Working at the Farm - Took a few I-Phone Pics

[Triple C]

Native...One of the best surprises at the end of the season is to see a few up n comers that made it thru. We're still going till the middle of January here. So far, only 2 shooters but they keep eluding mostly Brooks. Been slim hunting for me this year. If we don't connect I hope the pics keep coming after the season ends. 2017 has seen my fewest days of hunting since owning the property. Sometimes life gets in the way. All good though. Merry Christmas!

 

[Native Hunter]

Native...One of the best surprises at the end of the season is to see a few up n comers that made it thru. We're still going till the middle of January here. So far, only 2 shooters but they keep eluding mostly Brooks. Been slim hunting for me this year. If we don't connect I hope the pics keep coming after the season ends. 2017 has seen my fewest days of hunting since owning the property. Sometimes life gets in the way. All good though. Merry Christmas!

TC, Yes, life gets in the way of living too often. That sounds dang funny to say it that way, but oh so true.

Glad to hear from you, and I wish you and yours the best Christmas and New Years wishes possible. Thanks for checking in on the thread.

 

[Native Hunter]

I had a good day at the farm working in trees.

Tasks accomplished Today:

• Pruning and shaping a few fruit trees
• Cleaning out and pruning shoots at the groundline of a few trees
• Removing bracing from successful topworking from last spring
• Other miscellaneous tree work

Pears grow fast here. This is a pear that I set 4 years ago. It must be 20+ feet tall.

Another pear nearby the one above that was set at the same time:

Apple tree topworked spring of 2017 with scions from Chainsaw in New York. Incredible growth in one year.

This is an interesting one. In 2016 I cut down a big crabapple at the ground line and got shoots coming up. I save the best shoot and grafted it in 2017. Here it is today. The stick is pointing at the graft.

2017 Topworked tree. I pruned it today and removed the scaffolding:

That's about it for today guys. I'm going to be doing more tree work soon whenever I can catch at time the weather will cooperate.

 

[Brushpile]

Pears really are fast growing and they produce early too!

 

[Native Hunter]

Pears really are fast growing and they produce early too!

Yes, and if you get the right ones they are very disease resistant.

 

[Brushpile]

Pears are also drought tolerant and still produce pears in a drought. I planted some pears maybe 6 years ago and they grew into nice trees but don't produce many pears. I've found Kieffer Pear and Korean Giant to be the most productive in my location.

 

[Native Hunter]

Pears are also drought tolerant and still produce pears in a drought. I planted some pears maybe 6 years ago and they grew into nice trees but don't produce many pears. I've found Kieffer Pear and Korean Giant to be the most productive in my location.

I have several varieties that I consider bullet proof. I didn't plant Korean Giant until last year, but have had Kieffers growing for many years. The best pear to eat for me is Ayers. It is very DR as well.

 

[dogghr]

As I've said before just really odd how all your pics of trees seem to facing the eastern sky/Mars evening rise?? I think the Dems need to investigate you instead of Russia?? Trees look great as usual and my pears are showing leaf after 2 wks of warm weather.

 

[Native Hunter]

As I've said before just really odd how all your pics of trees seem to facing the eastern sky/Mars evening rise?? I think the Dems need to investigate you instead of Russia?? Trees look great as usual and my pears are showing leaf after 2 wks of warm weather.

I will admit to collusion. I just refuse to reveal which planet....

Yes, I'm seeing buds breaking here on a lot of different things. Ground is saturated and more storms on the way tonight.

 

[Native Hunter]

3-27-18 Update:

Tasks completed this spring so far:

• Mowed around 6 acres of trees with DR walk behind mower. Lots of turning, backing up, etc. so good exercise.
• Cut and stump treated over 300 sweet gums (ranging from 2 inches up to 12 inches). God made me to kill sweet gums.
• The above includes cutting up and piling up brush.
• Did some cage improvements and other work around the bottom of some existing fruit trees.
• Set and caged the following: (2) Becton Pears, (2) Gallaway Pears, (1) Franklin Cider Apple, (10) Sawtooth Oak, (2) grafted persimmons, and (1) Arkansas Black Apple.
• Moved a Northern Whitetail Crab to a new location. Changed my mind from last year.

Work left to be done:

• 5 more Northern Whitetail Crabs to be shipped to me next week. Need to set and protect those.
• Do some more mowing with DR that wouldn't have to be done that way, but will do it to get the exercise.
• Continue sweet gum whacking and stump treating. Several more hours left to do. This job becomes less and less each year as the oaks and other trees I planted take control. Not much of this will be needed after this year.
• Topwork about 7 persimmon trees
• Topwork maybe 3 apple trees to better varieties.
• Add some screening trees at one location.
• Move 3 chestnut seedlings and a few hazelnut seedlings from my home to the farm.
• Whack and stump treat a few cedars where I don't want them.
• Considering adding some lime around apple trees but low priority and might not get done.
• Topwork 2 apple trees at my home to better varieties.

All this work is having a good impact on me. I feel like a young mule colt running in a field of wildflowers on a bright spring morning.... Eat your heart out young guys......

 

[lakngolf]

Go Mule Go. This young fella ( hmmmm) got tired just reading. Thanks goodness I grow little tomato plants in the spring and don't have time for sweet gums.

