10 Things to do Before Hunting Season
- Thread starter dogghr
- Start date
Laker
Active Member
He's got an entire chapter in in "A Sand County Almanac" that talks through history and the rings of a tree.
Triple C
Well-Known Member
Ahhhh....Perhaps my most favorite of your challenges. Except I do it in mid to late March just as green up begins this far south. It's a place I seldom visit more than once a year. It's the most secluded beaver pond on the property (not the one I've posted so many pics), and tucked back in to the bottoms and wetlands. I visited this location just 6 weeks ago, always solo and usually on Sunday morning before I leave to head back into the world of interstates, concrete and bustle of human activity. It's what I imagine as being in the presence of the Lord.
Here's a couple of pics. 1st is pic from 2 years ago. Last was same spot about 6 weeks ago. Lord willing, I will visit again the same time next year.
Here's a couple of pics. 1st is pic from 2 years ago. Last was same spot about 6 weeks ago. Lord willing, I will visit again the same time next year.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
dogghr, I always try to do what you tell me to do, but I feel funny setting here staring at this dogwood tree without a gun and a turkey gobbling down over the hill.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Yikes....I knew I forgot something. But at least it didn't ring, and I only took one pic.............
Triple C
Well-Known Member
lak...I have the perfect excuse...AT&T cell service only works at the cabin and not always there. When I drop a 100 ft below the cabin I have the bliss of no cell phone coverage. It truly is a beautiful thing.
dogghr
Well-Known Member
You know where those 2 are from Lak. Nothing but rebels against the system.
If I turn my phone off can I do my meditation challenge right here?!
And yes, I think there could be no better place than put ones feet up to contemplate the inner workings of plant and animal.
dogghr
Well-Known Member
Told you not to waste time getting last challenge done. I've only been to farm for a quick check and made it to my favorite spot on back ridge against my neighbors line. An old chestnut split rail remains with some updated/40 years ago repairs with nails. Bucks favor this east-west ridge and I hunt it hard in rut about 100 yds off the line. I found some new white and red oak sprouts that were only a few inches high and wondered if perhaps the deer would give them a chance, probably not. Quite, peaceful, alone.
Now for Challenge #5. This one is tricky and I told you 4 was going to be a preparation. For this, choose some one to take to your farm. Not another hunter, not a frequent visitor. Preferably someone not into hunting or maybe not even the outdoors. May be a friend, a neighbor, a kid from church or a foster home. You get the idea. Take them for a walkabout on your place. Show them how nature works with its intricacies of everything from the micro to the macro. Let them look close at clover stolons. Let them see how the clover feeds the grass and the grass uses the N and how they both make and improve the soil. Show them a catkin on an oak tree, and tell them how it becomes the mighty acorn. Let them listen to the loud silence of nature. Plant a seed in their fertile mind. Enjoy it with them.
Remember, you can count the seeds of an apple, but you can't count the apples in a seed. You just never know what lives might be changed in future generations by your simple gesture. Get busy, June's challenge is not far away, nor is hunting season.
Now for Challenge #5. This one is tricky and I told you 4 was going to be a preparation. For this, choose some one to take to your farm. Not another hunter, not a frequent visitor. Preferably someone not into hunting or maybe not even the outdoors. May be a friend, a neighbor, a kid from church or a foster home. You get the idea. Take them for a walkabout on your place. Show them how nature works with its intricacies of everything from the micro to the macro. Let them look close at clover stolons. Let them see how the clover feeds the grass and the grass uses the N and how they both make and improve the soil. Show them a catkin on an oak tree, and tell them how it becomes the mighty acorn. Let them listen to the loud silence of nature. Plant a seed in their fertile mind. Enjoy it with them.
Remember, you can count the seeds of an apple, but you can't count the apples in a seed. You just never know what lives might be changed in future generations by your simple gesture. Get busy, June's challenge is not far away, nor is hunting season.
dogghr
Well-Known Member
Yea later than ever I know for Junes challenge. So fire me. I've got too many pans in the fire as it is this year.
Challenge #6. You have to do this soon, as there will be another challenge before the month ends to catch up. And crop rotation season is here for many of us.
This is stolen from Crimsons infamous hole picture. For the first half challenge, go dig at least 3 holes around 2 feet deep. I hit bedrock at 1 foot so no problem for me. Dig at least one hole in virgin never plotted soil, and at least one within your wooded forests. Now look at the soil layers. Notice the structure and depth of roots of the plants in the area. Are they drought resistant? Are they monsoon resistant? Does the monoculture look better than the multiple plant plot? Are they building soil or sucking the life from it? Compare a new plot to an existing one. Compare tillage plot to a non tillage plot. Are there bugs, earthworms, and invertebrete in the soils or is it a desert?
