River Ranch Project
- Thread starter Kurt
- Start date
Kurt
Active Member
I am and its really reasonable they would be. Worst case my turkey spots are mowed in and I can work around it. I drove up through that burn area and it was pretty terrible. Miles and miles of damage in all directions. But if they get some winter snows or rain showers who knows, maybe late Feb or early March will be safe. If not, we'll get it next year.
Kurt
Active Member
My plan is to keep the chainsaw blades sharp and continue to knock cedars back from open areas and around some of the mature cottonwoods. At some point, I'll need to burn cedar carcasses but that can wait till a safe time or year.
I'm fighting and winning against the yuccas. So those will continue to be sprayed or scraped as the year progresses. The ones I sprayed last spring died and shriveled up to the point I can shred them with the bush hog. If conditions get good, could burn those dead ones easily I think. Starting mid March I'll get the Triclopyr and diesel mix going again on those. The grass got up to about 3' tall where I killed the yuccas last year. I think they encroached over the years and were choking out other stuff.
Planting 25 Sawtooth oaks, 25 chinkapin, and 25 black forest spruce trees in March. Have all of the tubes and cages ready, just need warm weather and the trees to come from Kansas Forestry. If those survive year one, will plant 25 swamp white oak along river next spring and perhaps 25 northern red oak. Also planning on relocating several hundred 1-2' tall cedars into wind breaks along east border of the place.
Planning on several acres of summer food plot attempts. Then putting in cereal rye and brassicas for fall again. The soil ph, sand content, and relatively dry conditions are pointing me strongly towards a long term plan of sainfoin. Any of these food plots are part of the process I need to clean up the fields and either replant switch grasses or convert maybe 5 acres to sainfoin production.
Did trap 20 raccoons this winter in an effort to help out the quail and turkey nest this coming spring. May try to kill another 10 or so if I can. Also too many coyotes running around.
I love doing the work and I have enjoyed getting to learn more about the history around Hays. Hopefully the deer, quail and turkeys benefit in some way from my activities there.
I'm fighting and winning against the yuccas. So those will continue to be sprayed or scraped as the year progresses. The ones I sprayed last spring died and shriveled up to the point I can shred them with the bush hog. If conditions get good, could burn those dead ones easily I think. Starting mid March I'll get the Triclopyr and diesel mix going again on those. The grass got up to about 3' tall where I killed the yuccas last year. I think they encroached over the years and were choking out other stuff.
Planting 25 Sawtooth oaks, 25 chinkapin, and 25 black forest spruce trees in March. Have all of the tubes and cages ready, just need warm weather and the trees to come from Kansas Forestry. If those survive year one, will plant 25 swamp white oak along river next spring and perhaps 25 northern red oak. Also planning on relocating several hundred 1-2' tall cedars into wind breaks along east border of the place.
Planning on several acres of summer food plot attempts. Then putting in cereal rye and brassicas for fall again. The soil ph, sand content, and relatively dry conditions are pointing me strongly towards a long term plan of sainfoin. Any of these food plots are part of the process I need to clean up the fields and either replant switch grasses or convert maybe 5 acres to sainfoin production.
Did trap 20 raccoons this winter in an effort to help out the quail and turkey nest this coming spring. May try to kill another 10 or so if I can. Also too many coyotes running around.
I love doing the work and I have enjoyed getting to learn more about the history around Hays. Hopefully the deer, quail and turkeys benefit in some way from my activities there.
Kurt
Active Member
Taxidermist turned my son's buck fast. This was the one earlier in the thread. Figured the first archery buck and first buck from farm should get mounted.
I was able to arrange an appointment on the property with a Kansas Forestry service burn expert. We're going to double check my burn lanes, the fire plan, and tools that we'll need to keep things safe. Really a great resource they are offering and due to our environment one that I will happily utilize.
I was able to arrange an appointment on the property with a Kansas Forestry service burn expert. We're going to double check my burn lanes, the fire plan, and tools that we'll need to keep things safe. Really a great resource they are offering and due to our environment one that I will happily utilize.
Last edited:
That’s a good looking mount for sure! I saw your post on my tour, yeah that amount of trees is a lot but if you get lucky like I have so far you will still have plenty survivors. I think in total of the 86 trees I planted since I bought it right now I have only lost 6-7. I’ll take that, I’m sure there will be more that drop off over time but for the first go at it I’m happy. Beautiful place you have, interesting to see the difference in habitat.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Kurt
Active Member
Wow, If I had a survival rate above 50% I'll be thrilled. Yours did great it sounds like. Going to plant near the river to make summer watering easy for me. Just above the flood zone is my thought. I grew up in MO and lived in and hunted IN, IL, OH over the years. Have a deep love for your forests back there. I'm on western edge of feasability for all of these oaks but some will make it I think. The giant cottonwoods are growing on me too.