 

[Mennoniteman]

That's sounding very ambitious. But your weather is 2 weeks ahead of us. Maybe a month this year, we are unseasonably cold and wet (snow still on ground in spots), is that you as well? Last year I was planting fields 2weeks ago, this year it's still two weeks out? I did plant 6 crabs and 5 grapes with a new arbor. I can identify with your being born to kill gum trees. My motto is that I will kill one undesirable tree for each day of my life that the Lord has left for me. But I have never started grafting, although my dad was really into it. What/ why are you topworking the persimmon trees?

 

[dogghr]

Wow this young guy had to take a nap after reading all you have done. I feel really guilty as one of the worst years of me getting stuff done at the farm due to weather and fact of getting my house in line to sell. Amazing what I get done around the house when I don't spend so much energy at the farm but how boring is that? Congrats on your work and new body. You and Geo are the bomb on health.

 

[Native Hunter]

Go Mule Go. This young fella ( hmmmm) got tired just reading. Thanks goodness I grow little tomato plants in the spring and don't have time for sweet gums.

Keep growing those maters Lak. If you change your mind and want to come help, I have 3 extra saws.

 

[Native Hunter]

That's sounding very ambitious. But your weather is 2 weeks ahead of us. Maybe a month this year, we are unseasonably cold and wet (snow still on ground in spots), is that you as well? Last year I was planting fields 2weeks ago, this year it's still two weeks out? I did plant 6 crabs and 5 grapes with a new arbor. I can identify with your being born to kill gum trees. My motto is that I will kill one undesirable tree for each day of my life that the Lord has left for me. But I have never started grafting, although my dad was really into it. What/ why are you topworking the persimmon trees?

I think our snows are about over with, but I never remember it being as wet in my entire life. In the places I have been working, there is much of it that you couldn't drive a tractor over without marring up, but I can go right over it with the DR.

I'm just picking my days to work as I can find one when it isn't raining. That has been hard to find.

I'm topworking the persimmons because I have been able to ID them (via flowers last year) as males. I will change them over to females. I have scion wood from some of my own trees, plus some that my friend DLH on this forum recently gave to me.

Best wishes

 

[Native Hunter]

Wow this young guy had to take a nap after reading all you have done. I feel really guilty as one of the worst years of me getting stuff done at the farm due to weather and fact of getting my house in line to sell. Amazing what I get done around the house when I don't spend so much energy at the farm but how boring is that? Congrats on your work and new body. You and Geo are the bomb on health.

I didn't realize you were going to sell your house, but I can see where that would be quite a job to prepare for. We just helped our son move to another town closer to home where he got a different job that he likes much better. Even though he got a moving company for the bulk of it, we still had a pretty hard job.

I don't think I can keep up with Geo, but I do have a few years on him. Maybe if you and me teamed up on the 2 man chainsaw, we would both get more manly.......

 

[Triple C]

NH...You starting to rival OkieKubota on the activity scale! Geo's a whole different level. I echo dogghr's comments. I've spent the least amount of time at the farm since the 1st of the year since buying the property. I'm living vicariously through Brooks right now as he's close to the farm and keeps things maintained. Got apple scions from The LLC this week and will be bench grafting those this weekend and getting in the ground. Looking forward to heading to farm Friday morn before rush hour n having the crew down for Easter on Saturday. Hopefully I'll do an update here soon. Always enjoy catching up on your thread! You got it going on in a good way.

 

[Native Hunter]

NH...You starting to rival OkieKubota on the activity scale! Geo's a whole different level. I echo dogghr's comments. I've spent the least amount of time at the farm since the 1st of the year since buying the property. I'm living vicariously through Brooks right now as he's close to the farm and keeps things maintained. Got apple scions from The LLC this week and will be bench grafting those this weekend and getting in the ground. Looking forward to heading to farm Friday morn before rush hour n having the crew down for Easter on Saturday. Hopefully I'll do an update here soon. Always enjoy catching up on your thread! You got it going on in a good way.

TC, it's good to hear from you. Your upcoming apple grafting sounds like fun. Be sure to post us some pictures.

 

[Native Hunter]

Last year I told everyone about a custom, smokeless muzzleloader that I was having built that shoots 275 grain bullets at 3,000 fps. I just got my gun recently and shot it for the first time today. I can shoot anywhere between 55 to 78 grains of IMR 4198 powder. The max load gives 3.000 fps.

The gun was advertised as being extremely accurate - with the ability to shoot 3 shot practically in the same hole at 100 yards. That is exactly what I was able to do with it today.

The gun is build on a Remington 700 action. It has a Brux barrel and is 45 caliber. I buy .452 Pittman bullets and run them through a sizer which shaves them just a couple of thousands to perfectly fit my bore. Once you set the adjustable sizer, it is good to go for as many shots as you want to take.

The gun:

Sizing the bullets:

Scope dial settings for yardages out to 600. I zeroed at 100 and this worked perfectly when I shot at 200.

My first 100 yard group at a full steam load.


My first 200 yard group. Later I shot another one when the wind got up and was gusting at 15 mph. It was not quite as good but still was under Sub MOA.

I'm very happy and feel the gun performs as was advertised. Looking forward to this fall when we can hunt with it. Everything is ready to go now and didn't take me that long today to get sighted in.

Thanks - Steve

 

[Merle Hawggard]

That things a tack driver NH!

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