Farmhunter's Habitat Managment and Improvements

[farmhunter]

Nice to see everyone here - I'll have fun catching up with many and getting some posts in.
I'm going to grab a few pics from my old thread - but will spend most of my time posting new information.

Property: 180 acres - family land - been in family since 1829.
Upstate NY, Snowbelt SE of Syracuse -

Lodging - 2 hunting cabins.


My Camp was started in 1990 -

And my cousin's camp - we built the polebarn with camp addition in the early 2000s.

We are lucky that both our fathers still hunt with us. This was part of their family farm - and though the original building are long gone -

Hunting season for us is a real gathering of family and friends -

 

[wbpdeer]

I like your camp.
Makes me what to crank the season up right now.

 

[farmhunter]

sometimes we get some snow in the winter.....

Once the snow starts to melt back -I can get out to look for shed antlers -

I started the year with some shed hunting and found a dozen or so - found a nice set together from one of my goal bucks last fall -

shed hunting for me is a spring passion -before I can work the farm. I search our properties and other local areas as well - until I can get to work on the fields.

If you know me - we plant a good bit for deer. Each year is a continuation of the prior year - and also there are new plantings and habitat improvement projects. This year isn't much different - had all the applicable plots frost seeded with clovers before April 1st - and all the plots to plow done by 4/24.

one of several last fall plots - with winter wheat coming back - even though I planted clover with the mix in Sept - I frost seeded clovers over the top in March - I want a clover dominant plot come June! This is a pipeline pic that transcends the entire length of our properties - we have several plots along it.

Just a couple looks at my plowed plots - did about 8 acres total - and put new points, shins, and lands on the old 420 IH 2 bottom plow - it was in dire need! I wont bore you with too many dirt pictures!

Plows with new steel before plowing

Plows after 8 acres of plowing -

my rocks tend to shine them up nice - when I was all done I spray painted them up good.


A couple dirt pics - the revamped plow did a nice quick job with some cooperating weather. I left most of a nice clover strip in one field.

Terry's field -

 

[farmhunter]

corn was planted 5/20 and 5/22.
soybeans were all in by 5/30.

Had some trouble with the corn planter so i'm hopeful that it all comes well enough. Mostly worried about the corn - but its all in now - so fingers crossed.

Was really really dry - here's one of the plots

 

[farmhunter]

June 12th - Got 1/2 the grass/clover plots mowed this weekend - John will mow the pipeline plots this week and then we'll decide what gets sprayed for fall planting if any -

 

[farmhunter]

July 19th - So far this year - things have gone well. Seemed that the dry June had things kind of held back for a bit - but now its opening up.

starting to prepare and plant turnips and clover now. The turnips were all planted on 7/19. And the oats/clover plots (2 of them) will be planted in early August.
We will sprinkle some turnips into those plots as well - just a few -

More to come soon,

 

[farmhunter]

Along with the plots - my summer project this year is "The South Tower" - Last year we built "The North Tower" during bow season, and we were lucky enough to take several doe out of it the late season over the beans. With our Dad's well into their 70's and a couple older guest hunters and some young ones coming up - this has proved to be an exciting option for us. We already have several box blinds in use -

This is the North Tower built last fall

The Ticket Booth (literally need a ticket to hunt it most weekends) it has a 500 yd view down and up the pipeline.

the view from the other side - looking across to the ticket booth

The Icebox - is TOO SMALL - but it has accounted for quite a few deer and its easy to stay warm inside it tucked in the hemlocks

We have a couple two man boxes on skids that we can move around - here is two of them.

so the South Tower will overlook the main field - it will have a tree screened back entrance - and it will replace the "black box" one man tower stand that has been so good to us over the years -especially in the late seasons.

the tower frame is old pallet racking - and the box will be 8 x 4 x 6 ft about 7 or 8 ft up. The holes are about 3 ft deep with 4x4s that the frame bolts too - and the fram feet are into the cement.

more to come - we are prefabbing the box -and are about 1/2 done - hope to start to get it up in place this sunday

 

[Satguy]

Nice looking set up

 

[dogdoc]

Dang, you guys go all out. My dad doesn't deer hunt but he is always willing to help me out with stands and plots.

Great update.

 

[Triple C]

Great to see you on here farmhunter! Another great NY thread. Love the tree pattern on that blind.

 

[farmhunter]

posting a couple property screen shots from Acme Planimeter -

 

[farmhunter]

Maybe this is a better screenshot of how the property is situated -

 

[outdoorstom]

You guys don't screw around with the stands. Beautiful property....thanks for sharing it here!

 

[Flyfixer]

Great property! Love your stands, well done.

 

[Tenured Student]

Nice place farmhunter! I am looking forward to following along.

 

[Fish]

Great to see you posting here, Farmhunter. Cabin is sweet!

 

[wbpdeer]

Farmhunter - I really like how you build your shooting houses. The 4 by 4 in the ground and then going with the rack steel is great engineering. Good job on this thread. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Tenured Student]

Farmhunter- Is that a potential candidated for Jeep Rebuilding Thread I see in one of the pictures?

 

[Sam]

Great thread and cant wait to have hunt cable i really like the look of yours!! +1 on the jeep thread we have YJ and a JKU.

 

[Flyfixer]

Great pics! Love the stack of sheds. Your plots look great and it looks like you have plenty of nice stands to watch over them.