J-birds place

[j-bird]

It was 70 here on Sunday. Monday morning started at 55 and dropped to 22 by evening. Was 14 last night and not supposed to get above freezing today. Everything is frozen because we got more freezing rain than snow...

It has been a goofy year here this year..... It's supposed to snow in December....not November! Sure in late November we can get flurries, sleet and the like.....but usually we are simply looking at heavy frosts and puddles freezing over during the night....a couple of inches of snow.....this is just stupid! They was saying that up in northern IN some of the lake affect snow was dumping inches of snow an hour...so I guess it could be worse!

 

[dtabor]

I want to officially call BS on Indiana weather! It's November 12th and last night we had not only snow, but a fair amount....broke a 108 year old record for snowfall on the day.....now it's cold...not supposed to get above freezing today. This is TOTAL BS!!!!
View attachment 17514

Now to demonstrate just how crazy this is....it was 60 not 2 weeks ago, and it's forecast to reach back up into the 50's early next week.....typical IN weather....multiple season all in the same month!

Oh what I wouldnt give to have your weather. We got about 5" of snow in that same storm here in VT. Forecast to be 13". Last two days have been below zero wind chills. We wont see 50-60* or grass/brown ground now until April. When I was younger it was normal to get snow starting early November, not so much lately but after 50 winters Im over snow altogether!

 

[j-bird]

Oh what I wouldnt give to have your weather. We got about 5" of snow in that same storm here in VT. Forecast to be 13". Last two days have been below zero wind chills. We wont see 50-60* or grass/brown ground now until April. When I was younger it was normal to get snow starting early November, not so much lately but after 50 winters Im over snow altogether!

I know others across the country have snow now....and will get a lot more snow that I will. I am simply saying that for the most part...snow of this amount and this early is not normal here from what I recall. I have no desire to live in the north or the northeast...mostly because I don't care for the snow or the prolonged winters. IN seems to have a nice balance of all 4 seasons....sometimes in the same week! But seriously....I'll take my average of 18" of snow a year.....I just wasn't expecting it to show up so early this year. By the way.....it's all melted now here.

 

[dtabor]

I know others across the country have snow now....and will get a lot more snow that I will. I am simply saying that for the most part...snow of this amount and this early is not normal here from what I recall. I have no desire to live in the north or the northeast...mostly because I don't care for the snow or the prolonged winters. IN seems to have a nice balance of all 4 seasons....sometimes in the same week! But seriously....I'll take my average of 18" of snow a year.....I just wasn't expecting it to show up so early this year. By the way.....it's all melted now here.

Sorry, I wasnt being obnoxious with my post. I really WOULD like your weather rather than mine!

We hunted gun week in SE Ohio last year and had some amount of snow on the ground all week which was really unusual. The cool thing about that is when hunting in an area that actually HAS a decent deer population with snow on the ground they sure do show up well!

 

[j-bird]

Sorry, I wasnt being obnoxious with my post. I really WOULD like your weather rather than mine!

We hunted gun week in SE Ohio last year and had some amount of snow on the ground all week which was really unusual. The cool thing about that is when hunting in an area that actually HAS a decent deer population with snow on the ground they sure do show up well!

I didn't take your post as being "obnoxious"....I just wanted to be clear why I was "ranting" about my weather. Normally....we will see dusting of snow around Thanksgiving time.....it just showed up heavier and a couple of weeks sooner than expected. I'm looking at high's in the mid 40's yet this weekend and even breaking 50 early next week....so not all it lost!

 

[OkieKubota]

I have a Facebook “friend” who is trying everything he can to absolutely tag out in Indiana. Only wants to eat 1 and donate the rest...he has 3 so far...

 

[j-bird]

Had a great weekend. Hunted with my kids and we all got deer. Emma got a 75 lb fawn Saturday morning. Tom got a clean 8 pointer 200 lbs on Sunday evening and I got a button buck 95 lbs and a 135 lb doe. So the freezer is full.... now we hunt for the wall!

 

[Chainsaw]

Wow, great weekend. And I'd trade for some of that Indiana weather also.

 

[KDdid]

Awesome weekend J-bird! The Hoosier state opener was blessed with great weather, and I was blessed too...

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[j-bird]

I have a Facebook “friend” who is trying everything he can to absolutely tag out in Indiana. Only wants to eat 1 and donate the rest...he has 3 so far...

How did he do? We had some bad EHD in the southern counties this year. We had lots of action but mostly young deer.

