Foodplotting In The Mountains...The Sequel

[Native Hunter]

Sounds like a good short vacation dogghr. Great pics, and that lobster looked just right.

I'm seeing some pears here opening up blooms - a little dangerous for them with the recent cold nights and moisture. As I have said many times, those mountain pics are breathtaking.....

 

[Triple C]

Ahhhh...Nothing like Florida in the winter time and nothing better than connecting with old friends. Spent a few days a couple of weeks ago in Miami at Doral. We've had Miami type weather all winter in GA....until this week. Mid 20s last night and same forecasted for tonite. Pear trees were in full bloom a week and half ago so looks like another bust for pears this fall on my place. Always enjoy updates from the "Sequel".

 

[dogghr]

Thanks guys. Yea the weather is stupid. Have had temps near zero and snow most of week. Luckily snow amounts weren't too bad. I should've stayed in Fl. This is what we get for those 70 deg temps in Jan. All evens out.
Did get first of some trees this wk. Silky dogwood and Scotch pine. Office gets kick each year when trees come in mail. They wonder of my sanity. Headed down to plant today once it warms. Snow and cold again Sunday. Come on spring.

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[G3 Ranch]

Yea the weather is stupid.

Isn't that the truth. My wife just got back from a few days in Fla, she was nice enough to leave me here to work at the ranch.
I still have not planted trees, wanting to get some fruit trees in, so far just been marking and releasing the producing persimmon & wild plum trees.

 

[OkieKubota]

I got a bag of 500 trees from our state nursery in on Tuesday...gonna be sore come Monday...

 

[David]

Epilogue. Two main things I hope you take with your from here. First, and I know you tire of me saying it, but remember the three F's: Faith, Family , and Friends. If you neglect fulfilling any of those your life will have a void you can seem never to fill. I know because I've tried in the past. Perhaps the powers that be in QDMA should think like wise.

And finally I hope you realize, that no matter your limitations on your land, that you can achieve amazing results with your efforts. I, as others, have proven that. And make sure you don't allow organizations ruin the fun of this sport called hunting. Take the deer you choose without guilt. Let your friends join in and enjoy the hunt. Hunt in ways that are not acceptable these days. Get out of the stand and go one on one with the deer. I promise you that smile will be wider than ever before. You see its not about the deer, but the companionship that comes with it.

Accept your land as an interaction of macro and micro plants and animals. Accept that all inter connect and even the tiniest mushroom is somehow dependant on the mighty oak and the oak on the mushroom. The prey interacts with the predator and all these relationships depend one on the other to complete the habitat that we strive for in a mature deer herd. Look close and learn. Stoop down and learn. Watch each animal and the niche they fill. Enjoy your land. Enjoy your life. We are a lucky people. Goodnight, and I'm sure I'll see many of you on the dark side of the moon. Very much appreciative, Doug



“The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant, "What good is it?" If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not. If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.”
― Aldo Leopold, Round River: From the Journals of Aldo Leopold
Attached Images

dogghr thanks for all u write.

When I bought my farm I had the same idea as everyone else....to develop a wildlife managment plan, problem was that didn't include my faith, family, and friends.

So I backed up and developed a "farm managment plan". Mine actually included the words "Faith, Family, and Fun".

My BIL is taking my niece and nephew down sunday to explore. I want to find a way to expand Christ's kingdom with the land. I often stop to attempt to have a child like faith while walking the woods. I love taking friends on ATV tours. I wanted my brother to kill hist first buck on the farm (he did, a wonderful 2.5 year old). I love taking folks for an afternoon of shooting firearms. My dad is getting older, he loves helping me work. All these things could get in the way of perfection in the wildlife managment department.

It does me no good to have the perfectly designed/built hunting farm if I don't have the F's.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[dogghr]

I got a bag of 500 trees from our state nursery in on Tuesday...gonna be sore come Monday...

Now that's an Advil night or two. Luckily my ground is really soggy and makes for a quick plant. Like I always say, who needs a gym if they have land.

dogghr thanks for all u write.

When I bought my farm I had the same idea as everyone else....to develop a wildlife managment plan, problem was that didn't include my faith, family, and friends.

So I backed up and developed a "farm managment plan". Mine actually included the words "Faith, Family, and Fun".

My BIL is taking my niece and nephew down sunday to explore. I want to find a way to expand Christ's kingdom with the land. I often stop to attempt to have a child like faith while walking the woods. I love taking friends on ATV tours. I wanted my brother to kill hist first buck on the farm (he did, a wonderful 2.5 year old). I love taking folks for an afternoon of shooting firearms. My dad is getting older, he loves helping me work. All these things could get in the way of perfection in the wildlife managment department.

It does me no good to have the perfectly designed/built hunting farm if I don't have the F's.

Thanks for the advice.

Thanks David. Glad you have such a balance outlook on habitat and life. Nothing wrong with chasing horns, but there is more to it than that. Makes for less frustration. Good to have you on here.

