That Quail Place Forum
Hunting Gamebirds => Shooting Preserve Management => Topic started by: CharlieHorse on April 18, 2008, 10:29:43 AM
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"FEEL FREE TO POST SOME OF YOUR GAMEBIRD HABITAT/CROP PICTURES"
(On this thread)
Finally!......a break in the weather! I've managed to get all of the plowing done, and a little bit of discing in hillbilly country. Might still be too muddy for flatlanders? So far, so good......everything has been working flawlessly. Field corn in the largest field, with various seed plants around the edges, is what the plan is. A descendant (all black) of Bloody Butcher corn will be planted in a distant field, with various seed plants throughout. Like I said.....that's what the plan is. :-| There's 3 additional places that have been cultivated besides the ones in the pics below:
(Click On Pic To Enlarge):
(Ignore date stamp)
In the beginning...............
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Can't get more than one pic per post, I've shrank all I can shrink :x :
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.......and.......
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CharlieHorse,
How big are the areas that you are doing? I just started on mine today, as you know, mine are just food plots through out the property totalling just under 5 ac.
What do you like better?
Discing
Plowing
Roto tilling
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of each. Since I don't have a "Tractor" I am using my Polaris Ranger 4x4 with a Plotmaster to do my food plots.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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My guess would be about 5 acres total. The corn field is about three. Since this is my first year at planting corn, I backed off of my original acreage plan (4-5) once I started plowing. Figured I wouldn't take on more than I could chew. This hillside farming can be a pain in the hind end, I'm finding out quite quickly. :x
I get more of a kick out of reviving this old equipment more than anything. I'm using a set of 2-bottom Dearborn plows. I've yet to get the Dearborn picker home yet. The plowing is the best part, except for when I'm on the uphill land side with the right tires in the furrow, like I said before, "hillside farming"......gets kinda scary at times!! :-o I chicken out sometimes. A seasoned farmer friend of mine just laughs at me. He grew up on tricycle tractors (and so did I with him) in these hills and didn't think too much about it. But that was then, when I didn't know/think any better. ^-^ Does that make me a "Chicken farmer", "Farmer chicken", or just a plain ole "Farm Chicken"?
a31
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Good thing yer have'n fun......cost per bushel will be about 2k !
s020
The field next to me was planted with barley last year. But another used-to-be-farmer told me the reason so much grain was left on the ground, is because "new" farmers are combining way too fast.
Good for the migratory birds though ! I have a big flock (?) of Swans, Canada, Mallards and many more here every day.
Not sure what is taking place right now though, with all the snow Alberta has been (and still is) getting the last few days.
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......cost per bushel will be about 2k !
Yeah, but I'll be able to run my truck, 3 cars, tractor, cooking oil, heat the house, feed 20 goats and a dozen chickens with newly found renewable, all purpose, answer to everything resource. Plus run and feed all my neighbors stuff too. Hard to believe isn't it? It's true, I seen it on TV! Now if I can just figure out how to get rid of the $8000 electric and fuel bill it takes to get it converted to do all that. ??? Oh well.....who cares!? As long as corn and soybeans is a "renewable resource", well then, we've got it whipped and everybody's happy!! Except for maybe "Reeves"? s47 We won't need any more crude oil..........you better get cha a corn planter "Reeves"!! :cool:
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I'll save money by harvesting local fields at night.
c49
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Here's a small plot for the black field corn that I have, it's about a 1/2 mile and 3 ridges away from my field corn in order to keep away from any cross pollination. I've got a 5 gal bucket full of thistle seed that will planted in amongst and around it, plus a pile of various seeds that are getting old and I'm going to be using some of those up too. Soil is not the best at this spot (clayish), and it's been worked enough for what I'm doin'.
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And another spot. You can see the old barn through the trees which is on it's way to the ground. Several pieces of horse drawn equipment in it and now is home to 7 Turkey Vulchers. There's over a hundred Volkeswagen Beetles, Buses, Westfalia VW campers, Karman-Ghias on this property.
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Those old VW can be made into something !
