Stone Branch, build it, they will come.
- Thread starter George
- Start date
George
Well-Known Member
It was a terrible scene Christmas eve at the horse farm, one of Barbara's dogs started a fight with Tiny in the barnyard and Tiny went full Cujo on me and Tank. I found myself in another Jiu-Jitsu match with 2 monster dogs trying to kill each other. I submitted Tank flat on the ground and Tiny's onslaught went on for another 10 minutes or so. I took a defensive position over Tank as if I were being attacked by a bear, grip fighting with Tiny's teeth to save Tanks life. Barbara tried to choke out Tiny with her hands and was bit. The barn manager was beating Tiny with a pitch fork. The fight went to the point where me and the dogs were about reaching total exhaustion when I beat one of Tiny's grips on Tanks face and he backed off looking for another angle in. This gave me a chance rise up and cold cock Tiny with a right hook. Tiny sat and Barbara returned with a slip lead she put on Tiny and took him to the barn. The kitchen turned into a triage center. I had 18 holes 10 of which were serious puncture wounds. Tank was ripped up pretty good with serious puncture wounds and almost had his throat ripped out. I refused to go to the emergency. We treated my wounds and I started myself on clavomox that I had on hand. We got Tank started on a prescription of amoxicillin. I went to Christmas eve dinner at Barbara's nephews with my hands wrapped in gauze and vet wrap. The bite Barbara took was between her left breast and her throat. She had on 2 layers of flannel and Carhart overalls, no broken skin but a mean bruise the size of my fist.
Christmas day between dressings
Meanwhile I still had Tiny out in a heated tack room in the barn and was contemplating going out and putting one in his head. I only had my AR and that would have taken his face off. Barbara convinced me to do it her way. The next day, Monday, we drove to the vet clinic in Ann Arbor and picked up a package. Back at the farm Tiny got a syringe of happy juice then he got an intravenous syringe of the blue stuff. His heart stopped by the time all the blue was in him.
I have now broken up 4 Tank fights from the inside out, 3 he did not start, one with Tiny, he may have been a co aggressor. Tank has never put his teeth on or in me. Tiny became unhinged and wasn't right within his head. You simply cannot kill your best friends. Remember, Tiny's mother was an inbred Neapolitan mastiff. I was ready to go out and replace Tiny with another monster bandog but decided to give myself a break.
G
Christmas day between dressings
Meanwhile I still had Tiny out in a heated tack room in the barn and was contemplating going out and putting one in his head. I only had my AR and that would have taken his face off. Barbara convinced me to do it her way. The next day, Monday, we drove to the vet clinic in Ann Arbor and picked up a package. Back at the farm Tiny got a syringe of happy juice then he got an intravenous syringe of the blue stuff. His heart stopped by the time all the blue was in him.
I have now broken up 4 Tank fights from the inside out, 3 he did not start, one with Tiny, he may have been a co aggressor. Tank has never put his teeth on or in me. Tiny became unhinged and wasn't right within his head. You simply cannot kill your best friends. Remember, Tiny's mother was an inbred Neapolitan mastiff. I was ready to go out and replace Tiny with another monster bandog but decided to give myself a break.
G
George
Well-Known Member
Thanks lak, i'm looking for any buck now.
I did go get us a new little buddy on Tuesday, Spike is his name.
since, he is proving to be quite the little trooper and team player.
G
I believe I will forever more be a dog less person. When I was a kid growing up I had rabbit, squirrel, and coon dogs which were great fun and provided meals and income. These were working dogs who were only loose when we were hunting. In my younger adult years I had all the players in the macho dog scene Rot, Pit, Mastiff, German Shepherd, Husky, Doberman, Great Pyrenees, and others I can’t even remember. I got bit a lot and I lost calves, goats, chickens, ducks, and rabbits to whatever my latest whim at the time was and over time I ended up putting every single one of those dogs down. Now hunting dogs has become so difficult because of the limited spaces you can use them and fur is worth so little and dog food is so high and since keeping a dog restrained somehow has become taboo since I was younger and a dog following me everywhere is not my idea of fun I will just stick to owning things I can eat if I decide to do it...
Sorry your dog went ballistic G and hope everyone heals up well. I also hope you get a buck before the clock runs out. I have given up on deer at this point yet I watch for a favorable wind to hunt wild hogs and am contemplating squirrel mightily right now! So much to do and so little time…
Sorry your dog went ballistic G and hope everyone heals up well. I also hope you get a buck before the clock runs out. I have given up on deer at this point yet I watch for a favorable wind to hunt wild hogs and am contemplating squirrel mightily right now! So much to do and so little time…
I am sure it was a very tough spot...I know you loved that dog and I hope your new dog has the temperament we would all strive to have. Tank seems to be taking to the young one well!
