MarkDarvin
Well-Known Member
Did you have any say in which way it went, or did you take it down in pieces? Not a lot of holding wood there. Yowza!
The Massey
- Thread starter KSQ2
- Start date
KSQ2
Well-Known Member
He limbed it out with a lift.
KSQ2
Well-Known Member
It really depends on the place here. Most of the spots we hunt, if you don’t have the deer found and something human scented laying on it within a couple hours coyotes will have ruined both rear quarters. If I have to go get help, or the deer cart — my hunting car is an ‘09 Hyundai Senata
, I ALWAYS leave my pack or at least a stocking cap on the deer.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
I live near KSQ. Like he said; a dead deer might not make it more than an hour before it's torn into. Or, it may make it over night. I have noticed that skeletons tend not to get drug far or ripped apart much. It seems that the yotes on our place are content to sit down and eat a deer where it lays.
We had a strange happening one time. Buddy arrowed a doe one evening in Jan. We found a little blood and tracked it about 200 yards. Was midnight by that time, and decided to come back in morning and look. Didnt take us too long to finder here next morning - was barely an ounce of meat on the stripped skeleton. But laying 15 ft away, was a 12” fetus without a tooth mark on it. I would have thought to a coyote, a fetus would be icing on the cake. I have talked to a couple other folks who had the same experience.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
KSQ2
Well-Known Member
Yeah, that doesn’t make sense.
KSQ2
Well-Known Member
Photo dump day. We got about a quarter inch of rain on the Massey, with a chance of some more this evening. Everything looks so green, it’s hard to believe how badly we’re hurting for rain, in regard to the time of year it is anyway. I almost deleted the pics and didn’t load them up, but I figured I’d be glad I did a few years from now.
Some lower barn plot pics first…
The throw and mow cereals, clover, and stuff into buckwheat last fall
The throw and mow from fall ‘20, this got a dose of clethodim a few weeks ago
A pic from a little further back, you can see where the clethodim did some work in the middle. You can see the brassicas are flowering, I’ll need to mow them down soon. They will be put to buckwheat in a month or so.
This is the old clover plot with cereals thrown in again last fall, I believe this is its 5th year. The yellowed spot near the back is where I spot sprayed some clethodim on some fescue.
I don’t know what it is about bermuda, but it must feel like a Serta mattress to deer. I’m not sure where this came from there's no bermuda on our place really, it’s about 15 yards from the plot in a low spot that was also ag ground years ago.
Some tree pics
The sawtooths from Catscratch are waking up
The crabapples from northern whitetail are looking great. Planted 2 years ago and I think I’ll let them fruit this year, unless you guys say I shouldn’t.
Crossbow
Droptine
Pears from wildlife group planted last year looking good too
At least one of the oaks we planted this spring from wildlife group is gonna make it hopefully. An old pear planting didn’t make it a couple years ago.
One of those old pears that made it, still not sure what these are gonna turn in to. They will at least make something good to graff onto if nothing else.
The north waterway is looking better each year. We put 20 cedars in it years ago. They have a rough life when young, the deer rub them mercilessly. They are taking off now though. We’ve also put shrubs and oaks in there the last few years, with varying success.
Finally, the back plot is looking good, but some sedge looks to be sneaking in
one last pic, the farmer got corn in last week, I’d bet money there’s more bean seed in the field than corn. He never harvested last year with the drought. Could be an incredible 110 acre foodplot!
Some lower barn plot pics first…
The throw and mow cereals, clover, and stuff into buckwheat last fall
The throw and mow from fall ‘20, this got a dose of clethodim a few weeks ago
A pic from a little further back, you can see where the clethodim did some work in the middle. You can see the brassicas are flowering, I’ll need to mow them down soon. They will be put to buckwheat in a month or so.
This is the old clover plot with cereals thrown in again last fall, I believe this is its 5th year. The yellowed spot near the back is where I spot sprayed some clethodim on some fescue.
I don’t know what it is about bermuda, but it must feel like a Serta mattress to deer. I’m not sure where this came from there's no bermuda on our place really, it’s about 15 yards from the plot in a low spot that was also ag ground years ago.
Some tree pics
The sawtooths from Catscratch are waking up
The crabapples from northern whitetail are looking great. Planted 2 years ago and I think I’ll let them fruit this year, unless you guys say I shouldn’t.