 

[dogghr]

Got my trees planted this weekend in between snow, rain, sleet , hail, then snow again in three days. Scotches went in front of a row of whites and Northerns. As you saw on my other thread question, I shouldn't expect them to live more than 20 years based on most experiences.
Also planted some Silky Dogwood for first time. I plan to tube them for a year.since my deer like to browse almost anything in the spring. After that I let them bush out.
Most my Hazelnuts should come on strong this year after last years planting and despite a drought they seemed to do well. Fields are really slow to green up this year despite some warm weather. Hopefully after this week, things will start to grow.
Take note that I flag my plantings as when they are done in fields, its unbelievable how they disappear to my lousy eyes. Can make you mad to mow over a fresh planting in the spring. I f you look in back ground from this silky I show, you can see some screen capped Northerns.
My walk thru my hinge cuts yesterday showed very little browse pressure. Part of that is an acorn crop but a lot is several years of working hard to improve native woody browse for the hard months. I think late Feb and March are the hardest times on deer if weather is rough. They have eaten a lot of easy foods and are stressed with their survival. I think food availability at this time of year helps get them thru these last few weeks when stress is greatest.
Again, along my hinge cuts, as we have talked, I found beds on the edges but seldom within the cuts. Perhaps it is my technique, but I have varied hinging from low cuts to chest high and still seldom see bedding within them. They do like the edges tho for bedding and travel, and browse.
The one below was started this winter on ridge top, and will really thicken it up next few weeks when have the time. I'm prob going to drop a lot of trees in this spot that would give a logger a coronary. This area is in direct competition with bedding area on my neighbors property and although they are great guys, I want all the deer. Yes I am selfish.

 

[dogghr]

Just waiting for spring to kick in some day. Did make it to the farm to get most my trees planted and a few things done. I've had an ear infection and stumbling around like a cheap drunk on payday. So the chain saw stayed at home for safety. I do like when nature does my hingecutting and opening the canopy for me. Lot less work. Winds have been wicked this winter and lot of trees on the ground.



Those trees lie at edge of my largest sanctuary. It has probably my highest stem count area on my farm and is about 15 ac. Look close and you can see some flagging on the right of a blood trail left from a buck kill few years ago. Guess I should get them down but I like the reminder of that dark night.


Did go back and tube some of the Silky Dogwood I had planted with some tubes left from last year. I like these as they keep deer away as well as most varmints and especially my groundhogs and skunks that have made a comeback with the coyote reduction. Looked for sheds but didn't find any and then my friend today told me he saw one of the biggest bucks for this area he had seen just yesterday, so some are still holding. I do have pics of smaller bucks dropping already. This is really late for us and I attribute it to a healthy herd with heavy mast and mild winter.
I have a small pond in upper left, and this area along this tree route is a soggy growth of weeds and goldenrod 8-9 feet tall once summer begins and lasting well into Jan. Breaks up the field and gives great screening. To the right is a brassica/now WW/RC plot, and to the left is a perennial WC plot. Fields along wood are just allowed to grow fallow as summer progresses for transition of edge. Hazelnuts are planted in that area. I've seldom hunt these fields except late season but there are heavy trails coming past the pond. I have passed several nice bucks that I have walked up on in these fields because I simply want them to feel safe coming down to them.


Think nature doesn't do hinge resprouting? Not sure how old this tree is but I'm guessing 75. Sprouted from a split trunk long ago. I bet it has roots larger than some properties prime trees.

 

[dogghr]

One of my small creeks. Stays with water except in extreme drought. To the upper left is a saddle that most good bucks pass thru and down thru the red oak forest to a foodplot behind me. Lots of sign in the bottom but impossible to hunt with the wind. Besides that would mean me not getting my excercise climbing to the saddle.


Remember our conversation on here of how nature controls and preserves moisture both when in excess and in drought. Pay attention to these moss and lichen sponges across your land. They serve a purpose. In the virgin forests, they were measured in feet thick. Bet that was amazing to see.



And yes, one of the first spring wildflowers I found while scraping back leaves. Barely breaking the ground with its new leaves and bloom. If you don't get down at ground level you can miss the simpilist of what nature will show you. These violets love moist creek bottoms.


Hopefully snow are soon gone and greenup will begin in ernest. Will overseed my plots this weekend, do some hinging in Ramdom Cluster #5, then nothing till May with fertilzers as needed. Thanks for reading.

"One swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of March thaw, is the Spring."---Aldo Leopold

 

[Weasel]

Just got back from a trip to south Texas. Nice to get away, glad you had a chance too. Great update, property is waking up!

 

[Gator]

I noticed quite a few of those little flowers down beside one of my creeks this week as well. I blame you as I've never noticed them before!

 

[ng270]

Great pictures and thoughts! That's an pretty sweet double throat patch in the seedlings pic.

 

[Triple C]

Again, along my hinge cuts, as we have talked, I found beds on the edges but seldom within the cuts. Perhaps it is my technique, but I have varied hinging from low cuts to chest high and still seldom see bedding within them. They do like the edges tho for bedding and travel, and browse.