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why not put in switchgrass and be done with it?
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It's a multi-purpose venture. This will serve a multitude of goals, plus there is a variety of different projects going on throughout the property (400 acres), other tha just this.
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CharlieHorse,
Did you get to plant anything yet? I should have taken the chance and planted at the end of April when we had the nice weather. The ground has been saturated to the extent that you can't plant anything, never mind even running a disc.
I sure hope this Global Warming, May Showers, end soon.. Where I prepaired the food plots, I have weeds growing in again and I'll have to start all over again.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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I should have taken the chance and planted at the end of April when we had the nice weather.
Exactly, I've been kickin' myself ever since for not doing it. I did get my "black corn" planted by hand 9 days ago in the mud. Millet, oats, thistle, millo, sunflowers and some other odd seeds planted in the same field too. All in seperate sections. Oats are up and growing. The wheat that I planted last fall is loaded.
Where I prepaired the food plots, I have weeds growing in again and I'll have to start all over again.
Don't scare me like that! I haven't even bothered to go look at the corn field, I'm half afraid to go look. It's muddier now than it has been all spring.
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CharlieHorse,
How ya making out, did you start up again? Since the weather is suposed to hold out with sunshine the next 4 days, Monday being the warmest of 86*, and just a threat of Scattered T-storms on Tuesday, I took a chance, and at noon yesterday I started the food plots. Although still a little wet, I managed to get 3 out of 5 finished.
Hopefully I can finish the rest before Monday.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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CharlieHorse,
How ya making out, did you start up again? Since the weather is suposed to hold out with sunshine the next 4 days, Monday being the warmest of 86*, and just a threat of Scattered T-storms on Tuesday, I took a chance, and at noon yesterday I started the food plots. Although still a little wet, I managed to get 3 out of 5 finished.
Hopefully I can finish the rest before Monday.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
All my food plots are now finished.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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Sorry for late response.....somehow missed it. :-|
Hate to say it, but field corn is not in, but I'm not alone. Most got it in over the weekend. I was out of town the entire weekend. There has only been 2 windows here this spring. Wasn't ready on the first one, wasn't here for the second. I'm going for it today, rain starts again tonight.
Have oats, sunflowers, and black corn up in another plot.
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Good thing corn likes water !
But then, later in the season it will dry up and not rain at all......?
I want to see this black corn...you have my snail mail addy for when it's ripe. Make sure you dry it out...will plant it next spring here. Only want 20(ish) to plant. Shipping.....opps, forgot that the boarder will not likely let them through !
Send pictures s020
Would also like to see the field(s) when the crops are at full growth, please.
Also, you should set traps for Coon hides....you'll need the money for when you take your wife to the gas station :angel:
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I tried something different this year. I added Black Oil Sunflower seeds with my mix of Milo and sorghum. The sunflower are starting to break ground the same time as the other seed.
I just hope that the deer don't notice it yet.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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s53 s53 s80 s176 s53
s53 crows, etc. pulled practically all the black corn up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regular field corn is in the ground....finally! It was suppose to rain in the night and today, and not a s53 drop yet!! :x
I've got black oil sunflowers and oats are up. Last falls planting of winter wheat is loaded too.
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Charlie, I got an idea that would probably get me a new suit with stripes on it ! but put some pans out in the field with some corn seeds in it that might have something spread on it that gives your visitors a fatal digestion problem. just a thought, after all of your hard work that can be very disappointing
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Well it seems like the Milo, Sorghum and Black Oil Sunflowers seeds have really taken off after last weekends rains. What little sun after the storm heated the soil up nicely. Growth is up about 2 - 2 1/2 inches.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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s53 s53 s80 s176 s53
s53 crows, etc. pulled practically all the black corn up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regular field corn is in the ground....finally! It was suppose to rain in the night and today, and not a s53 drop yet!! :x
I've got black oil sunflowers and oats are up. Last falls planting of winter wheat is loaded too.
