Foodplotting In The Mountains...The Sequel

[dogghr]

Continued from previous page…
By the new waterhole I did this summer, meet Bad Wheel. You can see his rt leg is fractured halfway up. I have him on video 2 years ago and his leg so mangled with a fracture, he could hardly walk. Within a month the leg had mended stiff with no bend and he used as a cane almost. Has always been an 8 pt of just this size and never changes. Body size has stayed small I'm sure from the stress of the break. He did ck out the waterhole by the way. He has always gotten a free pass from me regardless of what that rack does.

 

[dogghr]

And last, one of my few twin fawns this year. She also stepped into the waterhole. These deer are following my Random Cluster cuttings to the right of camera following a side hill point to back ridge where I was placing the new stand. Sorry, just can't get that phrase out of my head.

 

[dogghr]

Pretty sure I've hung my last stand by myself. I certainly remember the days of hanging multiple sets. Last one I did took me forever and bout got the best of me. Plus, each passing year the height becomes more of an issue. I still plan on hunting out of hang-on stands this year. Hard to swing a recurve over the rail in a ladder stand.

To be honest, Triple, I still love to hang them in a new spot, and I have it down to such a pattern, only takes a few minutes and a gallon of sweat. Just me and the dog in the woods. Who needs a therapist?

 

[dgallow]

[QUOTE="dogghr, post: 9228, member: 29
I've never seen any chiggers here and only some tick issues but not much, but certainly the trip to Gallows farm educated me as to how some places are infested with chiggers. Weather is pretty tolerable in these mountains thru summer even tho we complain. My town gives out free lemonade each day the temps hit 90 deg. They have not given out any lemonade now for 3 years.

[/QUOTE]
Some people just are chigger magnets.....my DIL can sit in the yard and do whatever and not be bothered by the red bugs.

Now you know why I spend most of my time following 65,000 lbs of beef herd which is a sweeper for ticks and chiggers. I could have moved the herd through the burn unit before you came, but that kinda defeats the purpose of a diversity walk! I get far more insect pests from properties without livestock than those with them!

Your bottom land field looks very nice.....mowed the riparian buffer last week....all except the briers....will mow them this winter (if dry enough) to start the diversity process anew.

Low ground usually has a higher carrying capacity than uplands....provided it is disturbed enough to allow ample diversity for the animal support.

 

[OkieKubota]

Again...no ticks or chiggers gotten by me this year and I am in the woods a bunch and I haven't sprayed anything on myself as a deterrent ...been that way the past several years around here and we have no livestock either. I am pretty sure I must not give off whatever pheromone it is that attracts that kind of stuff...

When I was 14 I contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Tick fever and spent a stint in the Hospital and took a while to get over. For years afterword I didn't sweat but I still got ticks. About my late 30's I started sweating and ticks started leaving me be...

 

[dogdoc]

i am a tick magnet. Those suckers search me out when I am at the farm. I have to spray my clothes with permethrin and myself with deet to stand any chance.

Amazing how much use a little water hole gets. I think the deer prefer my little muddy water hole over nice clear water in the pond or creek.

todd

 

[HB_Hunter]

Looking good dogghr! I've made it through the summer with only one tick attached. I found all the others before they could sink in . Always enjoy reading your thread!

 

[dogghr]

Of course, thanks for reading everyone. I shouldn't have harassed Gallow about the chiggers, actually only had a bite or two and i'm sure that is in part because I wasn't farm dressed. Interesting read on chiggers. They are not bugs but actually the larva stage and they feed not on your blood but the decomposed tissue from their injection of their saliva creating a feeding tube caused by reaction of skin cells that harden . It is this tube that remains behind causing itching for a day or 10. The mites themselves do not remain in the skin. Interestingly, the most effective repellent is sulfur doused on socks and pants. Bet that smells good on sweating skin. Also they become somewhat docile around 60 deg and die at 42, and most active in afternoons as temps go above 75, which explains why the south have more of them. They are 1/150th inch in size, a thousand wouldn't stretch across this page. They are born red and when engorged turn a yellow. Hows that for a little know fact from Cliff Clavin ( some of you will know ) ? I guess this applies to food plotting somehow.

 

[lakngolf]

Really like your water hole pics. And always great to see healthy fawns.

 

[OkieKubota]

Of course, thanks for reading everyone. I shouldn't have harassed Gallow about the chiggers, actually only had a bite or two and i'm sure that is in part because I wasn't farm dressed. Interesting read on chiggers. They are not bugs but actually the larva stage and they feed not on your blood but the decomposed tissue from their injection of their saliva creating a feeding tube caused by reaction of skin cells that harden . It is this tube that remains behind causing itching for a day or 10. The mites themselves do not remain in the skin. Interestingly, the most effective repellent is sulfur doused on socks and pants. Bet that smells good on sweating skin. Also they become somewhat docile around 60 deg and die at 42, and most active in afternoons as temps go above 75, which explains why the south have more of them. They are 1/150th inch in size, a thousand wouldn't stretch across this page. They are born red and when engorged turn a yellow. Hows that for a little know fact from Cliff Clavin ( some of you will know ) ? I guess this applies to food plotting somehow.

yep...good ol' "Cliff Notes"

 

[dgallow]

Of course, thanks for reading everyone. I shouldn't have harassed Gallow about the chiggers, actually only had a bite or two and i'm sure that is in part because I wasn't farm dressed. Interesting read on chiggers. They are not bugs but actually the larva stage and they feed not on your blood but the decomposed tissue from their injection of their saliva creating a feeding tube caused by reaction of skin cells that harden . It is this tube that remains behind causing itching for a day or 10. The mites themselves do not remain in the skin. Interestingly, the most effective repellent is sulfur doused on socks and pants. Bet that smells good on sweating skin. Also they become somewhat docile around 60 deg and die at 42, and most active in afternoons as temps go above 75, which explains why the south have more of them. They are 1/150th inch in size, a thousand wouldn't stretch across this page. They are born red and when engorged turn a yellow. Hows that for a little know fact from Cliff Clavin ( some of you will know ) ? I guess this applies to food plotting somehow.