Great update as always dogghr. Regarding bedding in hinge cuts, I've noticed the same thing on our place. I bumped 5 deer from the beds last weekend about 20 yds from a hinge cut area. But I've yet to see one bedded amongst the hinge cut areas. Thought it might be my technique as well. I haven't hinge cut since early 2015 and don't know that I will in the future. I'm trying to get better at weighing everything we do regarding habitat work to determine if it really applies to our particular property, rather than doing it because it is popular. Hinge cutting falls into that category. I question the benefit on our place and until I can surmise that it is needed, will leave things as they are.

 

[dogghr]

Just got back from a trip to south Texas. Nice to get away, glad you had a chance too. Great update, property is waking up!

Glad you got to go. Wasn't that your hog trip? How was it? Bow or rifle?

I noticed quite a few of those little flowers down beside one of my creeks this week as well. I blame you as I've never noticed them before!

Well that's funny Gator. My life is complete now and I have served my purpose. LOL

Great pictures and thoughts! That's an pretty sweet double throat patch in the seedlings pic.

Thanks NG. I'm not much on mounts but of the few I have, that 10 is one because of the double patch, and another shot years ago hanging now in my garage was a piebald with a speckled white down its neck instead of the typical white patch. It used to be real pretty but time has dimmed it a lot. I'll try to get pic when I'm out there.

Great update as always dogghr. Regarding bedding in hinge cuts, I've noticed the same thing on our place. I bumped 5 deer from the beds last weekend about 20 yds from a hinge cut area. But I've yet to see one bedded amongst the hinge cut areas. Thought it might be my technique as well. I haven't hinge cut since early 2015 and don't know that I will in the future. I'm trying to get better at weighing everything we do regarding habitat work to determine if it really applies to our particular property, rather than doing it because it is popular. Hinge cutting falls into that category. I question the benefit on our place and until I can surmise that it is needed, will leave things as they are.

I think hinging in my case is just a way of compensating for some timbering I need to do. I won't have time for that for another couple years, and was just working out details with a exlogger friend, with me renting dozer and he and I thinning much of my 80 ac of woods. He's game.
Hinge pockets definitely help pattern deer across my property but it does take some planning and is a work in progress. No doubt my new lower hinge that I did last summer was a great attraction for bedding on its perimeter thru most of hunting season. I had a stand between it and a food plot, and watched deer consistently make their way to its edges to bed and feed. I still like the idea of open story interspersed with thick pockets as I think it dictates and forces movement.

 

[Weasel]

Glad you got to go. Wasn't that your hog trip? How was it? Bow or rifle?

Yes, killed 4 hogs with my bow and a ram with my Guide's new "pistol". Story in the bowhunting forum. Great trip.

http://deerhunterforum.com/index.php?threads/south-texas-hogs-and-javelinas.1990/

 

[dogghr]

Ah it's so hard to be depressed in spring time. Greenup after the cold of winter, and the sun on your face, just brings about happiness.
Some mention of GB and MFR. Below is pic of typical young MFR. I can find none of it that is not browsed in the spring of its new growth. And birds love it. But it, and GB can form thickets that even deer can't go thru I think. And the either can gash the skin and cause evil words to come forth.
As you can see here, the MFR has a fishhook look to its thorns. Can get much more evil than this young plant. I can kill by mowing or spraying but within few years, they show back up. First to green in the spring. While they can have green stems resembling the GB, they will turn brown with time, where as GB tends to keep a green color to its stems.

 

[dogghr]

Here is typical GB. Deer love GB.

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[dogghr]

Good news, The deer have left my new Scotch pines alone. I planted 100 Northern few years ago, and I think 6 survived the deer first month. Lesson learned to cap them when planting.


Hazelnuts were waking up that were planted and tubed last spring. I took all the tubes off and cleaned them up. All but a couple have survived. These are on a dry hillside, and hope they will in time provide food and screening for deer passing into my plots.



Apples beginning to bud, be just a little before these young ones bloom this year. Plan to add a couple more, and some more pear. Thanks to Chainsaw, have located a few wild apples this year on my land. Will open them up soon.



And I know you tire of seeing this plot, but I just want you to know that alfalfa is not all the drama its made to be for a deer foodplot. This is into its 4th or 5th year. Combo of clovers and chicory. Nature throws in some of her onions and few choice weeds. Since this is Non RR alfalfa, I just control grasses with Cleth in May, and weeds by mowing.



Deer like don't you think? Don't deem plot a failure if you don't have exclusion cage. This plot looks terrible till you realize the browse that is occuring.

 

[dogghr]

What farm is not complete unless it has a patch of these growing at its entrance. I can bet the farmers wife planted these years ago, and I look forward to them blooming each spring.


And with spring comes good water for rafting and kayaking which I have always loved. Water was running 12 feet above normal this day. My dad and myself have whitewatered in kayak the New River at 17 feet which is one hell of a ride. To get an idea of a Class 5 -6 rapid, get on your knees at the base of a 12 foot wall, and you will have an idea of what a hydraulic wave looks like on such a river. Quite a rush, and a cold one this time of year. These guys are in a guided raft which is a blast also. Guarantee some of them went for an unintentional swim sometime that day. Keep head upstream, feet downstream, and trust your flotation device. Head bouncing on rocks with helmet not to bad.