One Thousand Chestnut Trees - a Whitetail Deer Project

[Keith Nehrke]

Thanks for the advice! The remaining plants will make it onto friends' properties, so nothing is wasted. Right now, I'm trying to increase biodiversity at some new land and I don't want to put down too much of anything. Plus, with clay soil I'm uncertain how well chestnuts are going to do there. Based upon ten Dunstan chestnut I planted last Spring, perhaps not well. All but two of the trees experienced significant winter die back and only threw new growth from the root system this year. They all looked fine going into the winter, and it was a mild one for New York. Hence, I'm not going all in with the chestnuts this fall. There's always next year, though! I'll have seeds from other stands of trees coming this fall to introduce genetic diversity, if the current planting does well, and I'm looking forward to propagating under the lights again over the winter.

 

[wbpdeer]

Kentucky Bow Season Starts Saturday September 3rd and I will dedicate 4 days to harvesting one of my target deer. My setup is by water, beans, and two funnels. No morning hunts - evening sits. I purchased a 20 foot ladder stand specifically for this setup. Yep - we got a plan boys.

That means I will be out of pocket until Wednesday. If I am slow to respond to anyone - I be in the tree folks. This is what cranks my engine. I will catch up on communication when I return home.

I expect that next weekend I will be able to start collecting chestnuts from selected trees - not all trees. If we get a blowing rain storms that may accelerate my collecting schedule.

I ship chestnuts in the order in which they are received. I have many repeat customers but it appears new customers will be the higher number. If you want chestnuts, please let me know.

I am very thankful for all participants. I look forward to a great chestnut season.

First things first - time to hunt some 140" bucks.

 

[Brushpile]

Good luck Wayne!

 

[wbpdeer]

Good luck Wayne!

Thanks Brush.

We have a good line a bachelor group. Three of us on the lease are in good position - pressure should move them to me. I have the second most activity for this group. Another guy has the most activity but hunter traffic will hurt him. I told him he has 24 or 48 hours to get it done. I have a deer I want to kill because he has about 13 points and will look good on the wall.

Just hope he cooperates for me. My setup relies on them going to the beans - there will be no morning sits. Be nice to eat breakfast at a normal time. In the post 6 years, I have killed two bucks the first week in September. Maybe luck b good in 2016. It will be thermal cell and a hot sit.

 

[wbpdeer]

Returned Home from my First Hunting Trip

Saw one buck. No shooter bucks seen by four hunters. Deer didn't move during daylight per our game cameras.

It was fun but I got too many insect bites for my liking.

First thing I did was check two groups of chestnut trees - they are all holding firm. What burs were on the ground would not open.

It will be another week in my estimation. I did get two orders while I was off hunting. Our orders are strong - both of these orders are repeat customers.

If anyone tried to contact me and I missed you - let me know. I stayed off the computer while in deer camp. Two guys on our lease purchased a log cabin and we worked on the cabin when we weren't hunting.

I hope Labor Day was great for all you forum users!

 

[THE LLC]

Too dang hot and days too long to deer hunt yet.

 

[wbpdeer]

Deer and their fur coat need water more in the heat than ever. My son's target buck was 24 hours early - the buck was under my son's stand 45 minutes before dark the Friday evening before opening day on Saturday.

Now I am watching for a rain shower on Saturday or Saturday nite.

 

[THE LLC]

You're tough or crazy one. LOL

 

[wbpdeer]

My best two deer came the first two and first four days of Kentucky Bow Season. They open the first Saturday in September.

Both times we had them patterned extremely well. Both times were afternoon hunts. Neither deer had a clue. So LLC, I will admit to a great deal of both. I am motivated and I just checked the weather report - rain is possible.

 

[SC Hunter]

I would love some chestnut seedlings to plant this fall!! I also would love to know how to grow chestnuts from acorns without the hassle of using grow lights etc. I saw some of my first chestnut trees today and they were awesome. The farmer let me collect a bunch to take home with me that were on the ground. Thanks for the help.

SC Hunter

 

[wbpdeer]

SC Hunter,

I read your post. To avoid lights, you will be doing one of two methods of direct seeding. Direct Seeding means we place the chestnut in the soil at the location where we wish to have a seedling grow.

Options for Direct Seeding: 1) direct seed now as soon as you collect a viable chestnuts or 2) cold stratify the chestnut in the a fridge for at least 75 days and then plant it in the soil where you want to grow a seedling.

Protection Require: Critters are given a great nose by the good lord so they can locate their meals by checking the winter. All types of critters can smell the Chinese Chestnut so we have to protect it when we direct seed it.

Methods of Protection: 1) a tree tube at least 1 inch below the soil surface, 2) hardware wire tube at least 1 inch below the soil surface with the top of the tube wired shut, 3) metal flashing wrapped about a soda bottle and then taped with duct tape (most use at least 9 inches tall) and then put flashing at least 1 inch below soil surface and 4) put hardware mesh on the top of the direct seed location with it staked down with landscape staples or coat hangers.