Crossbow
Droptine
Pears from wildlife group planted last year looking good too
At least one of the oaks we planted this spring from wildlife group is gonna make it hopefully. An old pear planting didn’t make it a couple years ago.
One of those old pears that made it, still not sure what these are gonna turn in to. They will at least make something good to graff onto if nothing else.
The north waterway is looking better each year. We put 20 cedars in it years ago. They have a rough life when young, the deer rub them mercilessly. They are taking off now though. We’ve also put shrubs and oaks in there the last few years, with varying success.
Finally, the back plot is looking good, but some sedge looks to be sneaking in
one last pic, the farmer got corn in last week, I’d bet money there’s more bean seed in the field than corn. He never harvested last year with the drought. Could be an incredible 110 acre foodplot!
Last edited:
MarkDarvin
Well-Known Member
That plot where the sedge is creeping back in…
Is that a wet plot?
What’s the grass planted with it?
That’s a really nice shade of green.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Is that a wet plot?
What’s the grass planted with it?
That’s a really nice shade of green.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Kurt
Active Member
I need to check out the Wildlife Group. Want to do Keiffer pears next year on my place if possible. Those cedars will make that waterway a travel route for sure I bet. How much growth do you see on your cedars per year in that part of KS? Always nice when the neighbor puts in a 110 acre plot for you!
KSQ2
Well-Known Member
Cedars around here take a few years to get rolling. They spend the first few years sinking that deep tap root (which can make them a water robber, if left to go wild) then after that’s done, they shoot up pretty fast. Like 18” a year in our experience. Behind our house they are popping up all over. I’ll let them get about 4-5 feet high and then thin them out, cutting them at ground level.
KSQ2
Well-Known Member
Went to the Massey to mow down the brassicas. Took a few pics. Things are looking much better after the rain.
The deer are enjoying the chicory it appears.
The hairy vetch is coming along. I’m not sure anything is eating it, but it makes the plot colorful. Also, our farmer said he’s planning to start putting in a cover crop of vetch in his beans beginning the fall of this year. We have corn that will be followed by wheat on us this year, so he’ll get a year to try it out before our turn. He plans to broadcast it from an airplane into standing beans.
Here’s a bigger look at last falls cereal/clover plot t&med into buckwheat. The rye is dominant as always, but the awnless wheat coming along too.
Here’s the 2 year old cereal plot. I sprayed this with cleth to get an outbreak of cool season grass. Cool thing is the cleth hit the grass pretty hard but left quite a bit of rye.
Couldn’t wait any longer for the brassicas, they were getting awful close to going to seed.
The 5 year old clover is still looking good!
Our #1 nemesis, johnson grass is off to an early start. I think I’ll spot spray it some this year with cleth and gly.
Is this chicory? The purple has me wondering, there is quite a bit of this in the plot, but what looks the most like chicory has a white spine instead of purple. Deer seem to enjoy both. Is one simply less mature?
The volunteer beans are off and running in the farmer’s cornfield. He said he didn’t know if they would survive the next round of spraying, I assumed he’d spray roundup, maybe I’m wrong?
The droptine crabapple is loaded this year. The leaves seem to be a little stressed. Is the large amount of fruit hurting it at all? This is its 3rd spring since planting.
Also found some oaks in the barnyard, not sure where these came from. I didn’t plant them and the closest bearing oaks are over 300 yards away.
The deer are enjoying the chicory it appears.
The hairy vetch is coming along. I’m not sure anything is eating it, but it makes the plot colorful. Also, our farmer said he’s planning to start putting in a cover crop of vetch in his beans beginning the fall of this year. We have corn that will be followed by wheat on us this year, so he’ll get a year to try it out before our turn. He plans to broadcast it from an airplane into standing beans.
Here’s a bigger look at last falls cereal/clover plot t&med into buckwheat. The rye is dominant as always, but the awnless wheat coming along too.
Here’s the 2 year old cereal plot. I sprayed this with cleth to get an outbreak of cool season grass. Cool thing is the cleth hit the grass pretty hard but left quite a bit of rye.
Couldn’t wait any longer for the brassicas, they were getting awful close to going to seed.
The 5 year old clover is still looking good!
Our #1 nemesis, johnson grass is off to an early start. I think I’ll spot spray it some this year with cleth and gly.
