Little Blue 40

[Fish]

If you haven't planted the largest fish pond, I would seriously consider getting a flood control device like and agri-drain. If you can control the water in the ponds when you want you could manage an acre or two for ducks in the winter time if you think you have ducks around. Typically they migrate on major river systems. Food for thought. (I think with enough ingenuity, you could build your own home-made water control device)

I have woodies in the spring and fall annd they are happy with the waters that ive left for them. That largest pond (3 ft deep when full) was in a strategic location, so it has been reduced to a small hole that is holding water as i type. Thanks for the idea though. I suppose if i was still a duck hunter i might have seen things differently.

 

[OkieKubota]

I love that story about killing the buck while sitting in a tree you planted!

 

[Triple C]

Fish - Thanks for taking us along on your habitat journey! Love to see new land threads. That is a beautiful bed! Did you build that yourself?

 

[Fish]

I love that story about killing the buck while sitting in a tree you planted!

Thank you, Kubota. There were a lot of things that made that hunt special. The tree. The habitat God allowed me to create, and then something on a surreal note. Dad always said i would kill a deer on that property someday. He marvelled at the trees every year as they grew. He passed away the winter prior to my killing that buck. You can imagine how much i wished he had been here to see it.
I am man enough to admit, that after all the excitement of that evening, i shed some tears .

 

[Fish]

Fish - Thanks for taking us along on your habitat journey! Love to see new land threads. That is a beautiful bed! Did you build that yourself?

Thank you, 3C. I did make the bed. Blood, sweat, and tears on that one. Haha. I used a chainsaw, a drill, wood chisel, and wood glue. It isnt showroom quality, but good enough for my boy.

 

[Don B]

I'm new to the forum. Good thread! Love the bed! Thought about making a deck off the porch of my cabin with deadfall locust trees. Would make good posts and rails for the deck. Cool to make stuff from wood off your property!


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[Sam]

Great start to your thread! Harvesting a deer from a tree you planted is pretty cool, keep up the good work.

 

[dogghr]

Bet those drained ponds put on some serious growth. But that cold water planting doesn't look fun.

 

[Btaylor]

I have killed deer and hogs with bows and arrows I built but to kill a deer from a tree you planted, that's sure nuff next level stuff. Place is looking great and that bed is sweet.

 

[Fish]

I'm new to the forum. Good thread! Love the bed! Thought about making a deck off the porch of my cabin with deadfall locust trees. Would make good posts and rails for the deck. Cool to make stuff from wood off your property!


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I agree! So much we can do with the woods besides hunt. I'm no carpenter, but ive also made several small tables with my pine logs. I hope to see your work posted here someday. Thanks!

 

[Fish]

I have killed deer and hogs with bows and arrows I built but to kill a deer from a tree you planted, that's sure nuff next level stuff. Place is looking great and that bed is sweet.

Thank you Sam, dogghr, and Btaylor. I think killing a deer with a homemade bow and arrows is light years ahead of planting a tree 13 years ago and hunting out of it. But its all very cool stuff that adds to the fun factor around hunting.
Dogghr, i usually work up a good sweat planting trees in the coolest weather. Some cold water is welcomed.

 

[Brent]

Really excited to follow this thread! I love both pieces of property. I can somewhat relate to Little Blue. I just began working on a small piece of property adjacent to a good sized river and the struggles with waterlogged soil, flood damage, and mosquitos definitely make things challenging. I love what you've done to the home 10! Did you do anything besides planting and let natives regenerate? Any burns or disking? The orchard, screening and pines look great!

 

[Fish]

Really excited to follow this thread! I love both pieces of property. I can somewhat relate to Little Blue. I just began working on a small piece of property adjacent to a good sized river and the struggles with waterlogged soil, flood damage, and mosquitos definitely make things challenging. I love what you've done to the home 10! Did you do anything besides planting and let natives regenerate? Any burns or disking? The orchard, screening and pines look great!

Thank you very much, Brent. I did nothing before planting. Nature seeded in a lot of natives and i planted others that i desired. Those first 5 years were slow going, but then things exploded. The cedars have been my best deer cover on the home 10, and i didnt plant a single one until last year.

Little blue is my greatest challenge. Since May, i have been swarmed by flies and mosquitos everytime i go there and work. . I think and hope im on the right path there. The pond dams will grow conifers, which i consider essential to success on that property. Just going to take a few years to get there.
I appreciate your comments and hopefully we can learn from each other.

 

[Brushpile]

I'm looking forward to pics of the "Little Blue", you have a very unique property!

 

[Fish]

Wow. It's good to be back to updating some things on this site.
We've had a few of these little guys on the Home 10 property this summer. They are a joy to see. From what I can tell, we are part time home to a doe and two fawns, and part time home to another doe and fawn.




The Miscanthus screening the county road is growing strong. There is also switch and big blue along here, but the foxtail pretty much dominates that area.




I planted a small area of milo and cowpeas on the Home 10... this pic was taken in July




The sawtooths are loaded this fall.... I have around 100 of them on ten acres. That should feed some deer.







Luke is setting his sights on this young buck. We have seen him at the Home 10 several times. And he is showing up on trail cam.




The twins heading into cover....



They are never far from the apple trees......

 

[Fish]

In late May, I planted a couple strips of milo and assorted peas/beans at Little Blue.




This plot was underwater a couple of years ago.






They found the cowpeas and buckwheat early and by the end of June, it was a solid stand of milo




The woods edges were seeded to switchgrass 3 years ago and despite only an initial spray of gly on the fescue there, I am seeing a respectable number of switch plants.




And you gotta love butterfly weed

 

[Fish]

On labor day, I did seeded and ferted (fertilized) the area around the milo strips and then shallow tilled at about 2". I have no equipment. In May, I walked the garden tiller, a 6.5 horsepower Craftsman, to this location. It's a good clip from the truck and getting there is a journey. Once I got the milo in, I parked the tiller in some brush, covered it with a camo tarp (didn't want the deer to see it ), and then fired it up again on labor day for my LC mix.
That was a 5 hour process on a 1/4 acre from the time I started until I got the tiller parked back into the truck bed. I was exhausted in the 90 degree heat.
Before tilling in seed and fertilizer



After....







I just haven't the means right now to do things by the book, but I can tell you this method works pretty darn good with the LC mix. Clovers were seeded after the tilling. Though the home 10 has been dry, Little Blue picked up over an inch of rain shortly after I seeded.




I also did a spray and throw with some Egyptian Wheat on some very hard packed ground covered in fescue. With the summer rains, the EW has taken off!







I got in before another rain in July and hit it with another dose of urea....






It's a little thin in spots, but for the effort I put into it, I am very pleased. It will provide great screening before finally drying down.

 

[dogdoc]

Place loos great. Tons of butterflies at my place. A mix of Monarchs on the milkweed and lots of Passion butterflies on the maypops. Beautiful time of year.

 

[Fish]

Place loos great. Tons of butterflies at my place. A mix of Monarchs on the milkweed and lots of Passion butterflies on the maypops. Beautiful time of year.

Yessir doc. Pollinators are really on the sunflowers now. Thanks!

 

[Flyfixer]

Your plots are looking great, all of that hard work is paying off.