Foodplotting In The Mountains...The Sequel

As I sold my place I tried to inform the new guy what some of all this stuff growing was and it's importance toward achieving our goals. So he had an Amish guy plant it into alfalfa. He also paid a guy to plant 6 acres of beans and corn at $600/acre. The plantings never had a chance from the beginning so he basically traded this for $5000 or more worth of noxious weeds.

8 14 Farm 308 (800 x 600) (1200 x 900).jpg

G
 
As I sold my place I tried to inform the new guy what some of all this stuff growing was and it's importance toward achieving our goals. So he had an Amish guy plant it into alfalfa. He also paid a guy to plant 6 acres of beans and corn at $600/acre. The plantings never had a chance from the beginning so he basically traded this for $5000 or more worth of noxious weeds.

View attachment 9411

G
Well obviously you didn't know of what you spoke because none of the popular mags or seed companies show a mess of crap like is in that pic. What were you thinking? Do you think deer would choose that over a monoculture of the corn, beans and alfalfa he paid to plant? ;)
You know you just can't explain this stuff unless they are ready to learn. I preach all the time and the conversation ends with the question,
" so what bag mixture by what company do you recommend?" !!!! Are you listening? Do you see whats before your eyes? But I guess not. Maybe one day they will accept.
Your pic sure made me homesick for your old place and I was never literally never there. Miss the tours.
As I often say, its not that they don't know, its that they don't know that they don't know. Now that is dangerous with anything.
 
Planting coming to an end as hunting will dominate. Finished my sucking up to my non hunter significant at an Aldean concert. Her fav and a good concert of 3 diff big names. Not sure which were longer the beer lines or crapper lines.
56d85b082daa94d23f83bd8cdb16e53b.jpg


Also squeezed in some fly fishing for brookies on a fav stream. Love that clear water but sure requires some sneaking.
d0a164782fe5e31fe77fadd86e98b86f.jpg


117423405c9881e3329a20176955febc.jpg


And couple days with grandpups. Damn I'm tired. If you want to learn, listen to the children. While riding the oldest on atv he suddenly said that a blue sky was the prettiest thing in the world. I had too look up and take note. He was right. How did I miss that?
He took interest in my brassica plots wanting to k ow everything about them and how they tasted and how I planted them. He pulled up a bunch of them investigating each one as well as the fungus. I was amazed at his interest. And laughed as he got down on his knees to look. Has he read my threads by chance???? And when I showed him the apple, chestnut, pair, and persimmon trees surrounding the alfalfa clover field he said" pops, you're a good farmer"!! I laughed and simply said I did it all for he and his dad to enjoy one day. Kids.
36850c7a4af5ff59d5c3dc0b09bedf31.jpg


A little target practice for them with my bow. What memories they give me and I hope memories they carry into their old age one day.
bf6f6f34f4f2a0af719e71e2a594574f.jpg


Wouldn't it be great if the world learned to think and act as young children? Where do we learn to be so evil?
Enjoy your season. Don't camp in the stand. Get down and still hunt those woods at times and let her and the deer teach you amazing things.
And learn to see things as a child sees them. Amaze yourself. Good luck to all and may you achieve what you desire this season. Thanks to all who have helped me learn so many different things of animal and habitat management. Peace.

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Excellent post as always dogg...those brassicas beat to snot out of mine but that funny little fickle thing called rain or lack of has set us back...

Grand pups are great! I sure enjoy ours :)
 
I spent the night a week ago Saturday night in your neck of the woods. Stayed in Lewisburg WV on our way to Williamsburg VA on business. Really nice area.
 
I spent the night a week ago Saturday night in your neck of the woods. Stayed in Lewisburg WV on our way to Williamsburg VA on business. Really nice area.
That's cool. My farm is about 20 miles south of there. Lewisburg is a great little town driven by a Med school and the Greenbrier Resort as well as large cattle and sheep business.. Best eating is downtown at a couple great places. Favs of mine are Food and Friends or the 100+ yr old General Lewis Inn along with few bar type eateries. If you thru there again give me a heads up and I'll buy you a steak and beer/or milk.
 
That's cool. My farm is about 20 miles south of there. Lewisburg is a great little town driven by a Med school and the Greenbrier Resort as well as large cattle and sheep business.. Best eating is downtown at a couple great places. Favs of mine are Food and Friends or the 100+ yr old General Lewis Inn along with few bar type eateries. If you thru there again give me a heads up and I'll buy you a steak and beer/or milk.
Will definitely give you a heads up next time. Same applies if you are in my neck of the woods.
 