You were growing it to feed birds anyway :angel:
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Well CharlieHorse,
I don't know how well you fared on the 3 or 4 storms that came through the are the last 2 days, but I lost my largest bottom field yesterday. It is 5 feet under water. Other food plots that are on hills some of the vegetation has washed out, leaving me with ruts.
We haven't hit the back water as of yet, since the creek is still flowing. I figure I won't be able to make a full assessment of my bottom field until Saturday the latest.
What a s53 story. All that work for nothing.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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3 or 4 storms that came through the are the last 2 days,
Lets put it this way.....I've lived here for over 20 years and this is the worst my driveway has ever been washed out. Gutters on house and garage plugged up, washed out flower beds around house and garage, thus putting alot more water on the ground to run down the driveway. I'll have to use the end loader to bring driveway back up the hill this time, a simple grading won't get it. Lower bottom fields got flash flooded, luckily I didn't plant those. Although as much rain as we've gotten, even flat ground is getting washed out, I'm afraid to go look at the field corn. Now the 90 degree, smoltering heat will about do me in.....can't stand the heat!!!
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CharlieHorse,
I was outside this morning at 6am clearing the top of the bridge and the tubes from debris, since the water recided about 2 foot down. Since 0830 up until now the water has stop flowing and now we are getting the back water. I am about 4" below the bridge and the lower section of the driveway is now underwater.
This now puts my bottom field better than 6 feet under water and with the backwater rising it won't be long until another one of the food plots go under.
We have had floods here before, but never this late in the year where it would flood out the bottom field. Last time this type of flood happen was in April, 2004 and it cleaned out the bottom field completely where I didn't have to brush hog.
Have a nice day CharlieHorse!
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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3 or 4 storms that came through the are the last 2 days,
Lets put it this way.....I've lived here for over 20 years and this is the worst my driveway has ever been washed out. Gutters on house and garage plugged up, washed out flower beds around house and garage, thus putting alot more water on the ground to run down the driveway. I'll have to use the end loader to bring driveway back up the hill this time, a simple grading won't get it. Lower bottom fields got flash flooded, luckily I didn't plant those. Although as much rain as we've gotten, even flat ground is getting washed out, I'm afraid to go look at the field corn. Now the 90 degree, smoltering heat will about do me in.....can't stand the heat!!!
http://www.tuk.ca/
:grin:
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Nothing like going to the extremes..... Looks good though.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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Ok send me the Rain you don't want My Sflowers & Milo look Thirsty Send it South
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What's up with the habitat? I am having a slow start with the growth of all grains here as well as with the sunflower. How are your fields doing?
I still have areas still sitting in water as well.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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Ok send me the Rain you don't want My Sflowers & Milo look Thirsty Send it South
I wish that I could!
How are your fields doing?
I'm not very happy with any of it. A good portion of the field corn never came up because of either being washed out or soaked continuosly. I was going to replant some, but there have been springs come up in the field that where not there all spring. It's too muddy to get back in there with the tractor, plus I already cleaned out the planter for storage. Algae is growing on hillsides on the bare ground. Some of the rows (hills) got washed out and they run horizontal to the slope of the hill. First year I get into planting corn and it must be one of the worst for planting anything. Scare crows must be keeping the crows away at least, nothing has bothered what little corn that came up....yet.
Next year, I'll be more prepared and experienced. Ground will be easier to work, since I did it this year, etc. The only thing that's doing good, is the winter wheat that I planted last fall in areas where I had cleared brush with the end loader. I just broadcast it on the bare ground and it is loaded, and most of it is in the woods.
s80
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Ok send me the Rain you don't want My Sflowers & Milo look Thirsty Send it South
Now that I think about it.........we are! Via the Hocking, Muskingum, Mighty Ohio, and the Mississippi Rivers, it should be there by now?
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Ok send me the Rain you don't want My Sflowers & Milo look Thirsty Send it South
Now that I think about it.........we are! Via the Hocking, Muskingum, Mighty Ohio, and the Mississippi Rivers, it should be there by now?
