projects this year

[LABS4ME]

I have not posted our projects as we progressed this year. Been a busy year! Both habitat wise and with my real job! Friday afternoon, dont feel up to starting up another report at work so... will post a long update here.

We decided to get a couple new food plots going. The first step was to hire a dozer to come in and clear them. About 6 hours later we had 2 new plots and 5-600 yards of trail. We had this done late last fall. This spring was prep and seed. The only prep pic I still have is of one of the trails... but have several of the plots sprouting and what they look like now...

sprouting

and today

We are doing much more green manuring to help build up the organic matter in the soil,, here is a small plot that is in oats that will be tilled in green. It is now in a fall Brasssica mix.. this small plot is somewhat out in the open so we planted a 15' wide strip of soudan sorghum to create a screen, it will also help the pheasants with a little winter cover

finally we decided to revive an old stand and trail. It has not been used for around 5 years... cleanp-up, prep, and seeded in a high sugar grass / clover mix... alittle work on the box stand (if you look closely you can see it at the end of the trail) and a new 'hotspot' is produced

We also converted towo old logging landings into food plots. They had soybeans on them this year. We did roundup the veg. first thing this spring, but of course it wanted to come back through the beans. we used roud-up ready beans and a couple sprayings later we are well ahead of the weeds. We have not decided long term what these plots will be, but the beans were hammered all summer by the deer. We try to go 50-50 perrenial food to annual plots.

I just contacted a nursery buddy I know from years ago and secured 20+ apple trees. They are about an inch caliper and 7-8' tall for $30 bucks each... all good hardy varieties to boot Going to convert the old pasture into an orchard...

I'll post pics of that project when we do it.

It's been a long hard summer of work, but we really enjoy it. We are up to about 12 acres of food plots and many other habitiat projects going (native prairie, wetlands, buckthorn prickly ash removal) never ending, but we love doing it and can see the dividends each and every year on camera and with some luck, the wall!

Good Luck!

Ken

[Scott K]

Wow Ken, do you need help hunting it

I have done some work as well this year, but nothing compared to what you did. That place ought to be rockin in a couple years.

[Moonshine]

Ken, the plots look great. We had really good luck this year with our purple top turnips. They are the bullseye brand. We bought them from our feed store, but later noticed FF carries them as well.

These were planted July 9.

[LABS4ME]

We have two plots in turnips / radishes this year. We are going with two years in a brassica (turnips are a brassica) and one year rotation out. Finding out that you are at risk losing the plot to disease if you don't rotate brassicas out after two consecutive years... We then are using winter wheat, forage oats, crimson clover or even beans for a season...

But they sure love turnips after a frost hits the tops!

Good Luck!

Ken

[East Rush Rules]

Looks awesome! Keep us updated into the season!