George
Well-Known Member
Since I am waiting on potential eqip funds for my continued habitat work my main habitat tool this year will be fire. I bought a new tool, I'm not messing around anymore.
12 days ago I did a cane corso rescue out of the projects of west Columbus, she is an intact female, Bella. She was terribly neglected and poorly fed with no exercise, about 18 pounds underweight, probably spent most of her time in a cage.
She is a real good watch dog and is proving to be a perfect hiking buddy. With exercise and proper nutrition she put on 3 lbs the first week.
Tank not liking outsiders, particularly females, reacted as I expected, he wanted to kill her. It took about a week for him to accept her into his pack. Tank now relishes his position as the perfect role model dog for both dogs.
A couple of days ago, our first official/successful, morning, group, coyote patrol down the drive.
Spike is doing real well, he is a pistol.
I have started him out on a couple of deer bloody kibble tracking training sessions for which he shows great enthusiasm and the same aptitude that my tracker Hank did back in Iowa.
G
12 days ago I did a cane corso rescue out of the projects of west Columbus, she is an intact female, Bella. She was terribly neglected and poorly fed with no exercise, about 18 pounds underweight, probably spent most of her time in a cage.
She is a real good watch dog and is proving to be a perfect hiking buddy. With exercise and proper nutrition she put on 3 lbs the first week.
Tank not liking outsiders, particularly females, reacted as I expected, he wanted to kill her. It took about a week for him to accept her into his pack. Tank now relishes his position as the perfect role model dog for both dogs.
A couple of days ago, our first official/successful, morning, group, coyote patrol down the drive.
Spike is doing real well, he is a pistol.
I have started him out on a couple of deer bloody kibble tracking training sessions for which he shows great enthusiasm and the same aptitude that my tracker Hank did back in Iowa.
G
George
Well-Known Member
I'm back in the wood,
Heading north through the wood, to the right some hinge cuts and my property line 40 or so yards over. To the left the area that I waylaid red maples, I believe, 3 summers ago.
In this area of regeneration, I have lots of little oaks that would soon be shaded out by red maple resprouts, and a serious load of ash sprouts. This is why this year will be the year of fire, returning fire to the landscape.
Im cutting out a trail that will double as a fire break. The trail will also serve as an alternative for deer to circle back on my property instead of exiting out the main ridge trail.
I'm hinge cutting maples along the property line.
Looking out into the neighboring lease into the barren understory.
Looking in at a bunch of maples to be cutoff and turned into mineral stumps (reference Dr. Marcus Lashley). We have always cut off trees and let them grow back as deer browse but it was Marcus who did the nutritive analysis of the browse cut stumps and found them to be packed with 10x-30x the nutritive value of the browse from the original tree. All of the nutrients that would be going up into the tree is now going up into fresh sprouts. When I first saw his videos titled mineral stumps, I thought that he was just talking about stumps with a bag of minerals dumped on it. The trees on the ground in the fore were supposed to be big hinges but they broke off the other day when it was below freezing out.
Trails getting cut
This trail joins a skid trail that drops all the way down into the cabin food plot.
With out the maples I will be left with white oaks, hickories, and mineral stumps, a spot with good habitat and hunting potential.
G
Heading north through the wood, to the right some hinge cuts and my property line 40 or so yards over. To the left the area that I waylaid red maples, I believe, 3 summers ago.
In this area of regeneration, I have lots of little oaks that would soon be shaded out by red maple resprouts, and a serious load of ash sprouts. This is why this year will be the year of fire, returning fire to the landscape.
Im cutting out a trail that will double as a fire break. The trail will also serve as an alternative for deer to circle back on my property instead of exiting out the main ridge trail.
I'm hinge cutting maples along the property line.
Looking out into the neighboring lease into the barren understory.
Looking in at a bunch of maples to be cutoff and turned into mineral stumps (reference Dr. Marcus Lashley). We have always cut off trees and let them grow back as deer browse but it was Marcus who did the nutritive analysis of the browse cut stumps and found them to be packed with 10x-30x the nutritive value of the browse from the original tree. All of the nutrients that would be going up into the tree is now going up into fresh sprouts. When I first saw his videos titled mineral stumps, I thought that he was just talking about stumps with a bag of minerals dumped on it. The trees on the ground in the fore were supposed to be big hinges but they broke off the other day when it was below freezing out.
Trails getting cut
This trail joins a skid trail that drops all the way down into the cabin food plot.
With out the maples I will be left with white oaks, hickories, and mineral stumps, a spot with good habitat and hunting potential.
