Scott's projects

[Scott44]

This is actually my second post here, I know some of you other forums. I have to admit I'm a habitat junkie this is what I'm trying to to improve from a habitat side.
I own 40 acres and my parents have 80 right next to me. My 40 was a 40 acre hay field when I bought the place so I took the back 8-10 acres and started to improve it while keep some of the hay field for hay. I started out just planting food plots and thinking that would be enough then I got to reading some forums and found a whole different way to spend my time and money, not so much on food and more on habitat improvements. I started planting trees and shrubs 6 years ago along with some switch grass and other native warm season grasses. Over the last 6 yrs I have probably planted 3,000 conifers and 150 various oaks and chestnuts and a couple hundred shrubs. My parents 80 has around 60 tillable acres that they rent out and we are improving the back 15.
Here's a pic of the properties
Green- property lines
Red- what we're trying to improve
Yellow- food plots
Blue/Purple- switchgrass planting

 

[Scott44]

One project was to get sreening from the neighbors, I planted a strip of switch grass.

Pic taken 2012 after switch had been in a year. North fenceline on the left.

2012



Jan 2015 looking the other way.

 

[Scott44]

Having internet troubles tonight, post more pics later.

 

[Native Hunter]

Glad to see you posting here Scott. Always enjoy your great pics on the other forum!

 

[dogdoc]

Glad you joined up Scott. Looking forward to your updates.

 

[lakngolf]

Been giving some thoughts to killing some fescue and replacing with something like switch grass. Yours seems to be taking off. Does it withstand your winters?

 

[Scott44]

Been giving some thoughts to killing some fescue and replacing with something like switch grass. Yours seems to be taking off. Does it withstand your winters?

Withstands our winters great here in MI, it's changed our property.

 

[Scott44]

MG screening is one of our projects, I have some 5yr old MG that has filled in decently. This section is 110yds long and is screening an ag field.



This was taken a couple weeks ago, good growth on both ends but kind of short in the middle.





A couple years ago I planted some MG in 6' cicles in hopes of putting a pop up blind inside it, the MG was tall enough this year and couple weeks ago I put up a pop up on a platform just off a food plot with easy access.



MG is behind the trees in the middle, brush hogged a path down to the blind.





Blind in.

 

[dogdoc]

Cool blind set up in MG.

 

[Scott44]

A couple pics from earlier this summer, we've lost just about all our Ash trees here from Emerald Ash Borer. Around the outside of one of our switch fields there was a lot of little ash trees, 4-6" range, so the last couple years I've been hinging them for bedding. Very supprised that they have lasted this long but it is also filling in with briars and shrubs.







Couple pics of natural regen from the dead ash, no hinging here just the canopy opened up from the dead and dying ash. Lots of eldeberry and dogwoods coming up.

 

[Scott44]

For food plots I use the LC rotation, the last couple years I've also been messing with sorghum mix.

The brassicas went in mid July, I take and braodcast the brassicas into last years rye and then roll it down with a cultipacker.

Before



After





As of last week they weren't doing reall well because we haven't had the rain, since these pic were taken we've had over 2" of rain so I'll have to see how they do, Might have to add some rye to these plots.





Sorghum mix.





Added sunflowers to the mix but not many of them made it, deer forund them wiped them out.



Got the cereal grains in Tues. I usually plant them around labor day but this year I'm going to be in CO over labor day muley hunting and won't have much time when I get back.



The area back by the tree tubes is going to be a clover plot so I'll just clip the rye next spring.

 

[lakngolf]

You are providing quite a smorgasbord there. The deer will enjoy. Are the woods north of you and woods west of your parents hunted?

 

[Scott44]

You are providing quite a smorgasbord there. The deer will enjoy. Are the woods north of you and woods west of your parents hunted?

The woods right north of me is a 40acre sanctuary, the people don't hunt or allow anyone on there to hunt, I have permission to go in and get a deer if needed. Everything around my parents place gets hunted but not during bow season just rifle.

 

[dogghr]

Great job on the place. Reallly liked the screened in blind.

 

[Scott44]

Over 3" of rain this last week has the plots going again, brassicas are taking off now it's only been over a month.







Clover is wking back up.



Alfalfa strip next to the sorghum.





Cereal grains planted Tues. off to a good start.

 

[kansas-Andres]

Glad to see you here Scott.

Every Ash tree on our Clare property is dead. We have heated deer camp burning Ash the last couple of years.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

Hate that about your ash trees. Don't know if it's the same where your at, but ash trees are the first place I look for morel's in the spring.

 

[Scott44]

Hate that about your ash trees. Don't know if it's the same where your at, but ash trees are the first place I look for morel's in the spring.

I noticed morels more around Elms, maybe that'll change with all the dead ash.

 

[Scott44]

Here's my throw and mow planted on 8/4, with the rain we've had th last week it's starting to look good. Quite a bit of grass in there but my plots aren't as pretty as they used to be and it doesn't bother me like it once did, they'll eat it anyways.





Some volunteer brassicas from last year.



Quite a bit of clover there too.



This plot hasn't been till for the last 3 yrs, I was curious to see what was under the thatch. When I dug down the first 4-6" was really easy diging and then I hit the heavy clay so this seems to be working really good on building a loamy top layer.



Lots of tunnels and roots in the first 4-6"

 

[Weasel]

Good to see you here Scott. Everything looks great. Good job on the throw & roll.