Is this chicory? The purple has me wondering, there is quite a bit of this in the plot, but what looks the most like chicory has a white spine instead of purple. Deer seem to enjoy both. Is one simply less mature?
The volunteer beans are off and running in the farmer’s cornfield. He said he didn’t know if they would survive the next round of spraying, I assumed he’d spray roundup, maybe I’m wrong?
The droptine crabapple is loaded this year. The leaves seem to be a little stressed. Is the large amount of fruit hurting it at all? This is its 3rd spring since planting.
Also found some oaks in the barnyard, not sure where these came from. I didn’t plant them and the closest bearing oaks are over 300 yards away.
KSQ2
Well-Known Member
Actually, I like where they’re at.
MarkDarvin
Well-Known Member
Great update man! It's nice to see some plot pics. I was at my place sunday, and I'm just getting green to start showing. I had snow in the shade when i was seeding flax and collards ten days ago.
What's next for the space where you mowed the brassicas off?
I've quickly become a big fan of hairy vetch. I brought new ground into production in the summer of 2020 and the first crop was rye and hairy vetch and clover and a ton of other things in small amounts. The vetch came in and wrapped around the rye nicely. I think that stuff is borderline weedy, and I like that. I want tough plants that can duke it out with nature. I know I got a ton of reseeding from my vetch cause I didn't mow it until August last year. When the fall flush came back after mowing, I had volunteer vetch like crazy, and it never affected my clover or cereals.
Looks like you got some pounds outta the rye too. Hopefully that can lay down some sunscreen for your soil in case the rain doesn't come.
I think what you've got there is chicory. If it isn't, I don't worry much about unidentified broadleaves. I can't think of very many the deer don't eat, and if they show up on their own, they're probably a very good nutrient accumulator. I discovered some near broomstick thick stalks chewed off on my place late last summer. There was one leaf left that I could use to ID the plant. It was buttercup. I had buttercup run wild across my plots the past few years, and I didn't get too bent outta shape about it because it didn't seem to be stifling anything. Also puts out lots of yellow flowers for the bugs. A mowing in August rights everything in my area and the plot goes back to clover, cereals, and collards.
What's next for the space where you mowed the brassicas off?
I've quickly become a big fan of hairy vetch. I brought new ground into production in the summer of 2020 and the first crop was rye and hairy vetch and clover and a ton of other things in small amounts. The vetch came in and wrapped around the rye nicely. I think that stuff is borderline weedy, and I like that. I want tough plants that can duke it out with nature. I know I got a ton of reseeding from my vetch cause I didn't mow it until August last year. When the fall flush came back after mowing, I had volunteer vetch like crazy, and it never affected my clover or cereals.
Looks like you got some pounds outta the rye too. Hopefully that can lay down some sunscreen for your soil in case the rain doesn't come.
I think what you've got there is chicory. If it isn't, I don't worry much about unidentified broadleaves. I can't think of very many the deer don't eat, and if they show up on their own, they're probably a very good nutrient accumulator. I discovered some near broomstick thick stalks chewed off on my place late last summer. There was one leaf left that I could use to ID the plant. It was buttercup. I had buttercup run wild across my plots the past few years, and I didn't get too bent outta shape about it because it didn't seem to be stifling anything. Also puts out lots of yellow flowers for the bugs. A mowing in August rights everything in my area and the plot goes back to clover, cereals, and collards.
KSQ2
Well-Known Member
Thank you!! Hard to fathom you still have some snow on the ground. We have been in the 90s the last few days, hopefully the early taste of summer is temporary.
I plan to t&m buckwheat into the brassica plot in a month and a half or so. Worked great last year and mid to late summer was far from ideal with rainfall or lack thereof, hoping for something similar this year, excepting the lack of rain. Lol
KSQ2
Well-Known Member
Went to the Massey yesterday evening to deer watch from the barn. It’s a little early for that, but the cool temps and NE wind was just too good to pass up. Also, with corn in the crop field this year, it will soon be too tall to see the deer. The beans in the corn are drawing the deer in like crazy. That along with the lower barn plot thriving, and all the browse created by the beaver’s winter of work, made for a tremendous evening. I lost count at over thirty deer. There was a nice almost 50/50 balance of does and bucks. Lots of the does looked soon to pop. A couple of the bucks already show lots of potential, even with the early growth. It was a great evening to say the least, only thing that would have made it better was Dawna being there, but she got off work too late.
