2021 North Central Wisconsin “Lake Farm” - 35 acres on two lakes and surrounded by National Forest

[Travis Aasen]

Bur Oak 3 feet out of the 5 foot tube. I would guess this fall it would be time to prune everything in the tube and let the growth go wild out of the tube? (Same oak posted above)

All the other hybrids arent even 1/2 out of the tubes. This lone oak is a beast.

 

[KSQ2]

I’m a bur idk fan for sure! Ours planted this spring have been very resilient during the drought. Not so much for some of the others.

 

[Travis Aasen]

It’s been a good month since I last posted. I think my chainsaws are still cooling down I dropped so many trees. I was working toward my goal of more sun on the ground. For those in northern regions you’ll probably be able to relate to these over crowded balsams who then lose all their lower limbs and just block out the sun. Well, My buddy and I cut 3 days straight to expand, create, and clean up some new food plots. Last year I learned early on I needed to double my food. Mission accomplished. Next year I need to buy or rent a chipper. I’ve made a hell of a mess over the past several seasons.

Oh yea, crab apples still doing great, miscanthus year 1 continues to impress.

All food plots are limed, seeded, & fertilized. I plan to over seed with WR in about a month. Maybe fertilize again. I have another 200 lbs that can be put down, but really like to see some rain.

Newest food plot which technically just ties into my original two. They just snake through the woods like a golf course now.

Screening up, more stone over the roots and some serious pruning was required. I also kind of use the ground around the apples as an exclusion cage to see how the plants are growing.

Any thoughts of putting mulch over the top of the stone?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[MarkDarvin]

The chainsaw is my absolute favorite habitat tool. I have also started taking down some of those bare pencil balsams on my place.

 

[lakngolf]

You've been BUSY. Good luck

 

[badgerfowl]

It’s been a good month since I last posted. I think my chainsaws are still cooling down I dropped so many trees. I was working toward my goal of more sun on the ground. For those in northern regions you’ll probably be able to relate to these over crowded balsams who then lose all their lower limbs and just block out the sun. Well, My buddy and I cut 3 days straight to expand, create, and clean up some new food plots. Last year I learned early on I needed to double my food. Mission accomplished. Next year I need to buy or rent a chipper. I’ve made a hell of a mess over the past several seasons.

Oh yea, crab apples still doing great, miscanthus year 1 continues to impress.

All food plots are limed, seeded, & fertilized. I plan to over seed with WR in about a month. Maybe fertilize again. I have another 200 lbs that can be put down, but really like to see some rain.

Newest food plot which technically just ties into my original two. They just snake through the woods like a golf course now.

Screening up, more stone over the roots and some serious pruning was required. I also kind of use the ground around the apples as an exclusion cage to see how the plants are growing.

Any thoughts of putting mulch over the top of the stone?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If you mulch, just pull it back some from the trunk. Few inches. You've got them protected so should be alright from any critters mulch may bring.

 

[Travis Aasen]

Just a quick summary as we approach the end of September 2022 (Year 2).
1. Decent bucks are now showing up with some regularity after not seeing a single one in 2021.
2. Food is still a serious issue at my place. Seems our drought in northern WI has set them back and I really doubt the plots will recover
with any appreciable volume. Yes, I did toss down an additional 150 lbs of rye over my estimated 1-1.5 acres of food. (Lost about .5
acre of food when I put the 22 crabs in. What does start greening up gets mowed down quickly.
3. We have 3 doe tags for the property. Yes, they need to be thinned out and I hope to take one next Saturday. My venison officially ran
out 2 weeks ago.
4. I did have my first bears wander through..No damage this time, but those solar-electric fences will be bought sooner rather than later
for the crabs.

Funny how I've already planned out 2023.
1. I purchased 200 Norway Spruce and another 150 misc shrubs from the MSC sale. Probably hold at that after learning my lesson of
buying too much this part year
2. I've been collecting stakes, rolls of fence etc from friends and family that have been tearing out gardens, etc. One mans garbage is
another mans treasure. Still plan to buy another 300 feet of 4 foot rolls for the shrubs.
3. Continue to widen food plots. My initial destination plot went from about an acre to probably 1/4acre after planting those crabs,
Miscanthus, screen Norway's, etc. Guess I'm in for a few days of being chainsaw sore in spring.

I'll post some pictures/videos today or tomorrow.

 

[lakngolf]

Hope you get the freezer full next week. You have some work ahead. On all my tree planting a key was keeping them far enough apart to Bush hog around. Of course I often got too close and snagged some wire cages.
Good luck

 

[Travis Aasen]

Glad to see the site is back up. Looks like an update is in order.