Working towards Paradise!

[Sam]

Ya its a big tractor really bigger than what we need but Moline is a family thing for him. His grandfather owned a dealership at there family farm back in the day and his cousins have 100s of them and collect some really rare ones. He took this one to a tractor show down here in Florida and no one knew what it was.

 

[Sam]

Well turkeys are taking over the pine stand.

 

[Sam]

The neighbors clear cut about 200 acres and pretty much all the deer disappeared. Figured the season was over but had a week off for Christmas and new years. So i checked the cameras to see if anything was moving.







Might not seem like much but i was happy that some of the bucks were back and moving on our property.

 

[Sam]

Went out Thursday morning hoping just to see something but took the rifle just in case i got lucky. About 7am I saw some movement back in the woods and figured it was the dam tree rats but was happy to see a 4 point walk out. He has spike on one side and 3 on the other young buck but helpful with time and food he will turn into something nicer. Right behind him walked in a nice 6 point that has a really small body, again i knew the deer from past pictures neither are shooters but nice to see something moving. Something caught my eye behind them moving in the palmettos it was huge lol compared to them I could see horns and was hoping it was the 9 point that I had pictures of earlier that season. Grabbed the binoculars and dam it’s a big deer and had a nice 4 on one side but was spooked and kept looking behind him. Well now I'm getting buck fever cause I have never had this many bucks together under my stand. All I could think it doesn’t screw this up lol...The buck turns around and walks back into the woods. Few minutes later a doe walks in and the big buck is on her tail. I put up the rifle and notice the "doe" is a yearling spike that was born earlier this year. Now i have 4 bucks just hanging out eating corn and acorns. So i pick up the rifle and hit the shooting rail...They all look up and the big buck starts to walk out of the lane back down the trail that all came in. Figuring it was now or never i lined up and pulled the trigger. He ran but hit some palmettos and started kicking. The 6 point ran over to where the buck was standing and looked towards were he ran, the other two just stood there. Now I'm shooting suppressed 223 so it’s quite but never thought they would stand around like nothing happened. I looked out my phone and was what seem to have been hours, is only 7:30. Sat in the stand till the deer all walked back down the path looked towards the big buck and walked out another path. Knowing i needed to give him time i went back to the house and picked up Jager and went around and pulled all the camera cards. After two hours i went and looked for blood where the buck was standing when i shot but couldn't find any blood. Now it’s time for Jager to earn his keep. i put him on the tracks where he was standing when i shot him and told him to find the deer and off he went. Tracked about 75 yards and still no blood...now I’m getting worried did i pull the shot? Did i completely miss? Walked into a little clearing and jager starts circling like he has lost the trail, so i gave him some more line and started looking around for any sign of blood anything to help the dog. And there he is 15' from us laying between some palmettos. I pull jager back to the trail before the clearing and tell him again find the deer. He walks into the clearing and goes straight for the deer.

 

[Sam]

Sent a text to the buddies and wife big buck down. Took the dog back to the house and jumped on the 4 wheeler. I tried to pick it up but nothing lol dam thing was too heavy. Throw a strap over a tree and started working it up a little at a time, looked over at the wheeler and the back tires are off the ground, so that's not going to work either. Called and buddy and he came over and helped me load him up and take him to the house. Come to find out he weight 165lbs now this is the first deer i have weighed but dam that's a big deer for my area. Here are a couple pics.

 

[Dennis Duffy]

Very nice! Congrats! That is an awesome buck! Loved the story!!!

 

[dogdoc]

Exciting hunt! Congrats on an awesome buck.
Todd

 

[Sam]

They starting 5 rowing the pines this week. Here are a couple pictures i took. This is just half a days work so lots more to come. Its exciting for me to finally have space to plant and be able to get a truck and tractor back into the woods. Everything before was carried in or strapped to the atv which is sometime more of a pain.
This was a blackberry thicket and bedding area...



Lane from the landing area above to the shooting lane row. Day after they cut there were tracks everywhere.


From the stand this is going to be one hell of a shooting lane. Cant wait to get pictures out of the back of the stand.


