J-birds place
- Thread starter j-bird
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j-bird
Well-Known Member
Actually is sort of sucks. It tends to not produce well at all and simply competes for space and resources against the plants you want to grow well. I added corn to it to increase the cover factor, but the one plot had a lot of corn left and even after mowing and tilling a lot of it came up. More of it than I really need or want to be honest. I'll smack the heaviest area of it with some cleth and that should take care of it.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
Well - I did find some good news. I had noticed a few large shrubs (due to their white flower) that I wasn't sure what they where. I'm pretty decent with my trees, but not shrubs at IDing them. So I posted on the forums and turns out it's Elderberry. I don;t know much about it, but I hear folks planting it all the time and the deer seem to like to browse it. I think I'm going to try to get some cuttings at some point and see if I can get it to spread in some areas to thicken up the understory. Normally when I find something "new" it's some sort of invasive!!! but this time it's something good.
Same pics I posted in the my posting asking what it was, but thought I should include it in my habitat thread as well.
From what I can tell it seems to like damp soils in places where it can get some sun. The one I took pics of is roughly 10 feet across and just as tall. Obviously it will do me more good down around where the deer can reach it. I'll try to get some cuttings from it and may even "prune" it back to get more of that browse in the deer's reach. I have several of these so I will try one first and see how it goes.
Same pics I posted in the my posting asking what it was, but thought I should include it in my habitat thread as well.
From what I can tell it seems to like damp soils in places where it can get some sun. The one I took pics of is roughly 10 feet across and just as tall. Obviously it will do me more good down around where the deer can reach it. I'll try to get some cuttings from it and may even "prune" it back to get more of that browse in the deer's reach. I have several of these so I will try one first and see how it goes.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I knew the shrub was there - I just never knew what it was. I have a few scattered about....but now that I know what they are I am going to try to propagate them to other suitable areas. Normally when I have stuff that I have to ID I find out it's something bad.....not this time!
j-bird
Well-Known Member
Project MG has taken another small step.....I think. I will have to confirm with my sources, but I think this is a positive sign. Sorry the one pic is blurry.
Most of my cuttings are showing some sort of life. They either have signs of roots or a green "horn". Looks like I may be potting some cuttings soon......
Most of my cuttings are showing some sort of life. They either have signs of roots or a green "horn". Looks like I may be potting some cuttings soon......
j-bird
Well-Known Member
Well I didn't get much habitat work done over the holiday, but did enjoy the weekend.
We went to my folks place and did the grilling, fishing, swimming and fireworks thing.
Emma caught her first catfish. You listen to her talk you would have sworn it was a monster shark! She did get a lesson on "playing the fish" as she wanted to just horse it in, but this channel cat had other ideas in the early going.
I got lots of bush-hogging done. And I broke the lawn mower! Not sure what I did, but it has developed a significant vibration... it will go to the mower doctor yet this week. I did pick up a new trail cam (a cheapy from Rural king) so we should be getting some cam pics soon as well. The deer are really hammering the red clover and the summer plots look good with a nice kill from the gly application.
On the fourth itself - we celebrated "Merica"!!!! My boys buddy brought out his AR in 5.56 and they shot the crap out of jugs of water. Emma wants to know if we can use one of these for deer hunting!!!! For right now 5.56 isn't legal here.
We wrapped up the day with some grilling at the house of some ribs and corn on the cob on the grill. The kids thought I was nuts for cooking corn on the grill.....it was a big hit and has been requested for the next time.
The MG cuttings are doing well and maybe even be ready for planting..... as most seem to have decent roots and a "horn" forming as well. I don't have a recent pic of them.....
We went to my folks place and did the grilling, fishing, swimming and fireworks thing.
Emma caught her first catfish. You listen to her talk you would have sworn it was a monster shark! She did get a lesson on "playing the fish" as she wanted to just horse it in, but this channel cat had other ideas in the early going.
I got lots of bush-hogging done. And I broke the lawn mower! Not sure what I did, but it has developed a significant vibration... it will go to the mower doctor yet this week. I did pick up a new trail cam (a cheapy from Rural king) so we should be getting some cam pics soon as well. The deer are really hammering the red clover and the summer plots look good with a nice kill from the gly application.
On the fourth itself - we celebrated "Merica"!!!! My boys buddy brought out his AR in 5.56 and they shot the crap out of jugs of water. Emma wants to know if we can use one of these for deer hunting!!!! For right now 5.56 isn't legal here.
We wrapped up the day with some grilling at the house of some ribs and corn on the cob on the grill. The kids thought I was nuts for cooking corn on the grill.....it was a big hit and has been requested for the next time.
The MG cuttings are doing well and maybe even be ready for planting..... as most seem to have decent roots and a "horn" forming as well. I don't have a recent pic of them.....
j-bird
Well-Known Member
Oh, she is all for it! She has been trying to talk me and anyone else that will listen to her about getting one, 5.56 or otherwise. My real issue is I can't justify a $800+ toy right now. Even in a .308 which is legal to deer hunt with here....I'm not using an assault rifle to deer hunt with. Just like I wouldn't want to go to war with my lever 30-30.....different tools for different purposes. I am fine with her wanting to shoot on a recreational basis.....the thing is good guns ain't cheap and cheap guns ain't good!
catscratch
Well-Known Member
My boys have shot plenty of deer with their AR-15 and SKS. Not telling you what to do but they make fine hunting rifles... and are the same guns they love to shoot, so they practice a lot with them and are pretty good with them too.