If chestnuts are plentiful, put two chestnuts in each location.

Now I am sure you have questions, so please ask them. If you don't mind, # your questions so I can address them orderly.

Welcome and be sure to have fun.

 

[wbpdeer]

SC Hunter,

The chestnuts that were laying on the ground that you collected need to be soaking and we conduct a float test. #1 we don't know how long they were on the ground which places us in the position of them becoming low on moisture if exposed to hot temperatures and catching a great deal of sun.

If I collect them on Monday, I will soak them overnight - at least 10 hours. This helps with the hydration part.

On Tuesday, I am going to collect the floaters and discard them. Their percentage of being viable is small. Most users on this forum discard the floaters.

Have you ever seen a chestnut weevil - it will bore a small hole in the chestnut. Maybe 10% of those will germinate. Toss any chestnut that has a weevil hole in the chestnut. We just don't waste our time on these chestnuts. Because chestnuts are brown, I work my chestnuts on TV trays with good lighting to see those small little holes.

I hope this information helps you.

 

[wbpdeer]

Took 30 minutes this afternoon to check three groups of Chinese Chestnut Trees. All are holding firm - we are later in 2016 than we were in 2015.

Good news - the burs on the trees have swelled in size. Burs are green without any signs of opening up yet. I will check three other groups of trees east of my home in the next couple of days.

In case anyone forgets - nature is the conductor of this train. It happens when nature is ready for it to happen. It will be my third year to ship and I have plans to be more efficient. My oldest two grandkids will help with shipping so that will be a plus.

I look at travel time and I don't ship so chestnuts sit in a post office over the weekend. I like to ship on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays unless someone is very close to Tennessee.

I always give a heads up that a shipment is in the mail for each person receiving them. All flat rates boxes get a tracking number and are insured too.

Did I say - Nature is in Charge

Thanks for reading this thread.

 

[wbpdeer]

Today is my first day to collect any "Chinese Chestnuts" for 2016. I check my two trees east of here and got a good 2 1/2 gallon bucket full. On the way back into town, I checked my 30 tree Grove of Chinese Chestnuts and I will collect there late this afternoon with it cools off. I didn't have my collection resources with me. I can collect a couple of thousand there in about 70 to 80 minutes with my nut wizard.

I will post some photos tomorrow after I get a chance to process them and obtain a count. Sept 15th is the Missouri Bow Opener and my beginning of the 2016 Chestnut Season here.

I guess Monday or Tuesday is the first day I put boxes of chestnuts in the mail.

Thanks for reading this thread.

 

[wbpdeer]

On Thursday afternoon I was able to collect 10 gallons of Chinese Chestnuts - that is two 5 gallon buckets full. I am tired. My nut wizard did great. I will get a count of viable nuts from that 10 gallon.
Right now all chestnuts are getting their hydration - which is an overnight soak in water. I will discard the floaters tomorrow when I work them up. They will get dried on the floor on towels with two fans blowing on them.

I collected at a 30 tree grove of chestnuts with some trees holding everything whiles others are dropping. I got hit in the head once and the two buckets got some chestnuts dropped directly into them. Glad it wasn't windy - a bur on the do rag hurts.

 

[Fish]

Sounds like you are back in busines WP. Those chestnuts i received from you early this spring never produced a single bur. . But several have grown 2-3 feet tall this summer. Thinking i am going to try and hold them in their fabric pots overwinter.......in the pole barn. It buffers the extreme cold and i will still pile straw around them.

 

[wbpdeer]

Sounds like you are back in busines WP. Those chestnuts i received from you early this spring never produced a single bur. . But several have grown 2-3 feet tall this summer. Thinking i am going to try and hold them in their fabric pots overwinter.......in the pole barn. It buffers the extreme cold and i will still pile straw around them.

Fish,

They were collect 12 months ago - so if they grew burs this year guess it would mean they are radioactive or something horribly wrong with them.

I say year four is when we will see the advanced ones show some burs - mine in the yard at my house get babied each week. I think in 2018 I might get burs on them. I water them well -so they have no stress.

 

[Fish]

Ya, just ribbing you WBP. Theyve grown very well from seed this year. My biggest problem was getting them to go. They did seem more finicky than an oak, per say. But i think that is their nature. I ended up with 4-5 good ones in pots and 4 nice ones direct planted in the garden.

 

[wbpdeer]

What I learned this year - give them at least 80 or more days of cold stratification to improve germination rate. Stopping at 60 days is not giving the germination rates we want or need.

If you have 9 good trees - that is good. In nature - the weak get crowded out. When I learned that - I stopped stressing over loses.

My success is with container growing - my direct seeding numbers are low. I direct seed when I don't have room. A good direct seeded tree will be a strong one on my farm. Thanks

 

[Diamond hunter]

OK,Wayne are you talking about direct seeded chestnuts or oaks needing the cold stratification?80 days plus? Please help cause soon I'm gonna put some stuff in the ground.