G
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George
Well-Known Member
I started heading back west
and met up with the old rim logging trail
I ended this day debating widow makers along the trail
I came back yesterday and cut one and found out that it was still a solid tree. It is white oak, I cut it up for firewood. I decided not to fret over the ones remaining that aren't over hanging the trail.
3 years ago when I cut the maples down I went back and cut the fallen maple tops off of the trail so as to keep it open for deer travel.
The burn unit above the trail is around 3-4 acres and much of it was left a mess. My plan is to light it up and see what happens. There is great potential here for making some deer habitat and regenerating an oak forest.
G
and met up with the old rim logging trail
I ended this day debating widow makers along the trail
I came back yesterday and cut one and found out that it was still a solid tree. It is white oak, I cut it up for firewood. I decided not to fret over the ones remaining that aren't over hanging the trail.
3 years ago when I cut the maples down I went back and cut the fallen maple tops off of the trail so as to keep it open for deer travel.
The burn unit above the trail is around 3-4 acres and much of it was left a mess. My plan is to light it up and see what happens. There is great potential here for making some deer habitat and regenerating an oak forest.
G
George
Well-Known Member
I took a picture at the road ahead yesterday am.
Up to the left was the area that I went back and mulched red maples to the ground with my saw. There are a dozen rubs in this photo along the up and down corridor that I created.
Looking back down there are 10,000 tulip poplar seedlings.
Down the path on the other side of the mulched area
is what I call the control area because I have yet to do anything in this 1-2 acre woods
It won't be control for long because I will run fire through it and girdle red maples that aren't fire killed.
I broke through to the other side.
I don't like this slope for my Polarious so I'm going back today. The deer trail will serve as my fire break
Another day I will make a trail up and down through the control forest.
G
Up to the left was the area that I went back and mulched red maples to the ground with my saw. There are a dozen rubs in this photo along the up and down corridor that I created.
Looking back down there are 10,000 tulip poplar seedlings.
Down the path on the other side of the mulched area
is what I call the control area because I have yet to do anything in this 1-2 acre woods
It won't be control for long because I will run fire through it and girdle red maples that aren't fire killed.
I broke through to the other side.
I don't like this slope for my Polarious so I'm going back today. The deer trail will serve as my fire break
Another day I will make a trail up and down through the control forest.
G
Hard working dude! My chainsaw hasn’t gotten nearly enough action due to situations beyond my control...looking great George and looking forward to seeing how it starts turning out. Do you have a lot of bedding on your place?
On a side note...every trail I have created on our place ends up being a dog highway...this photo was just taken and it’s always anywhere from 1-4 dogs several different times a day...
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
George
Well-Known Member
Thanks Okie, deer tend to bed in traditional spots like ridge noses, but on this end of my property there isn't much thick bedding cover. My goal this year is to kill as many red maples as i can with fire to bring light down into the understory. Those dogs are awful.
After 4-5 hours of fire prep yesterday I tested down lower and it wasn't quite ready
Up top it was ready in spots. Today I will prep another unit and light both up this afternoon.
G
George
Well-Known Member
I started the day prepping the next unit, fire breaks. Hack and squirt does work to kill trees.
I rake out pear trees and any trees that I don't want burnt.
I had my hands full when I started my fire on the downwind corner with fire breaching my fire break on both ends and spot fires popping up over the break as well.
Once in the trees it was safer but a slow start.
A pretty good burn inside the woods
Back burns turned into front burns over the hill.
I was able to keep the fire on my side of the fence as I worked around the east end.
G
I rake out pear trees and any trees that I don't want burnt.
I had my hands full when I started my fire on the downwind corner with fire breaching my fire break on both ends and spot fires popping up over the break as well.
Once in the trees it was safer but a slow start.
A pretty good burn inside the woods
Back burns turned into front burns over the hill.
I was able to keep the fire on my side of the fence as I worked around the east end.
G
George
Well-Known Member
Once around the corner I put some more heat out with a head fire up hill.
The other end of the fire behaved nicely, some of it, backing down to the fire break. I just had to run some strips to finish up the controll woods.
I can make some heat in a hurry with my new drip torch.
The fire was a bit spotty in the heavier wood areas.
The view from the top showed the fire to be a success
10,000 burnt tulip sprouts.
G
The other end of the fire behaved nicely, some of it, backing down to the fire break. I just had to run some strips to finish up the controll woods.
I can make some heat in a hurry with my new drip torch.
The fire was a bit spotty in the heavier wood areas.
The view from the top showed the fire to be a success
10,000 burnt tulip sprouts.
G