Now think. What can you do to make your soil better and thus have better plots that survive the extremes of weather better? Don't be lazy or biased. Dig those holes. And hurry.
Challenge #6. You have to do this soon, as there will be another challenge before the month ends to catch up. And crop rotation season is here for many of us.
This is stolen from Crimsons infamous hole picture. For the first half challenge, go dig at least 3 holes around 2 feet deep. I hit bedrock at 1 foot so no problem for me. Dig at least one hole in virgin never plotted soil, and at least one within your wooded forests. Now look at the soil layers. Notice the structure and depth of roots of the plants in the area. Are they drought resistant? Are they monsoon resistant? Does the monoculture look better than the multiple plant plot? Are they building soil or sucking the life from it? Compare a new plot to an existing one. Compare tillage plot to a non tillage plot. Are there bugs, earthworms, and invertebrete in the soils or is it a desert?
Now think. What can you do to make your soil better and thus have better plots that survive the extremes of weather better? Don't be lazy or biased. Dig those holes. And hurry.
dogghr
Well-Known Member
Hope you guys dug those holes. Trust me you can learn more from your observations of those various digs than couple hours cruising this forum, and that is a lot cause there is a lot of info on here. But don't take someone else word, discover and evaluate with your own thinking.
Challenge #7... Remember the challenge to learn 5 new trees? Well now go learn at least 5 new brush, grass, or weed types. Again, learn why they grow where they do, the sunlight needed, the soil type, disturbed or undisturbed soils, etc? Learn their fruit if any, there bloom, and how they propagate, are there roots spreading as stolons or more tubor type? Do they seem to have food value for the animals or soil building qualities? Think. Think. Think.
Hurry, the bear dogs are in training and the seasons open in just a couple of months.
Challenge #7... Remember the challenge to learn 5 new trees? Well now go learn at least 5 new brush, grass, or weed types. Again, learn why they grow where they do, the sunlight needed, the soil type, disturbed or undisturbed soils, etc? Learn their fruit if any, there bloom, and how they propagate, are there roots spreading as stolons or more tubor type? Do they seem to have food value for the animals or soil building qualities? Think. Think. Think.
Hurry, the bear dogs are in training and the seasons open in just a couple of months.
dogghr
Well-Known Member
Good areas to investigate as I'd say we do on this forum quite a bit. And indirectly I bet and hope you are actually a part of this in some way. I kinda like to keep a simplistic direction without getting too complicated in our thots. The smartest farmers I've known who managed the best crops and cattle herds, had only the knowledge handed down to them and more importantly their personal observations. Observing and absorbing, now that is what I like.
Last edited:
dogghr
Well-Known Member
So here it is, the final challenge of the year. Yes, I know I said 10 but I forget how early seasons begin anymore. Our seasons now begin in Sept and I assume, some of you have even earlier. I hope you have learned somewhat from the hands on challenges up to now. Even if you were unable to perform the challenges, hopefully they will give you some moments of thot and analysis while you sit your stand this fall just as that book I mentioned in the beginning made the thinking wheels turn.
Challenge #8... Make 2 columns on a sheet of paper or electronic. Important to put these in writing. On one column, list the top 5 things you want to accomplish with the land you hunt before you die. On the other column, list the 5 most important things you want to accomplish in your life before you pass. Now for the final item, write what you would want to be your greatest achievement that you contemplate in the last 5 minutes as you wait for your life to pass away.
Maybe it will change as time goes by, or perhaps even in the early years, one knows the answers they want. Good luck and enjoy your hunting season. Don't ever let the mind become stagnant or complacent but always challenge it to be and do more.
Challenge #8... Make 2 columns on a sheet of paper or electronic. Important to put these in writing. On one column, list the top 5 things you want to accomplish with the land you hunt before you die. On the other column, list the 5 most important things you want to accomplish in your life before you pass. Now for the final item, write what you would want to be your greatest achievement that you contemplate in the last 5 minutes as you wait for your life to pass away.
Maybe it will change as time goes by, or perhaps even in the early years, one knows the answers they want. Good luck and enjoy your hunting season. Don't ever let the mind become stagnant or complacent but always challenge it to be and do more.