Yup j41 it's got to dump some where s020
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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Yes it is coming but to far East of here. 28 Days today and still no rain here, 20 Miles away there was an inch and a half of rain last week. The farmers corn is waist high twisted and turning brown thang goodness he has it Insured, Milo and Sunflowers don't look any better? s176
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Yes it is coming but to far East of here. 28 Days today and still no rain here, 20 Miles away there was an inch and a half of rain last week. The farmers corn is waist high twisted and turning brown thang goodness he has it Insured, Milo and Sunflowers don't look any better? s176
Are those farmer growing corn for the ethanol refinery, if they are, screw them, and I hope the insurance doesn’t even cover 1/3 of there loss.
If the farmer is growing the corn for the food market, I hope he make out in the end.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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My winter wheat would be about ready to pick, if I where going to pick it.....and I'm not. The deer decided it was ready to eat anyway.
:x s53 j10
The only thing that will probably be left to pick after the deer get done with everything will be my nose.
The deer need to be wiped out completely for a couple of years. When I was a kid, one rarely (maybe twice a year) saw a deer this side of the Ohio river.
c110 a24
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I went down to my bottom field this morning, this one has the sunflower and milo, and sorghum. It has also aquired mucho milk weeds within it now as well after the flood.
I also seen a buck running the field as well. c110
One of the other fields that took on flood waters isn't doing as well either.
I guess better luck next year. At least I can still claim the farm exemption this year.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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Keep on eye on those milkweeds, those are what monarch butterflies lay their eggs on. My youngest boy "hatched" almost 50 of those things in an aquarium in his room last year and the year before. Amazing creature. He knows more about monarch butterflies than I know about anything. He has been going out every day looking for them and hasn't seen any as of now, but he claims they should be appearing soon. Although, I don't know if the weather we've been having across the country may hinder their travel from mexico and may not make it this far? Don't know.
Otherwise, the deer are helping themselves to everything. j10 Plus, just a bad year for growing anything around here.
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CharlieHorse,
Have any updated picture of the fields? I keep forgetting to take some of mine when I go for my walks.
No monarch butterflies yet on the Milk Weed flower heads. I have seen other butter flies on them though. I will have to get the book out to see which ones they are.
Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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The Monarchs have white on them, are a but larger than the others and are usually being chased by gangs of other butterflies. A male was spotted here the other day, the milkweeds are in full bloom right now and are loaded with every butterfly imaginable. If you happen across the monarch caterpillar (hairless, striped, and very small at first and only found on milkweeds) and have an aquarium or large glass jar, place screen over the top and then just put the leaves of the milkweed (their only food) in it.......when it is time, they will climb up to the screen and build the neatest coccoon (chrysalis) you probably ever saw. The males and females have distinct markings. It is the only insect that can fly 2500 miles to hibernate. Without milkweeds they could not exist.
Everyone should try this, it's rates right up there with hatching gamebirds, only alot easier and the equipment needed is next to nothing and no feed bill.
Here's a link with more details:
http://www.monarchbutterflyusa.com/Cycle.htm
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Here's some recent pics of what the deer haven't torn down yet, but they are agressively working at it:
:x
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:grin:
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:-*
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:cool:
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:grin:
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Here's probably the only corn that may survive, it's a patch my 11 year old planted from various seed. I explained to him about cross-pollination, so he decided that he would make his own breed from Black corn, Reids yellow dent, indian corn and some plain ole seed from a beg of feed. He waters them and I think pees (I wonder where he got that idea?) around the perimeter of the fence he put up to keep the s53 deer away.........works so far! :grin: It's a good distance from the other corn fields.
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Do ya think that I'll have a problem with raccoons in the corn?
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This is how it looked in the creek bed the next day after I did some grading in the creek crossing next to that hornets nest in that other thread. :-| It was completely covered with coon tracks, a few fox, deer, a very large bird of some sort, and possibly coyote. And one trespasser, approximately size 12 or 13, possible sasquatch? This is right smack dab in the middle of a couple thousand acres, so whomever it was.....did alot of walking.
Must be a hot bed of activity at that area? I should set my camera up right there.