MarkDarvin
Well-Known Member
Don't hesitate to give the ones you found some light and lime (if needed). I love finding desirables like that and plucking them from the bush by whacking down the competition around them.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I'll
keep that in mind, but I can go .308 in a bolt gun with scope for like $400. I have no issue with an AR platform....I guess I just never really considered them a hunting firearm.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I guess I just never really considered them a hunting/sporting rifle. Maybe I need to change that opinion some.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
The ones I have a re pretty big and need a hair cut. I'll trim them back this winter and get them back into the reach of the deer and maybe take some cuttings as well to try to get them growing in other areas also.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
Well like I said I was going to do I potted my MG cutting today.....hours ago actually. It took 29 gallon pots (less than a dollar each) and 1 and a half bags of garden soil and 2 bud lights. I figured "union rate" would be a brew every 15 pots or so.....I was right!
My work space set-up:
99% of the cuttings had at least a shoot staring. I would fill the pot about half way with soil and then place the cutting and then top off with soil. Some of the shoots where large enough they remained above the soil but many where still small enough to be covered but I would expect to emerge in a few days to a week of growing.
I did have one cutting that had a shoot develop at both the lower and upper "joint".
Once done they all went out in the sun and got a fresh drink...... I got another one as well....
Now we wait for the shoots to push thru and grow into blades of grass. I have been really surprised how quickly the cuttings developed roots by just sticking them in water. Hopefully the rest of getting these further along is as easy. They are on the back deck so regular watering should be a doable thing. If you look closely you can see a few of the shoots that where tall enough to still be above the soil in the pots.
I need to big a big THANK YOU to Bill for giving me the push I needed in getting this off the ground. He has also been a great resource is helping me along the way. Maybe some day I will have mature enough MG plants where I will be able to pay that favor forward to another habitat junkie.
My work space set-up:
99% of the cuttings had at least a shoot staring. I would fill the pot about half way with soil and then place the cutting and then top off with soil. Some of the shoots where large enough they remained above the soil but many where still small enough to be covered but I would expect to emerge in a few days to a week of growing.
I did have one cutting that had a shoot develop at both the lower and upper "joint".
Once done they all went out in the sun and got a fresh drink...... I got another one as well....
Now we wait for the shoots to push thru and grow into blades of grass. I have been really surprised how quickly the cuttings developed roots by just sticking them in water. Hopefully the rest of getting these further along is as easy. They are on the back deck so regular watering should be a doable thing. If you look closely you can see a few of the shoots that where tall enough to still be above the soil in the pots.
I need to big a big THANK YOU to Bill for giving me the push I needed in getting this off the ground. He has also been a great resource is helping me along the way. Maybe some day I will have mature enough MG plants where I will be able to pay that favor forward to another habitat junkie.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
Took a walk up north to check a new cam SD card.....card had 350+ 10 second videos of the same 3 does at a mineral site......BORING!!! I moved my cam to my waterhole (it's supposed to get hot and sticky here again next week) to see if I can pick up some different deer use.
My chestnut burrs "seem" to be growing, but I have asked for confirmation from Wayne to be certain. They are a bit bigger than a quarter at the moment. I only have a handful, but am really hoping these turn into my first chestnuts this fall.
My chinkapin oaks are showing signs of acorns as well. They are pretty reliable producers on my place. They tend to be decent volume producers but their small size makes them a favorite of nearly everything out there! They also drop early in our hunting season here so they can be difficult to deer hunt as early October here is typically pretty warm still.
This north plot has went thru a real interesting journey. Last summer it was a weak corn plot, so I broadcast some BOB fall annuals into it. Things continued to grow thru the spring and many of the brassica matured and produced seed pods. I have mowed this in strips at different times to try different things.
I have 2 areas where the red clover has obviously came on strong and the deer are hammering it. Look at all the nipped stems!
One of the areas I mowed I also tilled just to see what would happen. Many of them have germinated, but weed control has been impossible so we will simply see what happens.
Last weekend or so I mowed the final center section - it was over 3 feet tall. Again - we will see what happens, but I assume there will be more red clover. My plan was to terminate this entire plot this spring to plant a summer annual of corn or soybeans, but I decided not to and have been really pleased with that decision thus far. Come later in the summer/early fall I may simply mow everything really short and over seed with some turnips and wheat or rye and leave well enough alone.
My chestnut burrs "seem" to be growing, but I have asked for confirmation from Wayne to be certain. They are a bit bigger than a quarter at the moment. I only have a handful, but am really hoping these turn into my first chestnuts this fall.
My chinkapin oaks are showing signs of acorns as well. They are pretty reliable producers on my place. They tend to be decent volume producers but their small size makes them a favorite of nearly everything out there! They also drop early in our hunting season here so they can be difficult to deer hunt as early October here is typically pretty warm still.
This north plot has went thru a real interesting journey. Last summer it was a weak corn plot, so I broadcast some BOB fall annuals into it. Things continued to grow thru the spring and many of the brassica matured and produced seed pods. I have mowed this in strips at different times to try different things.
I have 2 areas where the red clover has obviously came on strong and the deer are hammering it. Look at all the nipped stems!
One of the areas I mowed I also tilled just to see what would happen. Many of them have germinated, but weed control has been impossible so we will simply see what happens.
Last weekend or so I mowed the final center section - it was over 3 feet tall. Again - we will see what happens, but I assume there will be more red clover. My plan was to terminate this entire plot this spring to plant a summer annual of corn or soybeans, but I decided not to and have been really pleased with that decision thus far. Come later in the summer/early fall I may simply mow everything really short and over seed with some turnips and wheat or rye and leave well enough alone.