Good info....the old timers used sulfur. Next time you come down...we will get up at daylight....pilfer around until noon...then lounge in the pool and scrub them off. A quick shower or pool after working is good remedy....toss work clothes in dryer for 20 to nuke the living.

FYI.....400+ bites one day one summer bout 15 min north of ranch...I guess they are something I've learned to tolerate in moderation with age.

 

[Weasel]

Looking good dogghr. Nice work on the watering hole. Do you yell "Norm!" when Bad Wheel bellies up to get a drink?

 

[dogghr]

Dang, D, 400 bites? I'd have to move the next day. Okie skin must be tasty to them.

Looking good dogghr. Nice work on the watering hole. Do you yell "Norm!" when Bad Wheel bellies up to get a drink?

Now that's funny Weasel, bet a bunch on here may not get that. I know you just saw it on reruns, you are too young.
Deer still hitting waterholes. Never a huge attraction for me. I think deer here get most their moisture from the lush undergrowth that occurs. I have two small ponds, and only occassionally find them taking a dring. Plus two small creek run thru the property, so a one scource attraction, it is not. Cool to get pics tho as these twin fawns take a nip. We have had 3 bad winters with poor food and honestly it affected the buck count. Good to see a good crop of twins. Predators? Yea as the deer number drop so does the predator count. Simple " S " curve of nature's rule of prey/predator relationship, no matter how you care to argue .

 

[dogghr]

Always like to show a little bear poop for those that don't have them yet. Don't worry, if you don't they are coming to a forest near you. Expanding almost as fast as the whitetail in some ways. Not an issue, just another niche in the wall. I do get aggravated a little with them stealing my blackberries.

 

[dogghr]

Did you walk along staring at the tree tops and failed to see nature making soil for you? Or did your size 12 just trample it into the ground without a notice.? Sometimes she does her own ramdom cluster tsi, and provides the lowly 'shroom to make some dirt.


But I bet you cussed the poor spider as you walked into its web, just trying to catch dinner , didn't you? I know I did, bunch of times.

 

[dogghr]

Come on tropical storm. Hate to wish that on anyone, and don't want any damage, just a few inches of rain to water my drought cursed brassica. Plenty of rain thru summer until I planted and 2 showers since. No rain in 2 wk forcast and NWS says that till Oct. No worries, just overseed with WR and clovers next few weeks. They still have a chance but like last year, deer are eating them as they sprout. I don't know why they have begun to do that recent years. Have always been easy plot for me in past.



And dry conditions is just why this field was transitioned from a WC plot. Still has the clover, but more drought resistant plants as alfalfa and chicory to hold thru heat of Aug. That is my hardest month of feed, and luckily there is usually enough on the buffet from plots to browse to see them thru. I try to hit this late Sept with 0-20-20 fert and Boron for the alfalfa, if it doesn't stay dry. If it does, do so next spring.

 

[dogghr]

Luckily my son joined me in the heat this past weekend and we got a lot of work done. He doesnt't get to join me often as his job keeps him on the road and two young kids at home. In addition, remodeling a house and moving into it this summer. Good to have him. Always enjoy that time, very special to me. We were both sweating like mules so it was a fight to see who got to do some mowing in the AC cab. No problem, I let him, and I went home. My ass was beat.

 

[dogghr]

And last, you want to find out how well your habitat improvements are doing. Don't check in the nice cool wet spring. Do a walkabout in the dry heat of August and your land will tell you how prepared you are. Anyone can grow in good weather, the real test is when Mother Nature throws a curve ball at you. Love this sight of plots of multiple food, interspersed by screens of natures Egyption Wheat, the Goldenrod.
But don't just look at your plantings, get down and see how nature handles her plantings in less than ideal conditions. If you learn, and maybe apply her ways to your methods, then just perhaps, just perhaps, your success levels will be improved. I hope I never tire of learning. So much to learn that I thot I already knew. And just when I think I've seen it all, she teaches me something new. Maybe if I learn to mimic her, then life becomes even more simple. Peace.


"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast--you also miss the sense of where you are going and why."--Eddie Cantor

 

[Native Hunter]

Doug must be twice as sweet as me, because I just get bit 200 times............

dogghr, the term "Leupold Landscape" comes to mind when I look at those pictures. I think that is the way it was meant to look. Of course you knew the chicory blooms would captivate me for sure......

That time with your son is precious I know for sure. It was worth your hind end dragging the ground....

 

[dogghr]

Thanks Native. And yep I made sure some of those blooms were in the pic. Knew you'd be all about them. Just wish the deer noticed them as much for me.