Field of Dreams 2014

Jackalope said:

Man you did a lot of work to cut that out.

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Yes it took some work and a lot of resting between cuts. It's in a area along the creek that's in a spot that there's no need to go in. So I cut everything about 3' tall so the suckers will grow over time to keep the planting alive so the creek bank doesn't wash out. Plus cutting it high I didn't need to stoop over. I just left everything lay where it fell and only cleaning up where it fell across the path in and what fell onto the creek.
This picture shows the same opening but not zoomed in.



Picture before last tree cut down. Picture not zoomed in.
Notice how the new forage oats is greening up between the 2 pictures.

Went back to the overlook about 8:10PM. 2 does and a fawn came out of the woods and feed in the new clover plot. They were still there 45 minutes later. They kept staring to the left which is hidden by tree tops so I suspect there was deer there also. I can only see about 1% of this 1/2 ac. clover plot. Looks like some more thorn trees to cut down for a better view.
Damn I hate those thorn and osage orange trees as their rough on the old skin.

I looked at my food plot tonight at 7:15 and there was 8 deer feeding in the clover plot. I didn't have my binocs with me to tell what they were.

I forgot to post a picture of my last trash tree cutting I did 2 months ago to open up the view of my food plots. I can now see about 2.0 ac. of the 3.0 ac. plot.
I put up a ground blind on the overlook yesterday and I'll move the sniper shack latter.
I grabbed a hot bowl of homemade vegetable soap and a mug of fresh apple cider and sat in the blind at 6:00PM last night. My wife just smiled and shuck her head as I went out the door.
There was a lone doe walking across the plots when I got there. At 6:30 a doe and 2 yearlings came across the creek directly below me about 50 yds. away and never knew I was there. They fed around and kept staring to the South out of my view and went to the left. At 7:15 2 deer went across the plots rather fast but too dark to tell what they were. If the last one was a buck it had to have very small horns.
What a great day down on the farm.

The grandson came back at noon yesterday and we hung a 17' ladder stand on the North side of the food plot. That stand will be great with SWS wind direction. The stand is about 50 yds. to the left right below the cliff overlook.

I already took a doe during early ML season this year from my hunting tower.

at1010 said:

awesome Frank! Love hearing the updates, cant wait to you kill one from that spot!

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Update on the food plot. It has worked out great. It draws the deer off the neighbors 100 ac. of hay fields. I've seen as high as 15 deer at one time in the plots. In 23 yrs. of owning the farm I never seen over 3 deer in a group until 2103.
I checked the West side of my farm where I want to put a 2nd 1.0 ac. food plot in and all I have to do is knock over about 30 cedar trees and pull them out of the way. Then a few honeysuckle bushes.
This new plot is about 100 yds. from my house and is on a main N-S trail that comes across the road, through my property then across the creek to the neighbors property. What's nice about the new plot is it'll be surrounded on all 4 sides with grownup cedar trees. It's a grownup pasture field with 100's of cedar trees about 15 ft. high.
I believe I'll plant it into clover for 2016 and a top crop of brassica for a 2015 crop. At the same time I'll plant the 1/2 ac. plot that I planted this year. It's all ate down to the ground so it served it's purpose this year.
It'll be a good last minute hunting location with a easy walk form the house. I've taken several deer there in years past.
It'll be a interesting year. I got feelers out for a cultipacker.

Thanks Phil. I seen that but I really only need a 6-7 ft. one. I only do 3 ac. plus my new food plot is tough to get to. Plus that's a $100 diesel fuel cost for me to get it. The damn things costs a fortune due to the scrape prices and the weight.

hickslawns said:

12' cultipacker for $600 about 20-25min down the road from me Frank. Botkins Ohio. Should be right off the interstate and on the way to/from the Lima gun shows for you. Look in Lima Craigslist ads or call me if you want more details.

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