Pinetag's Plot - 43 acres in Virginia

[pinetag]

I've been making some good progress on my 2023 chore list.

I planted some ROD cuttings as well as some apples and crabapples in the cutover. The ROD cuttings are spread throughout and the apple trees are along the northern edge of my perimeter trail leading straight toward my horseshoe plot.

I also got a platform and blind to replace the barrel stand down by the creek. The wind swirls a lot in this area, but it is a great spot so I'm hoping this will help. The blind is just resting on top so I can get an idea of how it will look.

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[pinetag]

Also, I'm using this windscreen as an experiment to screen my access along the old road bed and my parking pull off. I've tried planting multiple screenings and done some hinge cuts with no luck. I've also planted Norway spruce, but they are very slow growing so we'll see how this holds up.

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[Paradise725]

I don’t think I’ve seen that done before. But access is one of the most important parts of low pressure deer hunting, so I get it!


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[pinetag]

It's a unique situation. There is a paved road about 15 yards on one side and then the interior of my property on the other. I don't want to cut trees on the road side and make things more visible to drivers passing by and there are enough big trees on my hunting side that they just block a lot of the sun to the road bed, so typical screen mixes don't grow that well. Because it's a raised road bed, there aren't a lot of hingeable trees growing either. The screen may not work but at this point I figured it's worth a shot.

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[pinetag]

I got out for a little while this weekend and managed to take a few pics of early spring growth.

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[dogghr]

Nice !!


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[pinetag]

I mainly went to cut some more deer trails around the cutover. Let's hope they get used as intended come Oct.

The aerial photo is for reference with the yellow line being the cutover, the white lines are the deer trails I cut in, the green is the horseshoe plot, and the orange dots are stand locations. I'm really looking forward to that south central (waterfall) stand where the food plot edge and cutover are close together leaving a thin strip of standing timber. Also, the added deer trails converge together directly in front, so it should really funnel them down well.

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[pinetag]

The horseshoe plot is looking good this spring with a lot of diversity coming up and the deer are in it fairly regularly. The bucks are starting to put on new growth and they are continuing to use the cutover perimeter trail as intended. I will be seeding a fall mix along the whole trail to keep guiding them toward stands as well as taking some of the pressure off my micro woods plots.

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[pinetag]

I went out today to check on the creek plot since it was completely neglected last year. First pic is from a couple years ago but now there is a lot of early successional growth and man oh man, the canopy has sure filled in a lot over the last couple years too. In hopes of reviving it for this season, I double girdled the largest of the trees that are shading out the plot floor and I plan to brush cut the low stuff in late summer, and then seed and spray in the fall.

Bucks are putting on some growth and I found my first bed in the cutover as well.

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[weekender21]

Looking good!

Did you spray the double girdle or hoping for a kill without?


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[Native Hunter]

Good update.

How are the red osier dogwoods doing? Are you planting rooted or unrooted?

 

[pinetag]

Looking good!

Did you spray the double girdle or hoping for a kill without?


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I didn't spray, but I've double girdled before without and the tree died and dropped within about 3 (maybe 3-1/2) years. Hopefully these have the same result!

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[pinetag]

Good update.

How are the red osier dogwoods doing? Are you planting rooted or unrooted?

I actually need to check again next time I'm out. Frost killed back the leaves on all of them, but a couple had re-sprouted last time I looked. There might be some losses though.

I put them in water and the root nodes had just started to appear when planted. I'm not sure if I would have been better off to plant later and have more established roots, or plant earlier as just the cuttings without any root beginnings. Hopefully I get some established so I can experiment more in the future!

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[Native Hunter]

I actually need to check again next time I'm out. Frost killed back the leaves on all of them, but a couple had re-sprouted last time I looked. There might be some losses though.

I put them in water and the root nodes had just started to appear when planted. I'm not sure if I would have been better off to plant later and have more established roots, or plant earlier as just the cuttings without any root beginnings. Hopefully I get some established so I can experiment more in the future!

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I have some small, rooted ones planted and caged. They are doing good. I haven't tried the unrooted yet.

 

[pinetag]

I have some small, rooted ones planted and caged. They are doing good. I haven't tried the unrooted yet.

How mature were the roots when you planted them?

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[Native Hunter]

How mature were the roots when you planted them?

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The plants were only little whips - just a tad over a foot tall, but the roots were really big. I planted them last fall, and they look good this spring. I will get you a picture sometime soon if I don't forget.

PS - My plan is to get them started in cages and remove the cages once the plants get big enough to survive the browsing. Then I will use the cages in new locations. I'm doing the same thing with Sandbar Willows in wet locations. I was able to get other shrubs started this way, and now have them popping up from seed. I had zero Arrowwood Viburnums when I started and now have them literally everywhere. And, those Viburnums are browsed hard.

 

[Native Hunter]

This is what they look like. Only set last fall so still small.

 

[pinetag]

This is what they look like. Only set last fall so still small.

That looks great!

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[pinetag]

Haven’t updated in a bit.

I usually take down most of my cameras after March, but I left a few up this year because I wanted to monitor the cutover progress as well as see if there was any change in deer behavior. In years past the bucks leave my property for their summer ranges when their antlers drop, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised to still be getting some on camera. Hopefully that’s a good sign for this season!

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[yoderjac]

Gotta love the WR growing up through all the weeds and brush. Looks like a mess to man, but a buffet to deer!