With rain on way over seeded my brassica plots with WR WW and RC. Just mix all together and go. Had nearly 3 inches next day. Timing. Don’t need fancy equipment just some muscle and sweat if you have the desire.

18d3b86dd560d04ac9b0e67304a9939f.jpg


Hunted one cool evening after work. Good stand for acorn fall as they feed along hillside toward plot. Saw 3 bucks. A nice 10 pt showed at 60 yds between me and field. He stood 15 min scent checking before coming by me in the dark. Recurve will shoot 60 yds but not at a deer. Next time.

44e54adea746fe647368a0ef53f35f2c.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Not much going on to show. Bucks don't come in much on my place till weather stays cool since it is mostly all south facing slopes. That's why I like frigid days. Had just enough rain last week or so to get some green but with poor browse from drought, deer have hit plots pretty hard and annuals just didn't have a chance. Deer browsed once again the brassica much too soon and where I used to watch them feed on them till Nov, anymore they are gone by mid Oct. Will be a rethinking of planting them next year. Good for deer, but not so much for hunting. Overall can't complain of drought management since I've kept 70% plots in perennials now and work really hard on natural browse. But it can be depressing when walking thru a hard worked plot to see just brown. Luckily no tillage for 2 years and thus no bare dirt to erode. Guess plots won't make the cover of a mag this year!! But what do I know, I'm just a small time plotter following advice from forum friends.:)
With drought had problems with EHD and numbers were still rebounding from mast failure and 2 bad winters '15,'16. Luckily last year and this, hard and soft mast really good. More deer and doubt will take more than a good buck and perhaps one doe despite them all having twins.
Bears have been a hoot, have pic of two wrestling and laying around. Can't decide if they are siblings or in foreplay. But in WV it could be both, you know!!!!

Leaves have turned, but mostly just brown. This is at the house. I have really nice 8 pt coming to apple tree on rt but these deer are my pets and selfimposed off limits to my hunting.
IMG_0005B.jpg

IMG_0011B.jpg

See why you don't need to worry of baling alfalfa if you don't want? Just make plot size they can maintain. Sometimes I will have to mow high but never have baled. No problem. High, hot, dry. Perfect plant. And please, use an exclusion cage if you are going to worry about success of a plot. Most deemed failures are just browsing by the animals. Proof is in the cage.
IMG_0006B.jpg

Did you stop to take note, or did you just keep barreling on without notice? Why does it grow here? Why this time of year when weather will soon be harsh does it choose to do its plantig? Do you really think you can keep weeds from your plots when nature from miles away is sending you fresh seed? Be realistic. Good stuff to ck wind on stand. Keep in ziplock till needed. Or if you are like me, a doe will let you know where your scent is going.
IMG_0015B.jpg

IMG_0017B.jpg

Sun sets over the new addition of the alfalfa plot. I planted it late Sept with alfalfa, chicory, WR, oats and AWP. No rains hurt but it is starting to come on. Next spring it will be fine. Doubles the size of original alfalfa on this hilltop.
Enjoy your season. Accept what results you have accomplished. Don't worry of tomorrow as today has its own issues. Be happy. Thanks for all the advice. See you in January. Peace.

"The very nature of joy makes nonsense
of our common distinction between having and wanting." --C S Lewis

IMG_0011B.jpg
 
There is something about the next to last picture that captivates me. Awesome pics and deep thought as usual.

I hope you don't actually mean you will be missing in action until January. I may need you for something before January. Peace back at you..............
 
Once again, great post both written and pics. Always enjoy them and would love to meet you someday.



Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk
 
Once again, great post both written and pics. Always enjoy them and would love to meet you someday.



Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk
That would be awesome. Here's my plan for next year or next during the summer. I want to set up couple party tents and bring in some shitters in that bottom clover field you can see. Then invite everyone on this forum to come spend a weekend camping together. Not to see my place as its pretty mediocre to most, but to hang out with bunch of like minded people just sitting around the fire sharing stories and thots about management, deer, and life. Can bring coolers with milk or beer and couple grills going cooking up some venison and beef. Maybe drive couple miles up the road and do some trout fishing. Next year may be tough to do, but its in the plans. Or maybe I should do such at planting time and just make everyone work. Good luck on your season G3.
 
WOW.

I remember the original thread from the old board, I just found this board and recently realized its the same people.

I live in Wayne County, WV and hunt in both the northern part (a lot more deer) and the southern part (where state record for non typical was killed; 34 point; on the border of Mingo Co a bow only county.)

I love seeing what you are doing and I hope to start implementing some of these strategies on my land in the southern part of my county.
 
Back
Top