Hedgelj 24-25

[Hedgelj]

Earlier this spring I rented a Harley rake and put in almost 2 acres of a dove field mix. The buckwheat grew nicely, the sunflowers grew in patches (maybe due to me hand crank spreading the seed mix) but a lot of extra stuff grew despite me spraying twice with clethodim.

The yellow finches are all over the sunflowers. Gonna wait a few more days to a week before I mow it down as short as I can to spread the seeds and (hopefully) start attracting doves.

At the same ish time I opened up a few spots and planted @at1010 's nitro boost. In other spots I just sprayed round up and went for it.

 

[Hedgelj]

There was rain in the forecast for last night and this weekend so I figured I should work for the deers.

Sprayed round up on all the spots I set up.

1) I had cleared an area out in the woods. Last year it was run with a brush clearing head and this year with the Harley rake to take out the briars that were growing up. It was almost overwhelmed with poison hemlock!

I know from experience that round up doesn't really do much for that but I sprayed and then seeded hoping that when it dies from frost the carbon load from @at1010 will take over.

2) You can tell exactly where I sprayed in the spring but nothing really grew at all.... weird

It's pretty open above it

Thoughts?

I broadcast carbon load into it here's hoping.

3) Actually looked good and I'm hoping it takes the carbon load well.

I then took some and put it on the edges of my woods by my house and on part of my dove field with the idea that when I mow it short it'll be sprouts and not matter until after in done hunting doves.... or I messed up.... time will tell.

But it was actually relaxing and good for my mental health to get out and do some stuff like that.

That seed armr is fun stuff

 

[finelyshedded]

There was rain in the forecast for last night and this weekend so I figured I should work for the deers.

Sprayed round up on all the spots I set up.

1) I had cleared an area out in the woods. Last year it was run with a brush clearing head and this year with the Harley rake to take out the briars that were growing up. It was almost overwhelmed with poison hemlock!

I know from experience that round up doesn't really do much for that but I sprayed and then seeded hoping that when it dies from frost the carbon load from @at1010 will take over.

2) You can tell exactly where I sprayed in the spring but nothing really grew at all.... weird
View attachment 198265
It's pretty open above it
View attachment 198266
Thoughts?

I broadcast carbon load into it here's hoping.

3) Actually looked good and I'm hoping it takes the carbon load well.

I then took some and put it on the edges of my woods by my house and on part of my dove field with the idea that when I mow it short it'll be sprouts and not matter until after in done hunting doves.... or I messed up.... time will tell.

But it was actually relaxing and good for my mental health to get out and do some stuff like that.

That seed armr is fun stuff
View attachment 198267

That carbon load sure lives up to its name! Looking forward to following along with your progress.

 

[Hedgelj]

That carbon load sure lives up to its name! Looking forward to following along with your progress.

The black stuff is the seed Armr that they send with it to help inoculated the seeds.

 

[5Cent]

Looking forward to your successes this season Doug!

 

[at1010]

Best of luck my friend!

 

[hickslawns]

I admit to not knowing a ton about food plots. I also acknowledge we are time constrained and sometimes fit this stuff in when we can. Just a thought here: if possible, Harley rake, let it sit a couple or few weeks. Then spray. When you work up the soil it also brings up weed seeds which could have been dormant for decades. Albert can correct me if my thinking is off on this one. It might be dependent upon how quickly your food plots seed germinates. If it germinates quickly, you could get the plot seed to pop and shade out the other weeds which would negate what I just suggested.

Either way, looking forward to seeing how it works out for you. Best of luck this season!

 

[at1010]

I admit to not knowing a ton about food plots. I also acknowledge we are time constrained and sometimes fit this stuff in when we can. Just a thought here: if possible, Harley rake, let it sit a couple or few weeks. Then spray. When you work up the soil it also brings up weed seeds which could have been dormant for decades. Albert can correct me if my thinking is off on this one. It might be dependent upon how quickly your food plots seed germinates. If it germinates quickly, you could get the plot seed to pop and shade out the other weeds which would negate what I just suggested.

Either way, looking forward to seeing how it works out for you. Best of luck this season!

You’re spot on. That is a method that folks use and I’ll add, it can also help when one fine tunes their rate of seed per acre depending on location, deer density, soil fertility, etc.

Example - when I spray and broadcast seed - I got heavier than when I’m no til drilling the seed.

Hope it helps!!

 

[Hedgelj]

Mowed off about 1/3-1/2 off my dove field attempt. Took a while with the ol zero turn but it was funny seeing all the seeds blow out when I was going through the sunflowers.

Here goes nothing...

 

[Dannmann801]

Very cool stuff man, very cool...

 

["J"]

Mowed off about 1/3-1/2 off my dove field attempt. Took a while with the ol zero turn but it was funny seeing all the seeds blow out when I was going through the sunflowers.

Here goes nothing...

What’d them blades look like after all that?

 

[Hedgelj]

What’d them blades look like after all that?

I dunno, my wife already got some rocks and took a few chunks out.... figure replacement is cheaper than the argument with her

 

["J"]

I dunno, my wife already got some rocks and took a few chunks out.... figure replacement is cheaper than the argument with her

Gravel driveway problems

 

[giles]

Itll be fine. Grind them and use them for this every year

 

[Hedgelj]

Put out 5 trail cams and 2 salt blocks.... let them soak for a month and see what's around

 

[Hedgelj]

Been seeing 1-2doz doves in the field each evening. Cut some more of the field last night and showed my son how to determine doves from song birds by how they look while flying. HIP certification done..... may have some fun this weekend.

 

[Hedgelj]

The time outside was needed and mentally refreshing. The time with my youngest was great. My skill at shooting doves was subterranean. I got 1 and we won't talk about how much of a box of shells I went through.

 

[Hedgelj]

Better success tonight. Even got enough to teach my youngest the basics of how to breast them out.

 

[Hedgelj]

Pulled Camera cards yesterday.
Definitely have some good options for my kids and one or two potential target bucks as well. I have turkeys!!!! after such a disappointing spring where I didn't hunt it must have helped. We definitely have bobcats in different locations on the farm so they are around (from a friend who runs cams and hunts the farm also)

 

[Hedgelj]

Nice evening stroll along the creek. I passed on the merganzer.

Saw about 14, it was a lot of fun.