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Property Improvement

Chancegriffis

Active Member
1,451
63
Salesville ohio
Nice info man! I’ll be interested to see how that throw in go turns out. I have a few spots here on my property that I would like to do that in, with similar cover to what you have described.
 

Stressless

Active Member
2,128
85
Keene, OH
I'm looking at using the roads the logging created as food plots to link areas.

Making those "link areas" into food plots is a great idea if you do not access your stands via the same linked paths covered with food. You'll blow the deer out of those areas and make them use the plots nocturnally if you spook them off the plots.

What my deer sensi has beat into me over a couple years...

Access to stand locations First, they can't see, hear, smell you going in
Plots to reinforce deer movement, bedding <-> food, second. Plots and bedding in areas they are unmolested by access to stands
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
Making those "link areas" into food plots is a great idea if you do not access your stands via the same linked paths covered with food. You'll blow the deer out of those areas and make them use the plots nocturnally if you spook them off the plots.

What my deer sensi has beat into me over a couple years...

Access to stand locations First, they can't see, hear, smell you going in
Plots to reinforce deer movement, bedding <-> food, second. Plots and bedding in areas they are unmolested by access to stands

Nah this my normal approach. The hill sucks but it's all field walking.
Screenshot_20210331-213118_onX Hunt.jpg
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
So life got busy and i didn't get to the areas for a couple of weeks. You could tell most of the plants i sprayed had died but not everything. Raked some of it down to dirt. Hand spread a buckwheat and alfalfa mix.

Came back a could of weeks later and could tell there was a lot of buckwheat seedlings.

Last weekend i walked the areas while placing trail cams. It looks like the buckwheat has died (i know its not a great hot weather plant) and I'm gonna have to spra again before throwing down my fall/ winter mix.

Would adding in some 2-4D help or hurt?

Should i try to get this done before or after my Maine hunt at the end of August?



In the other areas that i did the clover blends you can tell it took off.

How tall should the switchgrass get or be from a may planting?
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
So life got busy and i didn't get to the areas for a couple of weeks. You could tell most of the plants i sprayed had died but not everything. Raked some of it down to dirt. Hand spread a buckwheat and alfalfa mix.

Came back a could of weeks later and could tell there was a lot of buckwheat seedlings.

Last weekend i walked the areas while placing trail cams. It looks like the buckwheat has died (i know its not a great hot weather plant) and I'm gonna have to spra again before throwing down my fall/ winter mix.

Would adding in some 2-4D help or hurt?

Should i try to get this done before or after my Maine hunt at the end of August?



In the other areas that i did the clover blends you can tell it took off.

How tall should the switchgrass get or be from a may planting?
Sucks to hear about your buckwheat. In my experience, it’s a pretty fickle plant. Too wet, it dies. Too hot and dry, it dies. A lot depends on your soil type obviously but it can be a frustrating one.

Regarding 2,4-D… It kind of depends on what will be in your fall plot mix. If you’re planting any broadleafs, I wouldn’t spray any 2,4-D as some of them can have a fair amount of residual control. Better to be safe than sorry. Glyphosate alone will be just fine.

First-season switchgrass may or may not get tall enough to be useful. Kind of just depends on your weather and soil. Generally, second-year production is much better. That is usually the case with any of the perennial warm season grasses. It’s spending most of its resources on establishing roots during this first growing season. Make sure not to mow it during this first year.
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
The buckwheat is dead but that's okay. Stopped by merit and picked up their deer max blend, it's the one my local friends have had the best success with. Gonna try to get my "in the woods" plots seeded this week with all the rain. The soybean plots will get seeded later in September.
 

Knelly

Junior Member
82
82
The buckwheat is dead but that's okay. Stopped by merit and picked up their deer max blend, it's the one my local friends have had the best success with. Gonna try to get my "in the woods" plots seeded this week with all the rain. The soybean plots will get seeded later in September.
That's a really good blend. We've been using it for years now
 
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Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
Organ grinder spreader used in the food plots and a few other open areas that didn't have much leaf litter. Replenished 2 salt blocks. The one closest to a spring is getting hammered, this is the third one since after turkey season!
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
Did some burning this spring to improve growth (i hope).

Have replanted switchgrass in areas.

Planted clover blends on the logging trails where i didn't do switchgrass.

Planted buckwheat for a summer crop leading into the fall.

Planted @at1010 's spring summer blend in a spot behind my house and near one of our blinds hopefully seeing up a spot for my kids and dad to get good opportunities.
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
So I wanted to do some hinge cuts and increase bedding opportunities for the deer. The storm last week did a lot of that for me. Working a chainsaw for 8 hours to clear things up while my brother ran a ditch witch with a grapple attachment. There were a dozen just in my 10 acres alone we dealt with.
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So I wanted to do some hinge cuts and increase bedding opportunities for the deer. The storm last week did a lot of that for me. Working a chainsaw for 8 hours to clear things up while my brother ran a ditch witch with a grapple attachment. There were a dozen just in my 10 acres alone we dealt with. View attachment 154690View attachment 154691View attachment 154692View attachment 154693View attachment 154694View attachment 154695View attachment 154696
How do you like that box blind? That one of the Maverick brand blinds??
 
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Wildlife

Denny
Supporting Member
5,248
191
Ross County, Ohio
I feel for ya...

Country living, especially if living in a wooded area is a constant battle keeping up with mother nature. I just rounded up all the debris from the last storm that pressed through here, and I still have more to collect. Place keeps me on my toes no doubt every year!

Tonight's bonfire in the works to get rid of all the debris that's scattered all throughout the property.
20220621_085028.jpg

You have a beautiful place and looks like some awesome hunting grounds too! Best of luck to you and keep up the great work you're doing!!
 
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