180yds facing the stand


Once they are done we will have some clean up work and some fence work and lots of trespassing signs and paint to put up but cant wait to see what we find for new stand areas. And lots of planting and testing what we can get to grow.

 

[Sam]

Well they are still working on the pines so i cant get in there and start cleaning up. So Sunday i got a couple of buddies to come over and help clear out some more trees to let more light into my first foodplot. We still have a lot more to go but slowly but surely more light will help more food to grow in return means venison in the freezer.

2011


This pictures where take from the oak tree in the middle of the plots above.













Our winches did a lot of work pulled around 30 stumps.

 

[dogghr]

Getting caught up with you Sam. Thinning looks like its going to produce some awesome food down the road. Great fat buck you took and I agree, lifting even the skinny ass ones are a pain. I have a sled to pull behind my ATV that I use now. Back saver. Congrats, and be careful with that chainsaw while sitting in a tree. Thanks for showing.

 

[Sam]

Went out to pull camera cards and check the feeder batteries and put out another mineral block. They are still in the middle of cutting our pines. Basically finished the 5th row and have started select cutting. From the amount of trees painted (blue) they are going to take as many trees during the select cut that they took 5th rowing it. There is going to be tons of space for growing food!!! To say I'm very excited is a understand statement.

From the stand in the pines, It's really nice to be able to drive in all the feeders now.


The pasture oak is all cut up just need to stack it.




Another picture of the paintball plot after clearing out a bunch of tree last weekend.

 

[Sam]

Finally found someone to order the pro-mix for my chestnut trees and made some DIY grow bags from weed barrier fabric using my vacuum sealer. The bags turn out nice basically 36'x50' roll $10 made 130ish bags. We will see how they work. I got the idea from youtube. I'm putting about 2 quarts in each bag should be enough to get the seeds started and i can transplant by the time they need more space in the bags. The bags are roughly 12"x9"

 

[Sam]

I also went by the local nursery that has the best selection of fruit trees, most are developed by the University of Florida and should do very well in our area. Any advice on any of the ones list? I'm going to read up and make a chart on drop time to hopefully spread out the drop time and a buddy is going to buy his at the same time hopefully bulk will help with a discount.
Peach - FL Prince, FL Star, FL Peach, Fl Gold, Early Grande
Pear - Florahoma, Hood, Shinko Asian, Baldwin, Pineapple
Plum - Gulf Ruby, Scarlet Beauty (Red), Gulf Rose, Gulf Gold
Nectarine - Sun Raycer, Sun Home
Persimmon - Fuyu
Apple - Golden Dorsett, Red Delicious
Chestnuts - Revival, Auburn Leader, Carpenter, Williamette
Blackberries - Arapaho
Pecan - Sumner, Lakoto, Elliot, McMillan

 

[Sam]

Some work on the pasture tree plot on Saturday.











Everyone has heard of a rocket-stove well how abt a rocket-stump?

This guy was hanging out around the stump. I moved him into the woods so he didn't get BBQ or chopped my the disc.


We might have too much fun working.

Made a short video with pictures from the camera. Bare with me this is my first video and the music was just some free stuff i found online that YouTube isn't going to take down. I going to start running a game camera on work days cause i think its helpful to watch the area change compared to some snap shots.

 

[Sam]

Another good work day Sunday in the woods on the paintball plot. We are trying to clear to the pond. So many palmettos i really need to develop something that kills them that doesn't hurt the area around them.

 

[wbpdeer]

You got it going on. You have a right to be excited and motivated.

Your hunting will continue to improve once you get the plots established. I like your fabric bags - look fine to me.

Good job Sam.

Wayne

 

[Sam]

Thanks Wayne!

 

[dogghr]

Liked the videos. Cool.

 

[Triple C]

Sam...You gonna be one buys feller this year. And, you're gonna have an explosion of new growth in those thinned pines. Is that a scarlet king snake? At first I though it was a venomous coral snake but if I remember correctly...red before yellow kill a fellow - red before black friend of jack.

 

[Sam]

Ya it was a scarlet king snake.