Sam's Stompin' Ground! - Illinois 170 acres
- Thread starter Sam16
- Start date
Merle Hawggard
Well-Known Member
Congrats on the new daughter Sam!
My newest grandson was also born Valentines Day, small world.
The orchard tree choices should do wonderfully for you too.
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My newest grandson was also born Valentines Day, small world.
The orchard tree choices should do wonderfully for you too.
Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk
Sam16
Active Member
I was fortunate enough to get out to the farm today... Action packed day. We started out chasing turkeys, but I will get to that in a bit. First I want to show you the apple trees I planted in 2014. I actually don't recall what type 4 of the 5 are. The only one I recall is the tallest with the ugly guy (me... standing 6'3") is a Golden Delicious. Can you guys help?? If you had a guess I could probably say if it sounds familiar...
Should I be concerned that it looks like another year without any apples? I saw some flowers on the tallest tree but they seemed to have died off.
Not very big...
Getting bigger...
Should I be concerned that it looks like another year without any apples? I saw some flowers on the tallest tree but they seemed to have died off.
Not very big...
Getting bigger...
Sam16
Active Member
In addition to checking on these trees, I got the trees I planted a few weeks ago caged. All of the apples (3 goldrush, 3 liberty, and 3 Arkansas Black) are leafed out, but the Persimmons and Pears look dead as a doornail. I'm thinking about complaining to the nursery!!! 
We sprayed 2 fields in preparation for beans to go in and did some work on the tractor.
But back to the turkeys! We sat in our most productive spot for the first 2 hours of the morning without seeing a bird. We heard a lot of gobbling, but all deep in the ravines. Typical late season behavior from what I'm learning and reading. We decided to move and immediately called a gobbler from 200 yards to 50, but he seemed to caught us moving or didn't like our sweet talk so he boogied. 10 minutes later we called this guy out of a ravine behind us, he popped his head over the hill at 7 yards and my good buddy and huuuuge helper at the farm with my endless projects took the shot!
After almost getting a crack at 2 more from this spot, we decided to move on. At our new spot, we were deciding where to set up when we heard a gobble from no more than 75 yards. Rushed to set up, called him into the field but he wouldn't commit. He stood at 30 yards in spot I couldn't shoot for 15 minutes, hammering back at us after every box call towards to the hen decoy. HE WOULD NOT MOVE! Finally... with my muscles cramped from aiming for 15 minutes, and total aggravation, he took the two 2 steps I needed towards the decoy giving me just enough clearance to shoot his head! Done deal!
What an awesome morning!
We sprayed 2 fields in preparation for beans to go in and did some work on the tractor.
But back to the turkeys! We sat in our most productive spot for the first 2 hours of the morning without seeing a bird. We heard a lot of gobbling, but all deep in the ravines. Typical late season behavior from what I'm learning and reading. We decided to move and immediately called a gobbler from 200 yards to 50, but he seemed to caught us moving or didn't like our sweet talk so he boogied. 10 minutes later we called this guy out of a ravine behind us, he popped his head over the hill at 7 yards and my good buddy and huuuuge helper at the farm with my endless projects took the shot!
After almost getting a crack at 2 more from this spot, we decided to move on. At our new spot, we were deciding where to set up when we heard a gobble from no more than 75 yards. Rushed to set up, called him into the field but he wouldn't commit. He stood at 30 yards in spot I couldn't shoot for 15 minutes, hammering back at us after every box call towards to the hen decoy. HE WOULD NOT MOVE! Finally... with my muscles cramped from aiming for 15 minutes, and total aggravation, he took the two 2 steps I needed towards the decoy giving me just enough clearance to shoot his head! Done deal!
What an awesome morning!
badgerfowl
Well-Known Member
Nice birds! I wouldn't worry about having flowers yet if you planted in 2014. I had trees flower for the first time that were planted in 2012. Some flower the first year, some second. Yours are small enough I wouldn't let them carry any fruit anyways. Maybe 1 or 2. Get some growth on them and the apples should come. Maybe I missed it, but what rootstock are they on?
Congrats on the turkey birds and your new family addition!
Sam16
Active Member
2013 Apple update... I FINALLY HAVE APPLES! I know this is seems right on track, but I guess I am impatient. Our biggest tree is the Godlen Delicious in the first picture and it probably has 20-30 apples.
The second picture is the lone tree off a tree that I cannot recall the species.
Logging is in full swing at our place. We received a nice chunk of change for a select harvest in hopes that it'll open up the canopy in areas to make the farm thicker. The forest looks pretty good, but the loggers are staging their cut timber in our CRP grass. With all the big equipment moving these logs around, most of our CRP areas have been flattened out, but its all temporary I suppose. I set out 7 cameras this weekend, but with all the activity I'm not expecting a whole lot out of them. We did see 3 lone does while we were out working though. We also moved 2 stands that I think should be killer! One is taking advantage of one of the logging roads that the crew put in while getting to certain trees.
Hopefully I'll have an update chalk full of velvet in 2-3 weeks, but for now this is all I got. I need to take more pictures!!! haha
The second picture is the lone tree off a tree that I cannot recall the species.
Logging is in full swing at our place. We received a nice chunk of change for a select harvest in hopes that it'll open up the canopy in areas to make the farm thicker. The forest looks pretty good, but the loggers are staging their cut timber in our CRP grass. With all the big equipment moving these logs around, most of our CRP areas have been flattened out, but its all temporary I suppose. I set out 7 cameras this weekend, but with all the activity I'm not expecting a whole lot out of them. We did see 3 lone does while we were out working though. We also moved 2 stands that I think should be killer! One is taking advantage of one of the logging roads that the crew put in while getting to certain trees.