Kurt
Active Member
No time like February and March to work on cedars. My current plan is working on the east end of the property to open up some of the cedar thickets along the river. These are some giant cedars, probably 35' tall and some offer some decent logs or fence posts. Figure by coring out the center of some of these thickets I can get sunlight to the ground and hopefully get some other stuff growing in there. And the outside cedars are the thickest and thinking will still give the deer a feeling of security inside these pockets.
Need to get native browse stuff or perhaps some smaller sized clover plots down in the trees. Sure the cottonwoods will appreciate less water competition. Trying to cut as much as I can and drag them into the proposed burn area. This picture shows a corner I was in working on a few weeks back. Taking some wedges and seeing how hard the larger logs are to split into posts.
Ongoing coon control taking place as well. I am up to 24 now.
Added 50 Ponderosa pine trees to my tree order for March. Hoping we get decent rains this year and I'll do my best to water them during the summer as well. Planning on more cedar trips and then working on locusts and yuccas again. And I keep hearing about these mock scrapes so going to try a couple of those this year as well.
Need to get native browse stuff or perhaps some smaller sized clover plots down in the trees. Sure the cottonwoods will appreciate less water competition. Trying to cut as much as I can and drag them into the proposed burn area. This picture shows a corner I was in working on a few weeks back. Taking some wedges and seeing how hard the larger logs are to split into posts.
Ongoing coon control taking place as well. I am up to 24 now.
Added 50 Ponderosa pine trees to my tree order for March. Hoping we get decent rains this year and I'll do my best to water them during the summer as well. Planning on more cedar trips and then working on locusts and yuccas again. And I keep hearing about these mock scrapes so going to try a couple of those this year as well.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Nice job on the coons, and you seem to have everything headed in the right direction.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
The longevity of cedar posts depends somewhat on the soil and moisture. Yesterday I looked at a big cedar corner post in a dry location that was put in 50 years ago and it was still solid. But I’ve seen plenty in moist soil that didn’t go anything like that. Same with locust.
Kurt
Active Member
Have to say that cutting cedars and locusts in Feb is almost fun. Can work hard and never over heat which is a great blessing. Wife took this picture after I had already removed a lot of cedars. It shows a lot of cedar carcasses and some downed locust trees. Wanting to open this spot up for camping on the river and I can also sit on that bluff and have a 80 yard muzzleloader shot if a buck decides to walk along the river.
This is how it looked after a few hours of labor.
The little Kubota allowed me to smash this pile pretty tight. Planning on burning this one.
And no trip is complete without hammering more coons. Up to 27 now. These 3 were all large boars.
Up next is either 3 really large honey locusts that need to be dropped and piled up or a 16 acre burn. All burn strips are mowed 30' wide and waiting on good weather and 3-4 water trucks to be available. Worst case I may do an August burn if weather doesn't allow for a March burn.
This is how it looked after a few hours of labor.
The little Kubota allowed me to smash this pile pretty tight. Planning on burning this one.
And no trip is complete without hammering more coons. Up to 27 now. These 3 were all large boars.
Up next is either 3 really large honey locusts that need to be dropped and piled up or a 16 acre burn. All burn strips are mowed 30' wide and waiting on good weather and 3-4 water trucks to be available. Worst case I may do an August burn if weather doesn't allow for a March burn.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
By the looks of things you sure are having a blast.Have to say that cutting cedars and locusts in Feb is almost fun. Can work hard and never over heat which is a great blessing. Wife took this picture after I had already removed a lot of cedars. It shows a lot of cedar carcasses and some downed locust trees. Wanting to open this spot up for camping on the river and I can also sit on that bluff and have a 80 yard muzzleloader shot if a buck decides to walk along the river.
This is how it looked after a few hours of labor.
The little Kubota allowed me to smash this pile pretty tight. Planning on burning this one.
And no trip is complete without hammering more coons. Up to 27 now. These 3 were all large boars.
Up next is either 3 really large honey locusts that need to be dropped and piled up or a 16 acre burn. All burn strips are mowed 30' wide and waiting on good weather and 3-4 water trucks to be available. Worst case I may do an August burn if weather doesn't allow for a March burn.
KSQ2
Well-Known Member
A buddy and I plan to hunt public around Cedar Bluff the second week of November this fall. I love SE Kansas, but the open spaces out that way call to me every year. I lived a year out in Dodge City back in 2000. I spent quite a bit of time on Cedar Bluff Reservoir crappie and bass fishing. For selfish reasons I’m hoping you get all the rain you’re hoping for this year. 