 

[OkieKubota]

How did he do? We had some bad EHD in the southern counties this year. We had lots of action but mostly young deer.

I think he killed all 4 deer...he was griping that he couldn’t kill 6 anymore...

I don’t understand tag out type of hunting. My wife and I can kill 7 deer apiece legally yet we never take more than 4 and sometimes only 2-3. We do not donate meat because even though it is a noble idea there are no starving people that my donated deer is going to save. Here in Oklahoma we can donate the deer but we still have to pay all the processing and if we are paying that and we love deer meat ourselves then no reason to donate and any deer beyond what we can reasonably eat in a year is just wanting to kill stuff... I know we are not at carrying capacity in our area and killing a 188 dressed buck in an area that a big mature deer dresses 130 shows we are on the right path.

 

[HB_Hunter]

Congrats on the success j-bird!

 

[j-bird]

Awesome weekend J-bird! The Hoosier state opener was blessed with great weather, and I was blessed too...

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Great buck! Glad to see you had some success yourself. And yes...for as much as I complained about the snow last week....the weather on opening weekend was great. We saw lots of activity....much more than we normally see.

 

[j-bird]

I think he killed all 4 deer...he was griping that he couldn’t kill 6 anymore...

I don’t understand tag out type of hunting. My wife and I can kill 7 deer apiece legally yet we never take more than 4 and sometimes only 2-3. We do not donate meat because even though it is a noble idea there are no starving people that my donated deer is going to save. Here in Oklahoma we can donate the deer but we still have to pay all the processing and if we are paying that and we love deer meat ourselves then no reason to donate and any deer beyond what we can reasonably eat in a year is just wanting to kill stuff... I know we are not at carrying capacity in our area and killing a 188 dressed buck in an area that a big mature deer dresses 130 shows we are on the right path.

I have never "tagged out" entirely either. I/we supply our household of 6 (youngest is 15) and deer is THE red meat there. We too can donate and we are encouraged to pay for the processing as well. At $100 a deer...that's a heck of a donation. I typically see few deer in my area and I have NEVER had an issue with too many deer. I can plant unprotected 1/4 acre soybean plots that produce pods.....not many people can say that. I started seeing issues with my plots....then I'll worry about taking more deer than we need.

 

[j-bird]

I took advantage of the warmer than normal temps over the holidays and tried to get some work done. It's not often we see a week of 50's in December here....

First project was clearing some brush (scrub sycamore and mulberry) in some buffers. The brush cutter worked great but some stuff still needed the chainsaw. I used the brush to create some brush piles, blockades and otherwise just try to create some cover more at deer level. Some of the areas the trees had matured to the point where the ground level cover was bare and the tree types are of minimal wildlife value so buzz-buzz they went. I had found an area where I had previously used brush to keep deer from slipping around the back of a plot of mine. Turns out that brush had broken down and the deer had been taking advantage..... I put a stop to that with the slash. Below you can see the blind and to the left there is where the old blockage was.....there was even a few rubs in there. I want to force the deer out into the plot as the stem count it high enough and the cover tall enough to hide the deer from view if I don't.


Only once I started this post did I realize I didn't take any "after" pics. I will and will post them as well....but the brush is cut to the ground and hopefully as the leaves breakdown the weeds and grasses will return. IF I have a means to remove the leaves and get to bare dirt I may even try to add in some switchgrass.

Second project was that I dug up 2 of my MG clumps to propagate them into some plot and blind screens. I had never done this before and wasn't entirely sure what to expect but things seemed to go well thus far. We will see how well it went come spring and see what grows.

Here is the plot screen....I am trying to screen a small plot off from the large ag field. I have clover and sawtooth oaks in the back of the plot...an area for an annual planting (tends to be beans overseeded with cereal grains and brassica) and then the ag corn/bean field. I think/hope the screen will help increase usage of the plot by helping it feel more secure and not let the deer see our activities in the field after crop harvest. Screen is planted as single row on roughly 24" centers. I figure I can "thin" if needed later. I also planted a screen to hide a blind and entrance on another portion of the farm but I didn't take pictures....if it goes well I will post up some of those as well.


So the two MG plants I dug up provided PLENTY of rhizomes. I didn't count them but for the little bit of actual plant growth I had I was surprised to see as large of a root ball as each had. I probably actually finished with twice as many rhizomes as shown here.


Singular rhizome here. I cleaned and removed a lot of the soil from the root ball with a hose....and then I had to get a little rough with it. I was surprised at just how stout the root ball was and really had to break and work some of them to get them to come apart. I am sure not everything I planted will grow....but I have plenty of other plants to get more rhizomes from if needed.


