from the outhouse.

DSC01931 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC01936 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC01933 (1200 x 900).jpg
I cleaned up and planted my cabin plot.

DSC02028 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC02030 (1200 x 900).jpg

G
 
Welcome back! Nice work on the clear cut, some of that growth is amazing. You building a house or a barn on that pad?

Gates, no trespassing signs, and well placed cameras make good neighbors. Expect it to take a year or two for everyone to get the message, at least that was my experience. It was a free for all before I bought my place, but not anymore. Find a neighbor you can trust. I'm pretty lucky in that regard.
 
1. That’s not a tarantula. Big wolf spider.

2. Are you ready for fencing yet?

I know its not a tarantula, it is a dolomedes tenebrosus- fishing spider.

I'm not quite ready for the fence yet.

Good to hear from you. I thought one of your pets might have bit you!

Were all still getting along.

Welcome back! Nice work on the clear cut, some of that growth is amazing. You building a house or a barn on that pad?

Gates, no trespassing signs, and well placed cameras make good neighbors. Expect it to take a year or two for everyone to get the message, at least that was my experience. It was a free for all before I bought my place, but not anymore. Find a neighbor you can trust. I'm pretty lucky in that regard.

Thanks OldOak

I have enough pictures to start prosecuting trespassers.

The pad will be my shop.

DSC01982 (1200 x 900).jpg
I left the front door open while I was moving in and

DSC01940 (1200 x 900).jpg
had a visitor drop by.

DSC01944 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC01957 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC01959 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC01962 (1200 x 900).jpg

G
 
Before and

DSC02031 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC02035 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC02036 (1200 x 900).jpg

after of one of my driveway plots. .309 acres

DSC02045 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC02047 (1200 x 900).jpg

I'm thinking that I bought a snake farm.

DSC02041 (1200 x 900).jpg

DSC02044 (1200 x 900).jpg

G
 
Last edited:
Holy crap, that's a lot of snakes! Head looks a little like a rattler, but I don't see any rattles.

You've been a busy man! Place looks awesome, other than the snake roommate. That might make me start thinning the ranks a little bit. On the other hand, mice shouldn't be much of a problem.
 
I'm guessing you just have a keen eye for finding those snakes. If not that, then you did truly buy a snake farm. Does P&Y or B&C have a category for rattlesnakes?
 
I would have went through about a case of shotgun shells by now, not scared of snakes but when the are that close to the house or crapper I'd get a little jumpy!

Other than the venom dispensers place is looking great!
 
Looking good G. Sorry you can't make it to WV this week, we will do some other time. I think I said something about snakes when we were talking about buying that property. But I think once you quit clearing up their homeplace and rid of the old buildings they love, they will quiet down. Put some cattle on that place, that will take care of them. Big buck kill this fall should make you ignore the snakes. I like the machine shop, wouldn't mind just having that for a cabin.
 
I know its not a tarantula, it is a dolomedes tenebrosus- fishing spider.

I'm not quite ready for the fence yet.



Were all still getting along.



Thanks OldOak

I have enough pictures to start prosecuting trespassers.

The pad will be my shop.

View attachment 16174
I left the front door open while I was moving in and

View attachment 16175
had a visitor drop by.

View attachment 16176

View attachment 16177

View attachment 16179

View attachment 16178

G
That's a nice looking cabin. Are you doing the carpentry yourself?
 
Holy crap, that's a lot of snakes! Head looks a little like a rattler, but I don't see any rattles.

You've been a busy man! Place looks awesome, other than the snake roommate. That might make me start thinning the ranks a little bit. On the other hand, mice shouldn't be much of a problem.

Too many snakes, I’d be thinking about selling..... How do walk around knowing they are hiding everywhere.

Just a copperhead or 10 :). Nice to see things coming along.

For all the things we deal with in the north, I'm glad snakes aren't one of them.

I'm guessing you just have a keen eye for finding those snakes. If not that, then you did truly buy a snake farm. Does P&Y or B&C have a category for rattlesnakes?

Indiana Jones....snakes, why is it always snakes?

I knew that I was buying into Wild Kentucky and the snakes are just part of the special nature of the place. While I am conscious of and keep my eyes open these snakes don't have much effect on how I do things other than wearing a head light at night and my mountain boots off path. I may feel differently if me or Tank gets bitten. But my guess is that Tank has probably met as many or more copperheads than I during the course of his daily travels hunting the rock, cement, junk piles, bordering wilds, and in and out of the creeks. I'm finding the copperheads to be rather conflict adverse. When corned they take a defensive position but in the field they are just heading for the hills.

Looking good G. Sorry you can't make it to WV this week, we will do some other time. I think I said something about snakes when we were talking about buying that property. But I think once you quit clearing up their homeplace and rid of the old buildings they love, they will quiet down. Put some cattle on that place, that will take care of them. Big buck kill this fall should make you ignore the snakes. I like the machine shop, wouldn't mind just having that for a cabin.

I would have liked the timing to have worked out better, it is not every day that you get to meet two habitat legends. I will probably start with chickens for snake control. I will be starting a similar build on blocks soon for living space.

That's a nice looking cabin. Are you doing the carpentry yourself?

I am the designer, producer, and helper but it is my neighbors who are the build crew.

I botched my driveway camera surveillance by deleting and/or improperly running the camera I lost coverage in April and two weeks in March while the thieves were helping themselves to my stuff. I have more cameras up now.

It seems that I have one big girl dominating the clear cut food plot up on the hill, she looks to have dropped her load but I have yet to picture any fawns.

IMG_0132 (1200 x 675).jpg
My target buck.

IMG_0028 (1) (1200 x 675).jpg
Some one asked me if I am seeing bobcats and I said no then I looked at my pictures more closely to find that they are regulars on my north line camera.

IMG_0226 (1200 x 675).jpg

IMG_0229 (1200 x 675).jpg
Deer are using the path but I'm seeing more cats, coyote, coons, and turkeys. No trespassers thus far.

IMG_0412 (1200 x 675).jpg

G
 
Last edited:
Back
Top