Deer Season Done, Next Year Starts Now

[Bureaucrat]

After a tough season this year (trespassing dogs, weather, rut timing), it's time to quit licking the wounds and start planning for next year.

I will be spending the shopping holiday as far from shopping as possible. I plan to get out in the woods for a couple days to get the following chores done:

-Snip a narrow new walking trail through the brush for the deer.

-Stake out the new plot to be cleared memorial weekend.

-Take out a few more trees that make the truck trail narrow.

-Remove some stumps that are hampering trail progress.

-Do a soil sample on the trails and new plot.

-Make some room in the canopy for the new trees planted this year.

-Assess the stump count in an area where we are looking to restore with pines and spruces.

-Develop a plan to get a screen going along the road where the poachers peer in.

-Stake out the new areas for the tree plantings in the spring.

---5 Apple (Dolgo crab, wolf river, spartan, harrelson, honeycrisp)

---6 Winter Pear

---6 American Mountainash

---6 Gray Dogwood

---6 Red Pine

---6 White Pine

---3 White Spruce

---3 Blue Spruce

Anyone else got projects rolling around in the idea hopper?

[Scott K]

I hunt Wisconsin, so my season will start this coming weekend. But yes, right after the deer hunting season, I will be cutting down a few trees to clear the way for a food plot, that will be planted right away in the spring, along with 10 more apple trees. I planted 4 this past spring, and they all survived their first summer, without weekly watering. So I will plant some more. I have to cut a shooting lane in a bog, that has grown together in the past couple years. So yes, I will be out planning for next season, right after this season ends. In fact, if we do well the first half of the week, we may just start right after turkey day in the cutting part. Plus my brother needs more wood to burn, so kinda kill 2 birds here.

[Dotch]

Not sure yet what I'll be doing for the upcoming year other than replacing a few dark green arbs that didn't make it. Yesterday I put the tree wrap on the 20 or so Siberian crabs planted this spring. Not a minute too soon. The bunnies had already gnawed on 3 or 4 of them. They're tough and will make it after seeing worse but rabbit damage still makes my blood boil especially when there's still a lot of green stuff around they could eat. There are a few willows that escaped the generic Garlon treatment by the pond area so they can be messed with. And there are always boxelder "trees" (large woody weeds) that need pruning at ground level and basal treatment in any of several plantings. If I don't get to it this fall they'll be there in the spring. Didn't see them last night when I finished up but still hearing a few pheasants cackling off that direction. A good sign.