Hopefully I'll have an update chalk full of velvet in 2-3 weeks, but for now this is all I got. I need to take more pictures!!! haha
Sam16
Active Member
I wanted to test this picture. February we called in a yote to 200 yards with the rabbit distress call. Awesome shot by my buddy. One down!
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Sam16
Active Member
Catching up here... got out to the farm in early April and burned about 15 acres of thin and low CRP to try and rejuvenate it. This was my first time doing this on my own and it really wasn’t very difficult with good fire lanes preventing spreading fire.
The fire uncovered some gems!
Including one side of our 9.5 yr old buck that I’ve been chasing since 2012. In 2016 i almost killed him 2 sits in a row during the rut. I skimmed his belly on the second of the 2 at 32 yards. We found one side and my neighbor found his other side about 1/4 mile away.
All in all, this was a very rewarding trip! Can’t wait to see progress of the re growth all summer
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Goldentriangle
Active Member
You have a beautiful place and I love following this thread. There isn't too many farm tours from the heart of the Midwest. What county in Illinois are you in? You don't have to say if you don't want to. I am in Adams county. I hunt in Adams, Pike, and Hancock. Also Lewis county Missouri. Not sure how close that is to you.
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Sam16
Active Member
My farm is in Mercer. A bit north of you 7 miles from the river.
Thanks for following. I am going to re dedicate myself to keeping updates coming
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Thanks for following. I am going to re dedicate myself to keeping updates coming
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buckhunter10
Well-Known Member
Sam I agree with the above.
I love being from Ohio but the IL terrain and wood/crop breakup is just awesome.
Especially compared to my farm in SE Ohio in the foothills of Appalachia!
Keep up the good work buddy!!
I love being from Ohio but the IL terrain and wood/crop breakup is just awesome.
Especially compared to my farm in SE Ohio in the foothills of Appalachia!
Keep up the good work buddy!!
Merle Hawggard
Well-Known Member
Wonderful pics Sam, very nice sheds too. You all have some really nice bucks up your way.
I work with a guy who had a lease in Illinois that sent me some gamecam pics of a huge buck. I sent it to my son and one of his friends in a group text saying I'd got it off one of ours, "but dont tell anyone."
I laughed my head off all afternoon as that blew up over the airways until I finally confessed.
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I work with a guy who had a lease in Illinois that sent me some gamecam pics of a huge buck. I sent it to my son and one of his friends in a group text saying I'd got it off one of ours, "but dont tell anyone."
I laughed my head off all afternoon as that blew up over the airways until I finally confessed.
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Sam16
Active Member
Merle,
Too funny! We definitely have some big deer and mature deer, but man I didn’t see anything over 3.5 yr old on my farm from the stand last year. I’ll keep working to improve the farm, hopefully I can trick one of these bucks.
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Too funny! We definitely have some big deer and mature deer, but man I didn’t see anything over 3.5 yr old on my farm from the stand last year. I’ll keep working to improve the farm, hopefully I can trick one of these bucks.
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Sam16
Active Member
Hey guys hope everyone is getting out to do some work. I took advantage of a Midwest cold front in June to get some work done.
Had to clean up the apple orchard with the bush hog. I inspected our trees from Northern Whitetail Crab and we had 12/12 thriving. One of them (Gray ghost) even had 3 small apples growing even though they were planted in April!! Im impressed. I picked them off.
Here’s an update on the area we burned in March/April... looking pretty. Flushed a few turkeys out of it.
I also had to gain control back in my clover plots. Some of the weeds were chest high. I actually jumped a bedded doe up in this one. Hopefully it comes back with a bright green carpet.
It sure was a busy weekend. In addition I backpack sprayed gly on 2 plots squalling 1 acre.
I also did a couple hours of chainsaw work. I had just learned about this new “mineral stump” idea from the Deer University podcast. Has anyone tried it??? I made probably 6 of them this weekend as expirements. , i will make sure to monitor regrowth and deer usage this summer for you all. I did a few lane clearing and a few hinge cuts before my chainsaw decided to quit on me.
Busy weekend!
Last but not least... I usually like to put cameras out after 4th of July to avoid fighting ants, weeds, etc but I gave in and put 4 out.
I hope to have another good update in a few weeks when I get back out!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
Had to clean up the apple orchard with the bush hog. I inspected our trees from Northern Whitetail Crab and we had 12/12 thriving. One of them (Gray ghost) even had 3 small apples growing even though they were planted in April!! Im impressed. I picked them off.
Here’s an update on the area we burned in March/April... looking pretty. Flushed a few turkeys out of it.
I also had to gain control back in my clover plots. Some of the weeds were chest high. I actually jumped a bedded doe up in this one. Hopefully it comes back with a bright green carpet.
It sure was a busy weekend. In addition I backpack sprayed gly on 2 plots squalling 1 acre.
I also did a couple hours of chainsaw work. I had just learned about this new “mineral stump” idea from the Deer University podcast. Has anyone tried it??? I made probably 6 of them this weekend as expirements. , i will make sure to monitor regrowth and deer usage this summer for you all. I did a few lane clearing and a few hinge cuts before my chainsaw decided to quit on me.
Busy weekend!
Last but not least... I usually like to put cameras out after 4th of July to avoid fighting ants, weeds, etc but I gave in and put 4 out.
I hope to have another good update in a few weeks when I get back out!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
weekender21
Well-Known Member
Those apples look great! I planted 24 trees from NWC in May, can't wait to see the growth next month. We've had a ridiculous amount of rain at out property this year.