As for deer/habitat related x-mas gifts go....I got a laser range finder (nice to have in the open ag field areas I hunt) and a new Exodus trail cam. It is now out but I have not pulled any videos from it yet.

 

[j-bird]

So the neighbors place is being logged. Lots of the tree tops are showing signs of browse.....mostly hard maple. They don't allow hunting so I think in the short term this will be a great little area of cover for the deer to call home.....And I will sit and wait for them to come out! Normally I try to not stick my nose across the fence....but the placed needed logged and I really expect the deer to respond once the cover comes in now that the sunlight will hit the ground. This is my view looking in from the fence line.



I pulled cams yesterday and most bucks are still holding (at least as of 3/11). No bucks of real mention... just young yearlings and the like, which is typical for me.

I did get some pruning done.....my young crab apples needed trimmed up so they grow UP and not out and my older apples just needed to be thinned. I got more apples coming soon as well.....

I have been working on some of my CRP and need to do some strip discing. Got some cool season grass coming in so I will spray some gly first. Will probably sprinkle in some switchgrass seed as well in a few places.

Spring is on the way.....I have daffodils blooming in the front of the house!

 

[j-bird]

Was out over the weekend spreading some left-over wheat seed. I saw the cool season grasses are waking up so I need to spray them and also added a little switchgrass seed to a plot screen. I was trying to get something done between rain showers.....

 

[j-bird]

Well as part of my companies corona virus plan....I have been working from home for a week+ now and am required to take Wednesday's off as vacation days. So, I took advantage yesterday and got outside and got some work done.....

Sprayed my buffers for cool season grasses.....the kids are home from school and needed to get outside so I put the youngest to work. Plan will be to disc these areas maybe over the weekend....give it some time to dry up a bit and let the gly do it's thing as well. I'll sprinkle in a little switchgrass for good measure as well.



While Emma was out spraying I looked over some of my plots and the like.....the deer didn't eat all the turnips and they are starting to grow again..... I don't have a lot of them like this, but I do have a few. I figure they will bolt in a few weeks and begin to turn to mush and stink!



I got 2 different tree orders coming my way as well....one from Turkey Creek (apples) and another from Chestnut Hill (chestnuts and persimmons).....so I will be filling up my "orchards" as well here shortly. May have to put my helper to work for that project as well.

Spring is at least here to some capacity....the daffodils in front of the house are in full bloom and the dogs kicked up 2 woodcock as well. They tend to visit my place during their migration but don't stay. Goofy looking little birds....

 

[OkieKubota]

Well as part of my companies corona virus plan....I have been working from home for a week+ now and am required to take Wednesday's off as vacation days. So, I took advantage yesterday and got outside and got some work done.....

Sprayed my buffers for cool season grasses.....the kids are home from school and needed to get outside so I put the youngest to work. Plan will be to disc these areas maybe over the weekend....give it some time to dry up a bit and let the gly do it's thing as well. I'll sprinkle in a little switchgrass for good measure as well.
View attachment 18436


While Emma was out spraying I looked over some of my plots and the like.....the deer didn't eat all the turnips and they are starting to grow again..... I don't have a lot of them like this, but I do have a few. I figure they will bolt in a few weeks and begin to turn to mush and stink!
View attachment 18437


I got 2 different tree orders coming my way as well....one from Turkey Creek (apples) and another from Chestnut Hill (chestnuts and persimmons).....so I will be filling up my "orchards" as well here shortly. May have to put my helper to work for that project as well.

Spring is at least here to some capacity....the daffodils in front of the house are in full bloom and the dogs kicked up 2 woodcock as well. They tend to visit my place during their migration but don't stay. Goofy looking little birds....

I need to mix up some spray and do some areas around our home...parking areas, driveways, etc... never ever saw a woodcock growing up but a couple years ago my cousin and I were walking along a creek I grew up being constantly fishing or swimming in and we jumped up 3 in different areas.

 

[j-bird]

I need to mix up some spray and do some areas around our home...parking areas, driveways, etc... never ever saw a woodcock growing up but a couple years ago my cousin and I were walking along a creek I grew up being constantly fishing or swimming in and we jumped up 3 in different areas.

They are not really common here as I only see them every once in a while in the spring and fall when they migrate....they are just something a little different. I wish I had more diversity from a wildlife perspective.....but the farming here puts a big hurt on diverse habitats. It's even pretty rare to see quail any more sense the farmers started pulling out the fence rows.